Sick hen, Drinking lots of water, runny poop, lethargic. Any advise?

[surfinghen]

I currently have a Barred Rock hen that is about 4 years old. She's been acting similar to egg bound with the waddling, tail down and puffed up for the last few days. It's hard to tell if she was laying last year but I'm guessing she did but maybe not every day. She is also drinking a ton and has runny poop. She eats but does not scratch around like the other hens. She mostly walks a little bit then sits down or just stands there. I have not put her in the house yet because I have chicks that we are brooding inside right now and I don't want to cross contaminate if what she has is infectious but none of my other hens are acting sick. I'm stumped at what this could be. I was thinking possibly liver disease? Is she too old for egg bound? I have felt her vent and gave her a bath but felt nothing.
I've put ACV in the water, I also make her a plate with chick crumbles, yogurt and Chick Boost when I can separate her from the other hens during the day.
I have not wormed them in the last 6months
I have not given her any antibiotics as of yet
Any advise would be appreciated.

 

[BirdLeaf]

I just had a rooster acting this same way, it turned out to be lice. Check her for any signs of mites or lice. Hope she’s okay!

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings surfinghen,

So sorry you hen is not feeling well. Can you provide a little more detail?

• Can you upload a photo of her poop?
• Can you feel her keel bone, is it protruding, indicating weight loss?
• I know you checked her vent for an egg, but did you feel her belly, is it swollen at all?
• Are her legs spread farther apart than normal, which may cause her to waddle?
• When is the last time she laid an egg, if you know?
• Was she laying consistently, with good shell quality?
• Do her comb and wattles look pale?
• No chest gurgling, wheezing, or discharge from eyes or nostrils?

Fluffed up, drinking a lot water, lethargy, walking slowly, are all signs of extreme illness. Possibly infection in the oviduct, digestive system, or even respiratory system (without obvious symptoms). And yes, any hen that is laying can get egg bound.

She may not be eating enough, even though you see her pecking at the food. You need to establish that she is definitely getting enough nutrients, otherwise she will not be able to fight any illness with or with out, the help of medical intervention.

She may need some warmth to help her recover, if you can't put her some where warm, you can put a saddle on her, to cover her lungs.

A dose of poultry vitamins will give her a boost since she has suffered with diarrhea, some electrolytes in the water for a day or so, will also benefit her.

I wouldn't suspect liver disease, unless she is overweight and is pale, but depending on her illness, the liver can be affected.

These are my thoughts on your hens health issue, I hope they are helpful.

God Bless

 

[surfinghen]

She has lost weight and I do feel her keel bone
Her belly is soft and squishy, her crop is fullish at night when we put them to bed, I've been dosing her with chick boost that has electrolytes in it and vitamins in it, it's an all in one vitamin and electrolytes with probiotics in it for chicks.
She never walked like she is now, or maybe due to her weight loss I see her more of her legs so it looks funny or like she's waddling?
Her comb and waddle are pink and her breathing is good, no noise when she breaths and her eyes and nose is clear
We checked her for mites and that was negative
I honestly do not know the last time she layed an egg, it might have been last year around Sept. We just started getting more eggs in the last few weeks, I generally know who is laying right now
She was always a good layer, we have not had an issue with shells in the past few years.
They are in an insulated coop and I make sure she's in a nest box that has shavings and I cover it with a towel to keep her warm.
I will try and get a picture of her poop when it stops raining here.
I hope this helps! Thank you!

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

She has lost weight and I do feel her keel bone
Her belly is soft and squishy, her crop is fullish at night when we put them to bed, I've been dosing her with chick boost that has electrolytes in it and vitamins in it, it's an all in one vitamin and electrolytes with probiotics in it for chicks.
She never walked like she is now, or maybe due to her weight loss I see her more of her legs so it looks funny or like she's waddling?
Her comb and waddle are pink and her breathing is good, no noise when she breaths and her eyes and nose is clear
We checked her for mites and that was negative
I honestly do not know the last time she layed an egg, it might have been last year around Sept. We just started getting more eggs in the last few weeks, I generally know who is laying right now
She was always a good layer, we have not had an issue with shells in the past few years.
They are in an insulated coop and I make sure she's in a nest box that has shavings and I cover it with a towel to keep her warm.
I will try and get a picture of her poop when it stops raining here.
I hope this helps! Thank you!

Good detail!

Please check her crop this morning, it should be empty.

Gently squeeze the crop, are there any gaseous sounds? Odors?

Examine her poop, is it diarrhea, mushy but has bulk, watery with bits, mucousy, tints of light red in clear or cloudy mucous? Yellow, green, brown, grey?

Just to confirm your description: "Her belly is soft and squishy". Are you describing the area between and just above the legs?

If so, can you spread your fingers in a cupped shape and fit the belly area in the palm of your hand? Is it the size of an orange, a grapefruit or small melon?

When she is sitting, is she pumping, tail bobbing?

Sorry for all the questions, I am not a vet, just a chicken keeper like you. But, I have experience many different illnesses over the years. Internet diagnosing has a wide margin of error. The members here on BYC, have great experience. But, we have to rely on your eyes, ears, nose, and touch.

Your right this is a stumper, it's nice when you can look at a hen and say, "oh she has this or that making her sick".

I am leaning towards a reproductive issue, but many times there can be another condition at the same time. So, we'll try to sort it out.

God Bless

 

[surfinghen]

Despite our best efforts my poor girl passed away this morning. I started to bring her in the house at night a few days ago and kept her in the laundry room. She was eating good and seemed to perk up but it all must have been too much for her in the end.
This one had me stumped. She never pumped her tail or did anything that would suggest that she was egg bound. I noticed a few weeks ago that she had lots of poop on her bottom and washed her off then started to notice that she was walking funny and had more poop on her again within a few days and that's how it started. Her poop in the end was watery and green, not much substance to it. In the last few days despite my best efforts with feeding her she lost more weight. She went down hill fast the last days.
Thanks for all your help and advise tho!

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings surfinghen,

I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[Relleoms]

Aw, I’m so sorry

Do you plan to have her necropsied? I’d be curious to know what she died of. We had a 9 month old girl with similar symptoms this fall that ended up with ovarian cancer. While it was terribly sad to lose her, I found comfort knowing there was nothing we could have done to “cure” her. Perhaps you can find similar comfort, and learn something, too. Hugs to you all.

 

[surfinghen]

no formal necropsy, I did have a local chicken guru friend take a look at her after she passed and he said it looked like a or tumor or an egg that went back the wrong way, it was small not like a normal looking egg. But there was really noting I could have done.
Thank you all!

 

[HeNnPeNY001]

Good detail!

Please check her crop this morning, it should be empty.

Gently squeeze the crop, are there any gaseous sounds? Odors?

Examine her poop, is it diarrhea, mushy but has bulk, watery with bits, mucousy, tints of light red in clear or cloudy mucous? Yellow, green, brown, grey?

Just to confirm your description: "Her belly is soft and squishy". Are you describing the area between and just above the legs?

If so, can you spread your fingers in a cupped shape and fit the belly area in the palm of your hand? Is it the size of an orange, a grapefruit or small melon?

When she is sitting, is she pumping, tail bobbing?

Sorry for all the questions, I am not a vet, just a chicken keeper like you. But, I have experience many different illnesses over the years. Internet diagnosing has a wide margin of error. The members here on BYC, have great experience. But, we have to rely on your eyes, ears, nose, and touch.

Your right this is a stumper, it's nice when you can look at a hen and say, "oh she has this or that making her sick".

I am leaning towards a reproductive issue, but many times there can be another condition at the same time. So, we'll try to sort it out.

God Bless

Hi, just wondering if you can help me with my hen I just discovered unwell in the pen.
She was wet under her beak and drinking lots of water, sitting down near the water and not wanting to move. She had a poopy bum yellow and green poo. I washed it dried her off. I've noticed water leaking from the beak and a fair bit of gurgling sound her crop area. I have given her heat and antibiotic water tonight. She drank it voluntarily. Not sure if I should be doing anything else? Or what could be going on?