Diarrhea and death?

[Mama Hen to 4]

Hey there. I've got a flock of 16 barred plymouth rock hens and two roosters. A few days ago one of our hens had a messy backside. Looked like diarrhea and the hen became less and less active, After about two days of decreased energy she died. Yesterday I cleaned out my coop thoroughly, sprayed it and replaced all the bedding, cleaned out all the water bins and put out fresh water with organic Apple Cider Vinegar in it. Just now I went out and another hen has the same looking messy backside but doesn't seem to have decreased energy. I'm stumped and concerned for my flock. Any suggestions?

 

[Eggcessive]

Coccidiosis can be a problem that can cause diarrhea, lethargy, hunched appearance, decreased appetite, and sometimes blood in the droppings. Corid (amprollium) in the water for 5 days can treat that. Have you wormed them lately? Valbazen and SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer are very good ones to use. Many things can cause diarrhea including coccidiosis, worms, drinking a lot of water, and other diseases. did they have any other symptoms that you can think of? Here is an article about coccidiosis and one of common diseases:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/12/coccidiosis-what-backyard-chicken.html
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[Mama Hen to 4]

Thank you so much. I've got a second hen showing signs so have segregated her and am calling the vet now.

 

[Mama Hen to 4]

Just spoke with the vet and he's certain that it's "gapeworm" so we are treating as such. I've put the segregated hen back in as medicine is en route as I type. Whew~! So grateful that it's an easy fix and not a culled flock

 

[Eggcessive]

Just spoke with the vet and he's certain that it's "gapeworm" so we are treating as such. I've put the segregated hen back in as medicine is en route as I type. Whew~! So grateful that it's an easy fix and not a culled flock

Nothing in your description above even sounds like a gapeworm symptom, but maybe I misunderstood. Is the hen arching her neck or gaping? Is she having trouble breathing? Gapeworm resembles a bad respiratory disease, and is pretty rare. Chickens with it cannot eat or drink since they are trying so hard to breathe. That said, she may have worms, which can make one lethargic and have diarrhea. Fenbendazole (Safeguard liquid goat wormer, SafeGuard equine paste, and Panacur equine paste will treat gapeworm if given at a dosage of 1/4 ml per pound to each chicken for 3 days in a row. Levamisole treatment over several days will also work instead, but fenbendazole is more gentle and easier to find in stores. For anyone wishing to see what gapeworm looks like watch this video:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/831466/hen-breathing-very-heavily-advice-video-included