Another sick bird

[shane68]

Ok, a while back i posted about a sick chicken. Unfortunately she didn't last long enough to fix. I now have a similar problem with a brown leghorn hen. She is almost a year old. I found her about two weeks ago when i went to close up their house. She was kinda just there. Not really holding herself up, wings were sagging and her comb was purplish and sagging. Very lethargic. I immediately brought her in. I gave her some food and water with vitamins and electrolytes, did some research and have been trying to get her well. I have tried worming medicine, i have tried plain yogurt and oats. She eats well and drinks plenty. She has no pasty butt and i tried to feel for a lodge egg, i have also check for impacted crop. I can find nothing. She has improved slightly, She is very curious and somewhat active. She moves around just unable or unwilling to support herself well. She looks as if she is drunk. The comb is no longer purple but still sagging. She is not getting any better but not getting any worse either. One more thing, her poop is runny with gritty green stuff in it. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[shane68]

Ok, been three days,i guess no one knows. An update however. She is acting pretty much the same. The only difference is today she had normal solid poop. This is a first in almost three weeks. I did take her outside today to get some fresh air and forage. I know she ate some grass, maybe that helped in the digestion, not sure.

 

[rbaker0345]

It sounds like lead poisoning. Is there a possibility that your hens have been eating old paint chips. Look around your yard and coop. I had a duck who was eating paint chips off of an old park bench that I had in my yard and it took a long time to figure out where the lead was coming from. I am not sure what process lead poisoning takes, but if its a liver failure thing, then go for some milk thistle (tea or herb). If its a kidney failure thing, then try a kidney cleanse from your local health food store.

Before doing this I would google lead poisoning and treatment of. I could be way off base, but it could be something like that. It could even be something like black cherry poisoning which is a cyannide issue, that could explain the blue comb and lethargy. Then there's nightshade and a whole host of things that your girls could be getting into.

 

[shane68]

Wow, more things i never even considered thinking about. I spent some time combing over her last night looking for lice or mites and came up empty. As for lead, i guess anything is possible, but i doubt it came from paint. We built my house on an empty lot on top of a hill. There are no other houses around mine for over 600 yrds. My house is about 10 years old. I built the houses my birds live in and i doubt there was lead in the paint i used. Unless it came from the ground they run. I just don't understand why they all aren't sick. I have 26 birds. I had a bard rock come up sick about 6 months ago, she only lasted two days. This brown leghorn has been sick almost three weeks. She still hasn't got worse, but no better yet either.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

It could have been worms very easily.

Now that you have wormed, don't forget to follow up with a repeat worming in maybe 10 days or so to kill those juvenile worms. If you wormed with Wazine it only kills large roundworms (if using wormers in egglayers it is off-label- i.e. you are supposed to get a vet to prescribe it but they do sell these things at the feed store and most people toss eggs for awhile):

http://www.healthybirds.umd.edu/disease/deworming birds.pdf
see here for other worms

Purplish combs can result from other things too:
http://www.avianweb.com/chickendiseases.html

http://www.ca.uky.edu/poultryprofit...natomy_and_Physiology/Chapter3_digestive.html
if you have a look at the end here it describes types of poo and causes

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

If you want to know more about worming, see dawg53's posts here on BYC-

You can search google (BYC's search doesn't really work anymore)- "backyardchickens dawg53 valbazen safeguard worming" or something like that. He really knows his stuff and is a kind-hearted person to boot.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

It sounds like lead poisoning. Is there a possibility that your hens have been eating old paint chips. Look around your yard and coop. I had a duck who was eating paint chips off of an old park bench that I had in my yard and it took a long time to figure out where the lead was coming from. I am not sure what process lead poisoning takes, but if its a liver failure thing, then go for some milk thistle (tea or herb). If its a kidney failure thing, then try a kidney cleanse from your local health food store.

Before doing this I would google lead poisoning and treatment of. I could be way off base, but it could be something like that. It could even be something like black cherry poisoning which is a cyannide issue, that could explain the blue comb and lethargy. Then there's nightshade and a whole host of things that your girls could be getting into.

Absolutely chickens can get into all kinds of stuff and cause illness. It could be poisoning. Greenish poo can be from the chicken's food intake not being adequate also (not just from worms).

 

[shane68]

Thanks for your input, it has been helpful. She still hasn't improved but not any worse either. Thanks again.