7 m/o Hen Heavy Breathing, Fever?

[Sydnicst]

Ok, so my other sick chicken (Buitre, White Faced Black Spanish, 8 mo, 4lbs) is not improving since I noticed her and separated her. She was normal yesterday and (as far as I remember) this morning when I fed them.

So far, I gave her a dose of Poultry Cell (previously mentioned), torpedo fed her, then helped her eat (moist All Flock) and drink on her own by holding the food or water where she could get it without opening her eyes for more than a second. She drank a lot and ate pretty good around 4PM central. Her crop is emptying well.

She seems to have an injury on the bottom of her beak where maybe she scraped it, it does not look infected or bad, just like part of her lower beak was scraped.

Her eyes are bright and normal looking (to me) when she opens them. She is dehydrated, so her eyes protrude more, but that could also be a symptom? I am working on getting her re-hydrated.

She pooped a couple times, mostly liquid and white urea. I would expect that her poops will change overnight since she ate well after I noticed her struggling. (Update: She just pooped, it looks eerily similar to Quail's poops. Tubular cyan/green solids and white urea. I have attached a photo - the brown sphere is a pea that was already there)

She does not have respiratory symptoms as far as I know.

Abdomen feels normal.

I am treating her for bumblefoot non-surgically. She has a minor case and it does not appear to have a secondary infection, just a small plug in one of her toes.

She received Corid and Safeguard Goat Dewormer liquid with the rest of the flock.

No one else is displaying these symptoms. Val seems normal but still low appetite and taking rest breaks.

Full disclosure: We do use Bromethalin bait in the machine shed near the coop. The bait is not anywhere the chickens could get it. They have a secure coop yard plus a fenced "free range" area. There are no rat carcasses anywhere, but feces and decayed mice are incredibly hard to find. Use of bait in the shed is not my decision. We did have a mouse in the coop, she looked healthy and has been evicted without poison bait.

@Wyorp Rock any help would be appreciated, but I am also cognizant that I'm taking up your BYC time and knowledge

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Seems like they're going to need a lot of supportive care, especially after Corid and de-worming. They've got access to fresh water as well as Poultry Cell water, which I will offer every other day. Birds that seem to need more attention will get a dose of Poultry Cell (but I also have a couple other vitamin/electrolyte water mixes).

She seems to have an injury on the bottom of her beak where maybe she scraped it, it does not look infected or bad, just like part of her lower beak was scraped.

She is dehydrated, so her eyes protrude more, but that could also be a symptom? I am working on getting her re-hydrated.

In the current poop photo, what is the pinkish/red object, is that food or something that was expelled? If it was expelled, can you tell more about the texture (hard, soft, etc.) and if you still have it can you cut it open?

Is the dehydration due to them just not drinking? Some of my birds absolutely refuse to drink water with vitamins or supplements in them, so provide some plain water too.

Have you checked your feed to make sure it's fresh, not moldy and in date?
You don't see any lice/mites?

I'm trying to cover everything, since you are seeing different symptoms in multiple birds, it can be hard to nail down sometimes.

I'd go back to basics. Fresh feed, fresh water. Direct dose those that are not well with the poultry vitamins a couple of times a week.
Check crops and look for lice/mites.
You've dewormed and treated for Coccidiosis. The yellowish urates in the photo can sometimes be associated with liver and/or reproductive issues. They are still relatively young, but either of these problems can arise at any age.

 

[Sydnicst]

The brown thing is a field pea, it was there and she pooped on it (which I did note poorly in a long aside in the original post).

She's fine so far this morning, I went to check on her and she's preening herself and scratching looking for food. Eyes look fine, area around eyes look fine, crop empty. I wonder if her eyes somehow got irritated and that led to dehydration, not eating, then tiredness?

She also had a lot of B vitamins, and I've read that those can turn urates yellow?

They have fresh feed and water which I changed yesterday. feed is as fresh as I can get it and is stored in the house, not damp, not buggy, not rodent-y.

I check all of them for mites/lice everyday because I've already got them for bumblefoot, might as well check. Never had any problems (but I do have Permethrin 10 for when I need it).

This is a wild learning curve.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The brown thing is a field pea, it was there and she pooped on it (which I did note poorly in a long aside in the original post).

She's fine so far this morning, I went to check on her and she's preening herself and scratching looking for food. Eyes look fine, area around eyes look fine, crop empty. I wonder if her eyes somehow got irritated and that led to dehydration, not eating, then tiredness?

She also had a lot of B vitamins, and I've read that those can turn urates yellow?

They have fresh feed and water which I changed yesterday. feed is as fresh as I can get it and is stored in the house, not damp, not buggy, not rodent-y.

I check all of them for mites/lice everyday because I've already got them for bumblefoot, might as well check. Never had any problems (but I do have Permethrin 10 for when I need it).

This is a wild learning curve.

Sounds like you are doing all you can.

The B vitamins can cause some different coloration with the poop.

Preening and scratching about for food is good!

 

[Sydnicst]

Ok, I do now think there could be liver problems. Val has yellow urates and looks like she could be getting jaundiced (yellow eyelids and earlobes). Bui is not jaundiced, but does have yellow urates.

The two birds that eat the most (a Whiting True Blue and a Blue Andalusian) do not have jaundice or any symptoms of illness.

What could cause liver issues? Something in the environment? They do get a mix of fermented peas, wheat berries, safflower, mealworms, and sunflower seeds as scratch sometimes.

I bought a new bag of their usual and change the water every 2 days. Their food is dry and not soiled.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you have current photos of what she looks like now?

Could be jaundice. I think I saw where @LaFleche recommends giving Milk Thistle for that. It may be helpful. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/yellowing-face-and-comb.1649759/post-28316360

It can be hard to know what causes liver issues. There are certain conditions like Fatty Liver Disease and Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Disease that affect poultry. Of course diet can contribute to these conditions, along with various other factors like genetics, environment, etc.

 

[Sydnicst]

Thank you, I had not seen that thread!

I will send better pictures in the AM.

Her lobe is the most obvious.

 

[Sydnicst]

Update: I have given Val, Bui, and Goldie, each 1/3 of a 250mg capsule of Milk Thistle, which I will do 3x a day, and a whole capsule of the Alpha, which I will do once a day. Both powders well-mixed into wet mash and torpedoed (or just hand fed to B and G).

They will just be getting their regular All Flock (new bag, Sept mill date) in a mash or dry, plus some eggs twice a week, until I figure out what's causing the liver issues. I am watching for any other off-behaviors or yellow urates from other birds.

Val's noticibly yellow if her face goes pale (it's usually red), otherwise the earlobes are the most obvious sign of the jaundice. I'll keep trying to get a better pic and post once I do. Bui and Goldie are their normal colors.

Everyone's acting normal except Val, but even she's still happily scratching and dust bathing.

 

[Sydnicst]

Gave round 2 to all 3 girls and gave Goldie a bath (mild/warm water, not hot). They had a little pumpkin yesterday for breakfast and it got some things moving in her and she ended ip needing a bath.

Goldie also has yellow urates, but is acting quite normal and generally energetic, but has not layed in 3 days, which is not normal for her. The urates could be tinted from the pumpkin, but to be on the safe side I'm treating it until shown otherwise normal poops from her.

I noticed her rear end under her vent is larger than my other girls and is red. Reproductive system infection (if so, what antibiotic is best? I've seen a couple mentioned). Ascites if they have fatty liver? It's not swishy/waterbed-y, more firm and almost muscular. Maybe a more normal fat deposit?

Will send pics tomorrow, I'll have to wet her feathers for a good look, I would never have noticed this if I hadn't needed to bathe her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What color is her legs and if you look at the skin on her body, does it have a yellowish tint too?

I agree, her earlobes look more yellow than they should.

Try the Milk Thistle and see if there's improvement.

Photos of her vent may be helpful. I wouldn't give an antibiotic unless I was quite sure she has infection. A firm abdomen doesn't necessarily mean infection.