Sick hen rapid decline/diarrhea/Not moving

[ckbrigade]

I have a 1 year old Easter Egger chicken, coop is shed with straw. She displayed syptoms this afternoon, she was acting fine yesterday. This will be our 3rd chicken over course of 3 months that had these syptoms. The others died the next day after noticing symptoms. I tried natural remedies (obviously unsuccessfully) but I can't figure out what might be. Vet care is unfortunately not an option. Check for lice and mites but don't see any. She is wasted away though, her breastbone is severely protruded when I was feeling her all over. I have not dewormed them. What can I do for her tonight and for rest of flock.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

@Eggcessive @casportpony

 

[casportpony]

Have you seen this thread? It's long winded, but you might find some of it helpful.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...rgency-and-supportive-care-updated-10-30-2016

 

[cleoandtheflock]

the feathers around her vent look soiled so you might want to give her a bath and clean it up
Is she eating and drinking
Do you have areas outside they can go
Does her vent look inside out

 

[casportpony]

give her a bath and clean it up

cleaning her up is fine, but speaking from experience, I would not bathe her because it could kill her.

 

[ckbrigade]

No eating or drinking and the vent does not appear inside out.

 

[ckbrigade]

Reading now! Thank you

 

[Trux]

Seeing your from Nebraska, if that hen passes you might want to send her to the lab and have a necropsy done to find out what your dealing with.
https://animalscience.unl.edu/poultry
Suggest you contact the person on this page Sheila Purdum. Find out how much lab fee would cost and get instructions for shipping it or if you are close enough you may be able to deliver it to them
This is a link that gives labs by state so you may find one close to you
https://www.heritageacresmarket.com/poultry-necropsy-labs/
And here is a link to poultry DVM it is a symptom checker, can be very helpful in determining what might be wrong with your girls
http://www.poultrydvm.com/views/symptoms.php
Hope this info can help you out

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry that you have been dealing with sick birds and deaths. I agree it is time to get a necropsy. It also could be helpful to get some fresh combined droppings looked at by your local vet—call ahead to see if they will perform a fecal test without seeing the chicken.

You could be dealing with a bad strain of coccidiosis or they could have enteritis. Birds can be poisoned with mold sprouting in feed suddenly, eating a dead animal or fish, or even plant material that has been buried or under water. Spills from an old car or farm equipment have also been reported.

What are you feeding? I would look at their poops for blood or diarhhea, feel crops in the evening to see if they are eating and drinking, and again in early morning to make sure the crops have emptied. Hopefully, you will figure out what is going on. Coccidiosis is something that can be easily treated for, and it is treated with Corid (amprollium) from a feed store. Dosage is 2 tsp of the Corid liquid per gallon of water for 5-7 days. Change it daily. Keep the coop bedding as dry and clean as possible.

 

[ckbrigade]

Thank-you! Very helpful and I feel like I have direction on where to start!

They are getting regular feed from the feed store and we haven't had any issues with bad feed.

While I do clean their shed, with full scrub down several times a year, I am thinking this could be the area I could improve. Currently the poor hen is still alive and receiving first aid care.