5 year old hen, thin, eating active, but slowing down.. diarhrea with yellow white slime

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Bocktobery 10

Bocktobery 10

Songster
10 Years
Oct 8, 2010
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I'm having difficulty helping my 5 year old Barred Rock hen, Maple. She's been ill for quite some time now. I noticed about seven weeks ago that she was getting thin. Previously, she was very healthy. She free ranges and this is before all the snow came- my flock is mostly isolated in their coop right now and as been that way for about a month. (She's been sick with this since before the snow)

She has chronic diarrhea. I don't think that it is greenish, though maybe at times it is. Today, her poop was watery, with yellow white slime, but regular brown poop color droppings in the yellow white 'slime'. I'm guessing the white is urates? Not sure. She has up to this point been fairly active. You would not have known anything was wrong with her unless you picked her up. She was moving around just like the others and eating just like the others. There were times in which I would catch her sitting with the other sick hens I have. (One just died recently of egg yolk peritonitis- I did the necropsy and affirmed this).

She does not have any lumps in her abdomen. Everything seems normal. She was gassy this afternoon it seems. I heard her let out a large fart and after that her stomach was gurgling. She doesn't seem to keep her eyes open- the bottom eyelid is half closed over her eyes. The eyes don't seem to have anything wrong with them. She just seems very tired, weak. She is eating, but I noticed she will not eat the whole bowl of food. She will stop after a while, which is not really chicken like. Normally, a hen will eat everything you have to offer.

I checked her crop and it does seem as though it is emptying. I noticed some time ago sometimes she has difficulty swallowing it seems- she will swallow its its as if she needs to press the food down the remaining passage- she wrenches her neck to get the food down. She also seems dehydrated now- Her comb is dry and not supple.

I have treated her for worms, used ivermectin then Wazine- no change. I have given her duramyacin 10, sulmet- no change. I have given her lincomyacin- no change.. and I am now thinking about trying some bacitracin methylene disalicylate- yet I'm not sure about the dosage. I'm really out of ideas to try.

Her biggest noticeable thing is her weight loss. And the fact that she has a ravenous appetite, but then kind of stops after a while.

I've looked up so much stuff on the internet and in my books and really I'm at a loss. I'm just wondering if anyone else can maybe give me some advice on what to try or what they think it could be?

thanks in advance for any replies.
 
HI,
Cecal Worms
This parasite (Heterakis gallinae) is found in the ceca of chickens, turkeys and other birds.
This parasite apparently does not seriously affect the health of the bird. At least no marked symptoms or pathology can be blamed on its presence. Its main importance is that it has been incriminated as a vector of Histomonas meleagridis, the agent that causes blackhead. This protozoan parasite apparently is carried in the cecal worm egg and is transmitted from bird to bird through this egg.
The life history of this parasite is similar to that of the common roundworm. The eggs are produced in the ceca and pass in the feces. They reach the infective form in about two weeks. In cool weather, this may take longer. The eggs are very resistant to environmental conditions and will remain viable for long periods.
The cecal worm can be effectively treated with fenbendazole. Since the worm itself produces no observable damage and the eggs live for long periods, it is advisable and necessary to keep chickens and turkeys separated to prevent spread of blackhead.
Fenbendazole (Panacur
00ae.png
) is what I used for the cecal worms. My girls had them, it kills tapeworms and round worms and others.

Not that you have turkeys. I don't either but I took a sample to the vet for worms and was told they had the cecal worm so I treated.
 
enola said:
When a chicken that has a worm infestation is dosed with Safeguard or Valbazen, you should see improvement pretty soon. Just remember, you may see improvement in a few days, but full recovery may be a long drawn out process, depending on how ill she is.
Click to expand...
x2 when my hens look depressed from worms and I medicate them they spring back within a couple of days I would say. But if terribly sick from it the process may be longer. They can so easily die from worms.

Don't forget to retreat at 10 days, at least that is what I do - to break the life cycle of the worms.
 
Just wanted to pop in the thread and say THANK YOU for giving us an update and "conclusion"! Too many times on this forum I see people have an issue, get advice, and disappear...really frustrating sometimes when one of our hens is exhibiting the same problems and we can't figure out if the treatment worked and the bird survived.

I have a hen that's got all the symptoms yours is exhibiting - and I'm also following Kathy's advice so I've got my fingers crossed.

Anyway, thanks again!
 
I"m sorry Cacique500 I didn't see your post until now.

Glad to be of help.. .if anything. Its difficult to know what to do when your bird gets sick and I share your frustration which is why i kept updating. When someone else has a chicken that shares the same symptoms and they don't share the treatment plan or the outcome its so ... devastating! Because you want to know also how to save your bird, if possible- you are hoping for that little tid bit of information that might just save them. Just think of the wealth of knowledge about chicken health that could be amassed from these boards if people were really thorough about noting everything. I know chicken health is kind of scoffed and laughed at by the world, ("its just a chicken") but to me, we owe these creatures respect for as much as they feed us and sustain us.

I hope that your bird managed to make it through. Is she ok now?

Yes, Kathy was INCREDIBLY helpful and I am very grateful and thankful for her advice, knowledge, expertise, time and help. Because of the knowledge she shared with me in this incident I as able to save another bird of mine. Thank you Kathy once again!
 
Last edited:
ChickensAreSweet,

Thanks so much for your help. I'm not sure if my hen has that much time left. She refused to eat much at all. Didn't drink much either. Yesterday, she had brown poo, today- all green. I think she is slipping away. Worst thing is that her crop is now not emptying. It seems stagnant. Her feathers are ruffled and she does not move much at all. (When I got her yesterday in the coop she was walking around and eating- could she just be depressed about being away from the flock?)

Anyway, if she survives by Monday, hopefully I can get her into the vets and we can run some tests on her fecal matter to see what can be found and then treated. I think I just waited too long on this. She seemed to be doing better there- She did gain some color in her face, comb and wattles yesterday and still is not pale today. ?

Anyway, I got some chicken vitamins today that are supposed to stimulate eating- which it worked for only the first few moments. I think she may have some sort of blockage in there... CAN BACITRACIN CAUSE CROP BLOCK? !! <- burning question right now. I did notice she has a small lump in her lower abdomen, when I pressed it she let out a noise. Not good.
sad.png
 

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