Chickens Sick- 2 died, 1 very ill. Lethargic, not eating. Help!

[Wyorp Rock]

2 of my chickens were acting lethargic, not eating, and only drinking.
They were unresponsive and would sit still or only stand in place, they died one day apart from each other. I took one to my local vet, she said she wasn't sure what to do and isn't trained in chickens.

One of my other chickens is now lethargic-- won't dig or scratch, won't eat, only drinks water.
Her crop was very full of water,

Runny, white, and highlighter yellow.

Not able to get a picture of set up, but it is an outdoor run on a dirt floor, with a typical feeder and ground waterer for the Corid. I usually have a nipple set up for watering instead of a ground waterer.

By drench dose, do you mean a concentrated dose of Corid, or the mixed dose but just administered directly to the beak?

I agree with treating for Coccidiosis.

Since you are going to see the vet, see if she can perform a fecal float checking for worms too.
They are only drinking water and you have one that has a very full crop of water.
What have they been eating? Anything different?
Are these hens laying eggs?

I would re-check crops first thing in the morning to see if they are empty.

 

[Moricha]

I agree with treating for Coccidiosis.

Since you are going to see the vet, see if she can perform a fecal float checking for worms too.
They are only drinking water and you have one that has a very full crop of water.
What have they been eating? Anything different?
Are these hens laying eggs?

I would re-check crops first thing in the morning to see if they are empty.

Thank you, checking on the girls now. They haven't laid lately, but it recently got quite cold and around this time last year they slowed egg production much like they are now, so I didn't think much of it.
I'll be calling my vet today to see about a fecal float for worms.
I can't thank you all enough for replying!

 

[Moricha]

They are only drinking water and you have one that has a very full crop of water.
What have they been eating? Anything different?
Are these hens laying eggs?

I checked on them this morning. All of them came down from the roost on their own! 6 of the 7 seem energetic, looking for bugs, eating food, drinking, and being normal. Their crops were normal. My barred rock, Target, is still mushy in the crop and drinking water. She's moving around the run, picking at food and the ground, but not eating anything she touches.

I drenched her last night, Should I drench her again? (And how often?)
Should I try and feed her, and with what?
I'm suspecting sour crop or impacted crop as a side effect of the Cocci.
Calling vet today as well.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you, checking on the girls now. They haven't laid lately, but it recently got quite cold and around this time last year they slowed egg production much like they are now, so I didn't think much of it.
I'll be calling my vet today to see about a fecal float for worms.
I can't thank you all enough for replying!

My barred rock, Target, is still mushy in the crop and drinking water. She's moving around the run, picking at food and the ground, but not eating anything she touches.

I drenched her last night, Should I drench her again? (And how often?)
Should I try and feed her, and with what?
I'm suspecting sour crop or impacted crop as a side effect of the Cocci.
Calling vet today as well.

At 1 1/2 yrs old they may be starting to molt, they usually stop laying during molt.

Yes, I would drench her once today and again tomorrow. Liquid Corid at .10ml per pound of weight. She needs to be drinking the Mixed Corid water throughout the day too.

Crop issues often are a symptom of an underlying condition - Coccidiosis, worms, reproductive problems are a few common causes.
If you are unable to see the vet, then I would start treating for Sour Crop as well. Info is in the article below. I have used the vaginal cream a few times on birds myself (along with Corid), so if that's a concern, hopefully that will relieve some of your stress. (I'm not a vet or expert, but it has worked for me) Sometimes a hen may have a reproductive issue that's causing inflammation as well - so hard to know at times.
I would work on getting the Corid into her, make sure she's drinking (you can syringe the mixed Corid into her several times a day if she's not drinking) and don't worry about food too much. If the crop is not emptying, adding more food isn't usually of benefit. I usually do not separate a bird unless they are getting picked at but do monitor that they are drinking.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Moricha]

THREAD UPDATE:
I saw a vet and got a fecal float done: COCCI CONFIRMED. I shouldn't be happy, but I am so happy to have a proper diagnosis. She prescribed me Albon 5% solution to be administered once every 24 hours to my whole flock as they do not have Sulfa that can be mixed into water(powder.) It's a thin solution that is administered orally with a syringe. It's a pain, but anything for my girls I'm continuing to do this daily with the Corid 20%, and the fungal cream given to Target for her crop with a little yogurt.

I cannot thank you all enough for the professional and kind advice. This community is amazing and I could not have had this much info or success without you. My local vet calls me the chicken lady now.

I will continue to update this thread with progress or new info for anyone in a situation similar to mine.

 

[Moricha]

Update to this thread for anyone who may have been in this situation and would like a "long-term" update for peace of mind!

Shortly after giving my girls their new medicine and continuing Corid, they all seemed much more energetic. Target, my biggest concern, slowly began eating again. She was the one dealing with Sour Crop, which I've been treating using the yeast cream method mentioned about once a day (coming to a close in 2 days.) Now, she's bouncing all over and back to her old self- probably more energetic than she ever was before! The other girls are all doing well, much happier If anything, a little moody due to molting.

Even if your girls seem to be dragging, don't panic, just take the right precautions and have faith I didn't think Target would make it, and I was devasted. Now she's one of my most active babies out there!

 

[azygous]

Thanks for doing the update. People do searches and may end up using the information on this thread. Come back to it in a few years, and you'll be amazed at how many views it's had.