All the classic, bad symptoms -- worms??

[jcchomps]

Hello all -- I've been haunting these threads since my husband and I got our first chicks last May and thank you for all of the guidance and information! I'm hoping that someone may have answers for my current situation. Our Golden Laced Wyandotte (about 18 months old) is showing all of the classic, bad symptoms: puffed feathers, decreased activity, pale comb/wattles, hiding a bit, and less interest in food. She's just not herself. We noticed this three days ago and have been giving her a bit more active attention -- making a mash from their pellets and feeding her by hand, making sure she's on the roost at night, clean water. [Aside: We haven't quarantined her just because we don't have a set up for it -- we'll definitely work something out so we're not scrambling next time we have a sick chook.] Thinking back, she may have started acting strangely last week; usually all four come running at us at high speed when we walk outside, but she started hanging back a bit. But what really concerned me today was this poop:

I've seen the range of healthy/normal poops that's often linked here, but I've never seen this type -- it was almost like mucus (or egg white). Reading around, I first feared that it was egg peritonitis, but I checked her abdomen and it did not feel "squishy" or swollen. She did feel a little skinny though, so then I thought it sounded like worms? I wasn't sure about worming without a diagnosis, but I do have SafeGuard on hand. I live in suburban NJ without access to an avian vet, unfortunately.

To complicate matters, three of the four have been molting and she isn't obviously molting. The rest are growing their feathers back and one has started laying again. She hasn't laid an egg in weeks (we assumed she was having a soft molt - not sure anymore?). So I did mix in a broiler ration pellet with their layer pellets for a few weeks in an attempt to supplement protein while they grow their feathers back.

None of the other birds are showing signs of being unwell.

Apologize for the long, rambling post. I appreciate any thoughts on whether anyone has seen that type of dropping before or whether I should worm her while she's already weak. Thank you!

 

[orrpeople]

So sorry about your girl - it's so frustrating not knowing exactly what's wrong!
It sounds, though, like your instincts have been good so far. A good vitamin supplement (I use Nutri Drench) is a good first line of defense, followed by worming (some say worming during molt conflicts with good feather production - it may, but some things are more important than lovely feathers!).
Was she laying before you noticed her illness? For how long? How do her eyes look? Legs? Any mites or lice?
It's best to rule out the less ugly ailments before moving to the more serious ones.

 

[orrpeople]

And, let me ask @casportpony to look at the poo picture.

 

[ChickNanny13]

You could get a huge dog crate or wire cage to separate her. You can feed soaked cat food (high protein), tuna, beef liver, hamburger, plain yogurt during molt to help it along. Nutri Drench good but if she's in poor health, worming without confirmation may not be such a good idea.

You say she hasn't laid for a week, so assuming she was but not now. It could possible be she's egg bound? Do you have a picture of her?

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @lazy gardener

 

[jcchomps]

So sorry about your girl - it's so frustrating not knowing exactly what's wrong!
It sounds, though, like your instincts have been good so far. A good vitamin supplement (I use Nutri Drench) is a good first line of defense, followed by worming (some say worming during molt conflicts with good feather production - it may, but some things are more important than lovely feathers!).
Was she laying before you noticed her illness? For how long? How do her eyes look? Legs? Any mites or lice?
It's best to rule out the less ugly ailments before moving to the more serious ones.

Thank you for your reply! All 4 of the birds stopped laying mid-September and 3 of them obviously started molting. We worried for a bit when laying seemed to dial back but then we started noticing feathers everywhere! 1 of the 4 is fully feathered again and has started laying again and 2 are past looking like porcupines but are not laying yet. She hasn't obviously molted or laid an egg for probably 5 weeks.

I will drive to Tractor Supply after work today for the Nutri Drench; that sounds like a good way to boost her energy. Another lesson: make that chicken first aid kit that I knew I needed but always put off.

 

[jcchomps]

You could get a huge dog crate or wire cage to separate her. You can feed soaked cat food (high protein), tuna, beef liver, hamburger, plain yogurt during molt to help it along. Nutri Drench good but if she's in poor health, worming without confirmation may not be such a good idea.

You say she hasn't laid for a week, so assuming she was but not now. It could possible be she's egg bound? Do you have a picture of her?

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @lazy gardener

Thank you for replying! The whole flock (4 birds) stopped laying mid-September and 3 of them dropped their feathers VERY quickly. 1 of the 4 is fully feathered again and has started laying again and 2 are past looking like porcupines but are not laying yet. She hasn't obviously molted or laid an egg for probably 5 weeks. I assumed the lower day light hours and (hopefully) soft molt is what stopped her eggs but I look into diagnosing egg bound chickens. I did an abdomen check and it was firm but not hard. I need to check her vent again to make sure that looks okay.

I'll get a photo of her today -- the photos I have been taking have been happy ones to send to my husband. Yesterday was her most energetic day and I was soooo happy to see her dust bathing with her sisters, but she also had periods of hiding alone so I'm not too optimistic.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @jcchomps Welcome To BYC
Are you seeing that kind of poop often?

Having a fecal float is always best, but since there is not a vet in your area willing to help out, then I would be inclined to worm her.
You have Safeguard (Fenbendazole) so I would use that - dosage is 1/4 ml per pound for 5 days in a row. Now.....@casportpony is the poop expert, she may have better ideas

With her age and symptoms - it still could be an internal laying/reproductive disorder too.
Sometimes we have to start eliminating possibilities and treat what can be treated. Deworming, checking for lice/mites and ensuring that her crop is emptying overnight are all things to do first.

If she is still eat/drinking and able to move around with the others and can roost at night, then it's best to leave her where she is - separation can be stressful.

If she becomes lethargic, the others pick on her, etc., then separate her.

We look forward to your photos, I hope she is better today.

 

[jcchomps]

Hi @jcchomps Welcome To BYC
Are you seeing that kind of poop often?

Having a fecal float is always best, but since there is not a vet in your area willing to help out, then I would be inclined to worm her.
You have Safeguard (Fenbendazole) so I would use that - dosage is 1/4 ml per pound for 5 days in a row. Now.....@casportpony is the poop expert, she may have better ideas

With her age and symptoms - it still could be an internal laying/reproductive disorder too.
Sometimes we have to start eliminating possibilities and treat what can be treated. Deworming, checking for lice/mites and ensuring that her crop is emptying overnight are all things to do first.

If she is still eat/drinking and able to move around with the others and can roost at night, then it's best to leave her where she is - separation can be stressful.

If she becomes lethargic, the others pick on her, etc., then separate her.

We look forward to your photos, I hope she is better today.

Thank you -- I will call all of those dog/cat vets today and double-check whether they would do a fecal float test; it sounds like, from what I've read on here, some non-avian vets will do that test anyway.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen a "normal" poop from her but I also haven't seen that many poops. My husband caught another one of the worrisome one's this morning:



Which looks, to me, like the egg peritonitis or worms pic from that poop matrix. I checked her vent and it matched the "tight, dry, round" vent photo from "The Chicken Health Handbook". I'll take @ChickNanny13 's advice and get a dog crate and wait, like you said, until she's in the position of being bullied before isolating her. We have two waterers, three feed stations, and lots of space/bushes, so she hasn't been bullied yet. I have checked her crop and it is emptying overnight.

This is her, not drooping (she sure does try to act like she's feeling okay) but slightly puffed for the warmish day and definitely pale.


Thank you @Wyorp Rock , @ChickNanny13 , and @orrpeople for the quick responses! And my husband certainly appreciates that I've turned to the forum since he's heard 3 days of nonstop worrying.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She's lovely

She is pale, so she may be starting to molt, but that poop is concerning. Your vent inspection report would indicate that she is not in lay.

What type of food/treats do you feed? She may benefit from extra vitamins and protein for a few days a week. My girls are crazy over hard boiled eggs - a little goes a long way.

If you don't have any success with talking a local vet into a fecal float, some people have used this type of service, you may want to check that out too https://www.amazon.com/Reptiles-Rabbits-Turtles-Collect-Sample/dp/B000J5SOZ4

 

[orrpeople]

I agree with @Wyorp Rock -the poop concerns me as well. Is it bright green? (Sometimes photos mess with the colors) Does she have "regular" poops throughout the day, or is this the consistent look? I really am hoping @casportpony will stop by to take a look. She's really good at this.
Does your girl usually carry her wings low, or is this new with her illness?
And I also agree that quarantine, at this point, is probably not going to do anything but raise her stress level - as long as she is safe from negative flock dynamics. Do keep watch, because sweet sisters can become evil enemies if they suspect sickness in the flock (I had a group get cannibalistic - almost overnight - with an ailing pullet; something I wouldn't wish anyone to experience!) It's purely a flock preservation instinct, but definitely something of which to be aware.
I'm glad to hear she seems to be up and around more! Do keep us posted if anything changes. We've all gone through illnesses with our birds - we understand the anxiety and the uncertainty that comes along with it. We're on your side!