3 Yr Old Golden Sex Link Hen Is Sick.

[heidibugmail]

I had taken a mental note about 2 1/2 weeks ago that this hen was less active when I’d go out & feed all of the 11 table scraps. She just looked off & alittle out of it.
About 5 days ago we noticed one evening that some of the others were relentlessly going at her, pecking her head/comb area & making it bleed.
We removed her immediately 4-5 days ago & then started noticing her poop was very loose, green, & watery/whitish looking... but she was drinking & also eating, probably not as much as she normally would.. & also not acting her usual perky self.
One other significant thing... sometimes her tail did/does hang down low & also I noticed today that she does fluff her neck & body feathers up. Sometimes she looks normal except she's slower moving or sitting down. Sometimes her poop is a thicker bright green too. She does eat chicken feed that has peas in it but the other chickens seem to have normal gray with sometimes white on top poop.
I did try checking inside her vent to feel for an egg.. of course, I don’t know exactly what it’s supposed to feel like?? I did not feel anything in her vent. It did seem alittle swollen & she had dirty caked on butt feathers.
She hasn't laid an egg that we know of since we took her out of the run but I do let her out to roam the yard & I haven't searched deeply to see if there is one hidden somewhere.
Someone told me to give her Pedialyte & dry oatmeal. I just started giving her that tonight. They also said I could give her some apple cider vinegar diluted in water. I haven't done that yet, but I did give her some plain yogurt mixed with water this morning that has live coltures in it.
What do you all think could be wrong with her?

 

[Patchworkjo]

Hi. It is awful when they are not well and I am no expert but looking around the forums I found the following that may be useful for you?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bright-green-runny-poo.1374198/#post-22595536

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/green-poo-lethargic-chicken.1327852/#post-21663422

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/


Poop like you describe is often when they aren’t eating enough (I have had it with hens with sour crop before, does her breath smell bad?).

I would try and get her to eat some scrambled eggs and some water with vitamins added as soon as I could and then try and work out the cause after that. Checking her crop and abdomen for signs first.

The caked backside will make things harder to (for her, and for you to see how she is doing) so a gentle warm wash and dry (cool not hot hairdryer) might be an idea too.

Good luck and know that you are doing your best for her.

 

[Eggcessive]

First, stop the oatmeal. It would be best to water down her regular chicken feed into a mash, and add more water as needed. Only mix a small amount at a time in a bowl or pan, so it doesn’t go bad. ACV is not necessary, and it won’t harm, but never add more than 1 TB per gallon of water.

Hens over 3 may suffer from one of the reproductive diseases such as salpingitis, egg yolk peritonitis, ascites, or cancer. Runny poops and a poor appetite, low hanging tail, acting slow or being bullied are some signs. These things can eventually kill them. Do you know when she last laid an egg? Many of these issues can even cause crop problems. Is her crop empty in early morning before she has eaten or is it full and hard or puffy?