bright yellow watery poop

[stronggirl]

I have read plenty on the net and on this site and my girl's issue seems different than what I read. Lacey is a 6 month old red sex link pullet who started laying beautiful brown eggs a couple weeks ago. She is normally social and would spend a lot of time following me around! About 4 days ago there was a notable behavior change and she hasn't laid in af least that many days. She became more subdued and spent her time resting under a tree or under one of our vehicles. When the other chickens were being fed-even treats- she would slowly walk over but watch the others and not make attempts to go for the food. Her poop has been watery and bright yellow. She has had a couple of warm baths and she received water fortified with electrolytes and probiotics yesterday and today. She is isolated from the other chickens. I read that potassium may help so she has enjoyed banana! She is eating a bit and drinking some. All I could find with these minimal symptoms is that it may be "blackhead". Her comb and waddles have not shown a blue-purple discoloration but perhaps they are paler. Although we live in a rural area it has been difficult to find an avian vet. Any advice or other ideas to try?

 

[clucky3255]

i dont have any advice but maybe you should try injuries\emergencies and make a thread there? occasionally min poop a yellow poo .. but not often maybe once a month.

 

[soler]

could the bright yellow be a yolk from a broken egg? could an egg have broken inside her? this would be a bad one

http://fowlfacts.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=afflictiondiseaseff&action=print&thread=1199

some more info here
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1745

or maybe worms or cocci too, and who knows what else! Can you get the poop tested? any vet will test for worms/cocci. you should do it right away before it's too late.

 

[stronggirl]

I don't think she is egg bound...I have given her a couple of long nice warm baths (which she actually seemed to like) and didn't feel anything in her abdomen, nor did she pass anything after her soak. I am picking up some Medicated feed this afternoon and will get a stool sample to the vet. None of the other chickens are effected fortunately. I just feel so helpless....I'm a nurse but just cant seem to fix this chicken!

 

[soler]

mmm what is in the medicated feed? The vet will hopefully be able to give you the results right away, so you can get the right medications If she has worms or cocci.

I hope she is still eating and drinking.

 

[stronggirl]

She seemed alittle better this morning...tail feathers were up a bit. She is still eating and drinking...rolled some banana in feed and she was happy. Got medicated chick feed this afternoon and some nutri-drench to try. I have been using a 1 cc syringe in the evening to be sure she is hydrated. Still lethargic with weak "communication ". Not doing the chicken squat and foot stomp. Just get better all ready! Will see what the vet says...

 

[soler]

Just so you know, the medicated chick feed will not cure cocci if that's what she has. There isn't enough amprolium in it to combat coccidiosis. You need to buy corid in liquid form, or amprolium powder.

I am curious to hear the poop results. Given you are a nurse, if the vet is nice and explains what to look for under the microscope, i bet you could be doing it going forward.

My 8 week chick that couldn't stand for several days and was diagnosed for cocci via poop sample saturday just stood up again today after 3 days on corid. She had no cocci symptoms at all, i was worried she had marek's! So there you go. Now i am always going to bring in a sample as soon as i have a sick chicken, they are so hard to diagnose!

 

[stronggirl]

I so appreciate your words of wisdom! Thank you for sharing your advice. Even though we live out in the country, I cant find a country vet that works with chickens-just bigger animals. Will let you know what the stool sample shows...hopefully something fixable. My other girls continue to free range and show no symptoms. How many chickens do u have?

 

[soler]

33 I was only going to have 5, and then, well, it spiraled out of control!

But i am pretty new at this - I don't have a lot of hand on experience because i have only had to deal with a handful of issues in the last 6 months, i have just been reading a lot of books on the subject, and doing a lot of internet research. Trying to be prepared as things happen to me!

The other thing i have done is call the local department of agriculture, and i got a list of common poultry diseases in my area, so i can start with those if symptoms are confusing (which they are!), they also gave me a list of recommended vaccinations, and told me what i definitely didn't need. that might be a useful list to get for you too? I share your frustration with the lack of chicken veterinary care!

 

[stronggirl]

Good news. She does not have "black head disease". Vet was able to isolate a different protozoa called capillarium. I have to see what info I can find on line about it...fortunately this is curable. Will have to treat her and the whole flock (17 others). One of the young women I work with gave me the number of her vet clinic and come to find out, one of the bets there works w birds...they were quick to say that she is "not a chicken expert"! Apparently that clinic has been receiving calls from folks like us and they are in discussion re expanding their horizons. More nice news this afternoon...one of our 2 arucanas laid her first little green blue egg today and Lacey, the sick one managed to get out of her dozy spot in a different part of the garage, fly over the.top of the doorway to the coop and get herself outside ...missing her sisters I suppose...bad chicken! She also dropped a small very soft shelled egg in front me-turned her back as if to say "here ya go...this is for that dang syringe u hv been making me drink from!"