Crop not filling up?

[azygous]

She looks like she feels awful. Her imbalance is likely from not eating enough. Are you set up to tube feed her? It's the first thing I would do. Get half a cup of food and water into her laced with Nutri-drench.

Can you post a photo of her poop?

Losing two other hens and now this one being sick, it may be a bacterium making these chickens sick. Or coccidiosis. It wouldn't hurt to do a round of Corid to cover that base. I would also start her on an antibiotic and see if that improves her state. Include a drench dose of undiluted Corid in her tube feeding. It's .1ml per pound of weight once a day for three days.

If these measures don't help, then it's something a necropsy is going to have to find.

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

Thank you much. I have been putting Corid in their water for about 5 days. She eats fine, does she need to be tube fed if she is eating on her own? I separate her from the flock and feed her so I can watch how much she eats, and her appetite seems pretty healthy. I will give some egg this morning.

 

[azygous]

No, tube feeding isn't necessary if she's eating on her own.

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

Hi all

Quick update - gave Miss Ethyl some scrambled eggs for breakfast. Let her free range with her flock today for a little while, then gave some egg yolk, an aqua-mox (because why not at this point), ended her day with some alone time with a cup of scratch and mealworms.

My vet kept putting me on hold forever today, so I went by the office to ask about the fecal float. She thought I was talking about for a dog, and when I said it was for a chicken, she looked at me like I was crazy. The only vet within 20 minutes of my house, which is in a rural, farming community. Chickens obviously are expendable around here Will take them a sample Monday, of course they closed early today.

I did spend some time reading up on Marek’s and other illnesses that present similarly, so I do have a some hope that this could get better, but am better prepared for what it looks like if she doesn’t, not only for her, but the rest of my chickens, as well.

Will update tomorrow.

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

I’m back, and Miss Ethyl is still with us, although I have no idea how.

She is still eating, drinking. I’m still giving her egg yolk, scratch, Gatorade and scrambled eggs, plus the aqua mox. I took her sample in today, but I’m not convinced that will provide any info, no one in the office seems to know what they’re doing. They asked me if this was “a show chicken or something”.

Last night my husband and I decided he would put her out of her misery this morning and take her for necropsy, but he convinced himself if he did anything to her it might damage something the examiner may need to be intact. I’m pulling my hair out here.

In the meantime I took a picture of her poop and her face and butt. I thought the little white things on her feathers could be eggs of some sort, but my husband thinks it’s just dried diarrhea. We combed her thoroughly and found two little bitty bugs that we actually on my husband, but he thinks they came from her. I couldn’t get a proper picture. Also her face is crusty - dehydration?

I figured I’d ask since we’re still treating her. She has got the will to live like no other, but is light as a feather. Thanks

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

@azygous @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive any thoughts?

 

[azygous]

The bug looks like a louse and the white stuff on her feathers are nits. She could use a dusting of permethrin.

Not to promote the end of Ethyl, but when it comes time for that, have your husband box her up with a lot of towels for cushioning and stability, cover the box so she can't see the world speeding by, and drive her alive to the lab. They will take care of euthanzing her humanely and then will do the necropsy on a fresh specimen.

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

The bug looks like a louse and the white stuff on her feathers are nits. She could use a dusting of permethrin.

Not to promote the end of Ethyl, but when it comes time for that, have your husband box her up with a lot of towels for cushioning and stability, cover the box so she can't see the world speeding by, and drive her alive to the lab. They will take care of euthanzing her humanely and then will do the necropsy on a fresh specimen.

That is awesome to know - they didn’t mention that when I called for details.

What is her poop saying? Is it even worth it to dust her? I will go to town and purchase the permethrin tomorrow, I know I need it in my arsenal, regardless.

 

[azygous]

The poop says she's still sick with likely infection in intestines. How much amoxy is she getting? You could give her a double dose tonight and hope it has an effect.

Tip. Yank those feathers with the nits and dispose of them so they can't hatch and escape.

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

The poop says she's still sick with likely infection in intestines. How much amoxy is she getting? You could give her a double dose tonight and hope it has an effect.

Tip. Yank those feathers with the nits and dispose of them so they can't hatch and escape.

Ok, I am giving her one aqua mox a day. I will go give her another.

Also, I don’t have the permethrin on hand, can I use DE? I know everyone says that stuff is useless, but doesn’t hurt to ask. Thank you so much