I do not know if this will help.
AriasFarm Junior Member
November 2006 edited November 2006
Hey another question - I've just found another hen thats about 3 years old, thats gone all yellow - yellow skin, yellow vent, red comb gone orange - acts and looks very ill indeed - I assume fatal liver failure?? Best to end her misery now, right?
Sandy Senior Member
November 2006 edited November 2006
Yellowing of the skin indicates some form of poisoning
Copper Poisoning or Mycotoxin Poisoning
Usually the result of improperly formulated mineral mixes or certain plants causing mineral imbalances. Primarily affects sheep but can affect other animals. Signs are related to liver damage and include diarrhea, pain, dehydration, jaundice
crazychick Senior Member
November 2006 edited November 2006
I, too, suspect lymphoid leukosis, most likely in both your birds. It is moderately contagious so when one bird gets it, sometimes a couple more do as well. Signs include all you've described so far- the yellowish or jaundiced skin can be a sign of liver failure, as you've mentioned, because lymphoid leukosis will often target the liver. Affected birds may have a large, swollen liver that you can feel through the abdomen on their left side, behind the ribs. Extreme emaciation, loss of appetite, slowing of digestive system, ruffled feathers, sleepy eyes and dehydration - sleeping in a different spot (so they don't have to jump up to roost), diarrhea... these are all symptoms of LL (although many of them are symptoms of other diseases too, which is why LL is so difficult to diagnose). If the bird has a swollen liver, though, this is a pretty clear indication that they have LL.
Sorry that your birds are sick... I just lost one to LL last weekend.
Laura
AriasFarm Junior Member
November 2006 edited November 2006
Hi guys - reporting back.
Wormed the chooks.
No change in poor PomPom (the yellowed one), so put her out of her misery.
Hardly any blood left in her, and what was there, was very light and watered down - not the deep dark red.
Can't believe how much fat a little bantam could have throughout her insides!
Liver not all that enlarged, but very pale indeed.
Poor heart had been worked half to death - very saggy and limp.
No other chickens have shown this same yellowing, so I'm hoping it was a one-off.
The poorly hen has made quite a good recovery - can hardly tell her from the others now. Woopee!
In fact, the entire flock has really perked up. No more diarrhea on the ground.
Actually reminds me of Infectious Bursal Disease
This is the PM findings... does any of it ring a bell with what you found
Postmortem Finding:
Cloacal bursa is swollen, edematous, yellowish, and sometimes hemorrhagic.
May also see congestion and hemorrhage of the pectoral, thigh, and leg muscles.
Kidney lesions are sometimes seen (excessive urate deposits).
Chickens that have recovered have small, atrophied cloacal bursas.
Sometimes none significant or dark shriveled breast muscles flecked with bloody streaks
Mucus filled intestine
Cloacal bursa may be yellow, pink or red, or black, swollen, oblong-shaped, filled with creamy or cheesy material and surrounded by gelatinous film (as the disease progresses, the bursa returns to normal size, then shrinks and shrivels up)
Swollen spleen covered with gray dots
Birds that die from inflection have swollen, pale kidneys
The poorly hen has made quite a good recovery - can hardly tell her from the others now. Woopee!
In fact, the entire flock has really perked up. No more diarrhea on the ground.
poor baby. I'll do all I can to make her comfortable, and I'll keep everyone posted.
