chicken not eating, comb drooping, clumsy

[sammi]

" Her crop is about golfball size and very squishy as if full of liquid."

when did she last drink water?

since her droppings have been watery for days now..
she needs electrolytes..available at farm/feed/livestock stores
but in a pinch you can use diluted Pediolyte.
she also needs vitamins.(also available at feed stores)
if you don't have poultry vitamins on hand..you can use Poly-vi-sol liquid baby vitamins..Enfamil brand if possible, no iron. Give 3 drops on beak once a day for a week..then taper off for a week.
available at any pharmacy (including walmart),,and some grocery stores.

really need to know more about the crop.

if you pick her up and away from the nest..
can she walk at all?
does she squawk?

here is a link to droppings pics..do her droppings resemble any?

http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0

 

[audreyjo]

She is not making any noise at all. She can walk, but seems a little off balance. She didn't drink water for the few hours we spent with her tonight. Her droppings look like the second pic of the "Abnormal Poo" Very watery and all or mostly white.

I will feel her crop again in the morning and see if it's changed any.

 

[sammi]

yes. please keep check on the crop..really important.

if it isn't her crop..I'd consider cocci.
do you have any cocci meds on hand?

could she have got into anything toxic?
any lawn/garden chemicals, motor oils? pesticides?

 

[audreyjo]

Nothing toxic around.

She was vaccinated as a chick when we bought her. Maybe a different strain? Could it possibly be worms?

 

[sammi]

possible..

can you see any worms?
are you able to post a pic?

best way to know for sure is to take a fresh fecal sample to a vet for worm and protozoa test..sometimes called a fecal float.
any vet can do it.

cocci can make them feel weak, cold, no appetite, lethargic..and watery or runny droppings, want to sit and be still, sometimes hunched up..
usually there can be blood..but not always.

cocci meds...

http://www.firststatevetsupply.com/store/index.php?cPath=21_29

 

[audreyjo]

Crop still large and liquid filled this morning. No change, still just laying in cage.

 

[cochin44]

This is "thrush" or "sour crop". I'm fighting the exact same thing with my Turken rooster.

Quick, she needs an epsom salt flush.

Mix 1 teaspoon epsom salt with 1/2 cup of water. Squeeze it down the throat 3 times a day to flush the fungi out of the esophagus/crop.
If you have any copper sulfate, put 1/2 teaspoon to a gallon of its drinking water every other day.

I just lost a rooster last week from this, and I just learned how to treat it. My symptoms are very very similar to yours.

 

[audreyjo]

Okay flush complete, well it was more like vomiting complete. She turned her head and emptied about a 1/2 cup of brown liquid with some seeds in it. Her crop feels noticeably smaller, of course. It was pretty traumatic for both of us! Now I wait? Yogurt?

 

[tulie13]

Quote:
YAY! I just did that with my chicken a few days ago, except it was baking soda water that I used. That should help her out a LOT.

Make sure you got all of the liquid OUT of the crop first - too much epsom salt water or baking soda water, either one, could cause an imbalance in the electrolytes. When you are sure she is done with getting anything out, I would start her on vitamin/electrolyte water only for the rest of the day, then start her tomorrow AM on the probiotic mash (others have posted the recipe).

If her crop fills back up again in an unusual way (extra large, squishy, chicken is "gassy") you may need to repeat a flush. We didn't have to with ours. Be sure to keep the electrolyte water going, because it may be a couple of days before the watery poo clears up and she will need the extra liquids/electrolytes.

Mine is sitting here pecking away at her food dish (empty) and wants OUT of the box and back in the coop with the rest of her sisters. She just had her first normal poo in about 3 weeks about an hour ago, so I'm going to give her another few hours and see if she'll do some more before I dub her "fully cured".

Oops - she sounds like she's getting mad...

Good luck with yours!

 

[audreyjo]

Thanks so much for your help. We'll see how the next 24 hours go.