Lethargic hen, white watery poop, not drinking and barely eating

[Katie Pigtails]

17 month EE, eats Cascade Layer, lives in a coop with pine chips and a sand run. She was acting fine yesterday. Running around the yard keeping her treats from her sisters. This morning she wouldn't come off the roost. I placed her outside and she just stood there. Normally she is the first one out of the coop and to the feeder in the morning.

I brought her inside and made her some scrabbled eggs. When I went back to her crate she was laying on the floor instead of her roost. She was barely moving, had her tail down and could barely keep her eyes open. She refused to eat the eggs. I had to leave for work. When I came home she was sitting on the floor face down in the food. She begrudgingly stood up when I tried to pick her up. Her crop has some food in it and I've seen her eat some since I have been home. She turns her head up at water. She also won't eat any greens which are her favorite.

I was sitting with her in my lap a minute ago and she pooped on the towel I had her one. It was almost all white and fairly runny/mucus filled. The was a very little bit of brown stuff and it looked like jelly. She's standing on the floor preening now and seems a bit more energetic, tails up.

Any ideas what is going on?

 

[seminolewind]

I don't know, chickens seem to lose their appetite and be sluggish with every illness. Off the top of my head, I would treat for coccidiosis. It's mixed in the water, you may want to give her some of the medicated water by syringe at first, or soak a cube of bread in it. No they do not need bloody stool to have cocci.

Did you feel for an impacted egg?

 

[Katie Pigtails]

She laid an egg late on Wednesday but I did feel for an egg just in case. There is not one. I've started her on Sulmet for cocci.

Last night she perked up quite a bit. Still pretty perky this morning. Eating lots of greens and food. Drinking really well. She is still sleeping more than normal and is fluffed up but when she is awake her tail is up and she is talking to me. She's even complaining about being in her crate this morning. Totally different then the bird I came home to... face down in her food not moving. I really did think we were going to lose her but I'm cautiously optimistic now. She's my favorite. She sits on my lap and takes a nap every day after work.

 

[Tracy the chick]

I know if its white runny stools it a signe of dehydration as mine had it when i took her to the vets. I had to syringe her with water every couple hours making sure the syringe is on the top of her tongue and squeeze gently. Also put some ACV in or some vitamins, if you have neither a bit of suger is fine.. Mine had worms so had to treat them for 5 days with flubenvet. Hope this helps a little im just giving you advice i was given off my vet and there is no signe of worms...

 

[Katie Pigtails]

I thought we were doingso well! She had a great day yesterday. Eat and drank a bunch and I mean a bunch! Was running around the house flying up on stuff. I thought she was on the mend. This morning her crate had several normal looking dropping. When I let her out at 7:00am though she seemed to be moving a little slow. Now she is barely eating or drinking, is laying down on the floor or standing with her eyes shut, she's all fluffed up. Her vent is also pulsating like she needs to go the bathroom or lay an egg. she hasn't laid since Wednesday but I don't know if she would lay when she is so sick.

I've got her on Sulmet (for about 48 hours now), have been giving her yogurt and cottage cheese with live cultures, and I just don't know what else to do for her. She's a dear friend and I just don't know what to do to help her.

Should I try worming her? Should I stop the Sulmet?

 

[BitsyB]

Wow, I have a chicken with very similar symptoms.... All you experts out there- any knowledge about this one?

I am on the brink of deciding whether to put her down humanely, then she seems better, then not so much again. I really want to do right by her and not extend any suffering, but also not needlessly euthanize her.

Ugh, this is the one part about having chickens I really don't like

 

[Katie Pigtails]

BitsyB - I'm sorry to hear about your chicken. I have been debating the same thing for days and just when it seems like I should put her down she rallies again. It's so hard. I hope your chicken gets better soon!

She just laid a hard crumpled shell and then a shell-less egg. She seems to be feeling much better now. Poor girl! That post can be found here https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=597173

 

[BitsyB]

Thank you Katie, the link is helpful... the penicillin sounds like a good solution, except that feed stores around here don't sell chicken supplies.

(Probably 'cause we're not really allowed to keep chickens in these parts.)

Let me know if you find out anything more!

 

[snowflake]

if you can take a stool to a vet. I had some hens with yellow runny poo, very lethargic, extremely thin breast bone. they have coccidia and stongyles, needed sulfadimethoxine for the cocci and fenbendazole (panacur) for the stongyles. I started them on tetracycline because that is what I had on hand. But it didn't help a lot. 2 hens out of 24 seem to be sicker then the rest. lost a beautiful rooster and hen before we got a stool to the vet. It is worth the $20 to know how to treat. Hope your hens are doing better soon

Almost forgot. the sula is powder and goes in water. fenben. is liquid also can be mixed with water. try on line. I got my fenbendazole from vet. sulfa from Farm & Home. called a lot of feed stores with in 60 miles to find what was needed good luck. google the meds, there are lots of suppliers

 

[katiebmw]

Did anything help your hen? My Wyandotte is doing the same thing today. She won't eat, drinking just a little bit. What do you suggest I do to help her? White diarrhea... Any advice?