Chronic diarrhea and leg weakness

[NewBerlinNewbie]

I have a two year old hen that has become somewhat weak and has had diarrhea for over a month. I noticed in late summer that she would sometimes lose her balance slightly, not really fall but she would rest on her hocks at times. She still walks ok, albeit somewhat slowly, but then I realized she has diarrhea, as well. My other three hens are fine, have normal looking poop.

I initially treated her for a vitamin deficiency, which did nothing. I then treated for worms twice, two weeks apart with fendbenazole. So fendbenazole was last administered 4 days ago (5th day was 11/5, fresh water with a little ACV, and another water with probiotic powder mixed in since then).

She eats and drinks and is feisty with the rest of the flock over occasional treats (I’m now not giving any because the diarrhea will not stop), but I checked her crop first thing this morning (it was empty) and I realized how thin she now is. I feel terrible. Should I give amprolium a try? As I said, the other three hens exhibit no signs. Healthy looking poop, active scratching.

Checked her over for mites and ticks and don’t see anything. No evidence of scaley leg mites or bumble foot. Just in case, Got a kiddie pool for the run and filled it with peat, DE and sand a week and a half ago. Dusted roosts with a little permethrin.

I don’t know what to do! I hate to Medicate her after just deworming as she just finished a molt and is obviously weak, as well, but I don’t know what else to try. There are no avian vets in the area. It’s going to be hard for me to get a poop sample to take to a vet since it’s like water with what looks like coffee grounds in it. Very watery. Any advice?

And the pic below I stole from someone else but that is exactly what hers looks like. No blood. She just squirts. Somehow her butt stays clean and is fluffy.

 

[Eggcessive]

Has she been laying eggs recently? Her droppings look like some of my older hens had with reproductive issues. How does her crop feel-%empty, full, soft, or firm, and is it emptying by early morning? Check her lower belly to feel if it is enlarged and tight or squishy. Try offering some scrambled egg and some ground meat or tuna.

 

[NewBerlinNewbie]

Has she been laying eggs recently? Her droppings look like some of my older hens had with reproductive issues. How does her crop feel-%empty, full, soft, or firm, and is it emptying by early morning? Check her lower belly to feel if it is enlarged and tight or squishy. Try offering some scrambled egg and some ground

Has she been laying eggs recently? Her droppings look like some of my older hens had with reproductive issues. How does her crop feel-%empty, full, soft, or firm, and is it emptying by early morning? Check her lower belly to feel if it is enlarged and tight or squishy. Try offering some scrambled egg and some ground meat or tuna.

Thank you so much for replying. Unfortunately I have seen this in my older hands, as well. And they were on their way out. No, she has not been laying. But she’s only 2. Her belly is not swollen, there is nothing there. Now that

Has she been laying eggs recently? Her droppings look like some of my older hens had with reproductive issues. How does her crop feel-%empty, full, soft, or firm, and is it emptying by early morning? Check her lower belly to feel if it is enlarged and tight or squishy. Try offering some scrambled egg and some ground meat or tuna.

Sorry, I was trying to reply while feeding the scrambled eggs and doing the exam. Thank you again for replying. She ate scrambled eggs greedily. Even while I was holding her. And I admittedly don’t handle these chickens a ton anymore. This morning I checked her crop and it was empty, this evening it had some food in it but she still ate some of the scrambled egg. I again checked her over. No ascites. No mites, no ticks that I can see. No swelling anywhere that I can feel, but again she is so so thin now. I think I’m going to try amprolium because I don’t know what else to do. I’m afraid you might be right that it is some sort of reproductive issue because when I’ve seen this before it was in older hens. And she is still pretending that she is fine. I feel like something is not allowing her to get the nutrition, because again she is eating and drinking. Always has been. She is not laying but I attributed it to molting. Argh.

 

[NewBerlinNewbie]

Thank you so much for replying. Unfortunately I have seen this in my older hands, as well. And they were on their way out. No, she has not been laying. But she’s only 2. Her belly is not swollen, there is nothing there. Now that

Sorry, I was trying to reply while feeding the scrambled eggs and doing the exam. Thank you again for replying. She ate scrambled eggs greedily. Even while I was holding her. And I admittedly don’t handle these chickens a ton anymore. This morning I checked her crop and it was empty, this evening it had some food in it but she still ate some of the scrambled egg. I again checked her over. No ascites. No mites, no ticks that I can see. No swelling anywhere that I can feel, but again she is so so thin now. I think I’m going to try amprolium because I don’t know what else to do. I’m afraid you might be right that it is some sort of reproductive issue because when I’ve seen this before it was in older hens. And she is still pretending that she is fine. I feel like something is not allowing her to get the nutrition, because again she is eating and drinking. Always has been. She is not laying but I attributed it to molting. Argh.

I just wanted to follow up in the hopes I might help someone else out. The hen, ‘Blackie,’ seems to be stronger. For a while her legs were too weak for her to even scratch and her claws were getting kinda gnarly. I had tried to trim them but she was stressed so I let them be. I’m happy to report that after treating the four hens with amprolium for 5 days at the 0.024% dosage (found on here, thank you) a couple weeks ago she seems to be on the mend. She can still be a tad wobbly but it has definitely improved and today I noticed she was scratching again! Her claws and toes look more normal again. I’m also not seeing diarrhea. Truthfully I can’t seem to watch her long enough to see a healthy poop, but previously it seemed that I couldn’t not witness diarrhea, so I’m going to say that’s a good thing. I’m really happy and thankful for the info on here. I hope she’s out of the woods.

I did not continue with a lower dose or follow up with an additional dose of amprolium after the 5 days because we’re in Wisconsin and hit a cold spell, so it’s been below freezing at night since I dosed. Had it been warmer I would have. For now I’m just adding a teaspoon of ACV to the water and will continue to do that one week per month.

 

[Eggcessive]

So glad to hear that she is doing much better now after treating with amprollium. ACV is not really necessary, but it does not hurt. Thanks for the update.