Diarrhea and weakness

[Tinabuglaw]

Okay so I have a sick chicken, I'm absolutely positive. This morning she had diarrhea and we watched her throughout the day and she wasn't eating very much. Exvept when we put mealworms in front of her. That's of course like birdie crack! Anyway, tonight she wasn't able to get into the coop by herself. We helped her in. Now she's sitting in a corner rather than perching and she didn't run away when I went over to pet her. She's friendly, but she likes to play the chicken game, so this was unusual.

I know I'm supposed to separate the flock from her because she's obviously sick and we don't want anyone else to get sick, but we don't have anywhere to put her.

So my first question is, does anyone have an idea of how I can isolate her from the other chickens - especially on a cold night when she needs the body heat of the others?

The second question I have is, what can I do for her? Is there something that I could use at home? Is there a way for me to know without taking her to the vet and getting all kinds of tests whether it's viral or bacterial?

Thanks everyone. T

 

[azygous]

There is no need to isolate the sick hen as long as she isn't being picked on. If she has something contagious, all the others have been exposed, so isolating her for that reason is a wash.

If you give us some background, we may be able to narrow it down to what may be wrong.

1.Age.
2.Is she laying? When was the last time? Any issues with her eggs being thin shelled or shell-less?
3.Have you checked her crop? Read this if you aren't familiar with crop disorders. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
4.How long has she been this way? Is she having any balance problems or trouble walking?
5.Does she stand in one spot mostly, perhaps facing a corner or wall, with tale held down low and flat?
6.Any bubbling from her eyes or nares? Any swelling in her face?

 

[Tinabuglaw]

There is no need to isolate the sick hen as long as she isn't being picked on. If she has something contagious, all the others have been exposed, so isolating her for that reason is a wash.

If you give us some background, we may be able to narrow it down to what may be wrong.

1.Age.
2.Is she laying? When was the last time? Any issues with her eggs being thin shelled or shell-less?
3.Have you checked her crop? Read this if you aren't familiar with crop disorders. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
4.How long has she been this way? Is she having any balance problems or trouble walking?
5.Does she stand in one spot mostly, perhaps facing a corner or wall, with tale held down low and flat?
6.Any bubbling from her eyes or nares? Any swelling in her face?

1.Age .I think she's 15 months
2.Is she laying? When was the last time? Any issues with her eggs being thin shelled or shell-less? I'm not sure if she's laying but sometimes we get four eggs sometimes we get five. I would say about 50% of the times we're missing one of the eggs. As of the last two days we've only been getting three eggs.
3.Have you checked her crop? Read this if you aren't familiar with crop disorders. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/ her crap has white stuff all around it. I have a picture below. I took a movie too I don't know if you want to see that.
4.How long has she been this way? Is she having any balance problems or trouble walking? She seems to have just started having symptoms today with the diarrhea and she was not eating like the rest of them today sort of isolating herself. This evening she seemed weak and she was sitting in a corner all by herself. When I approached her she let me pet her and didn't try to run away. She's friendly but she'll at least play the chase me game.
5.Does she stand in one spot mostly, perhaps facing a corner or wall, with tale held down low and flat? We have a big run. She seems to be just staying alone. I put the scratch on the ground and all the other birds went crazy over it meanwhile she's scratching the ground about 3 m away as if she was looking for bugs. She had no interest in the scratch.
6.Any bubbling from her eyes or nares? Any swelling in her face?
View this threadWatched threads
I haven't seen any discharge from her nails or her eyes.

I'm treating her as if she is egg found. I isolated her and one of our dog kennels and suddenly she seemed to be fine. She was eating her food and walking around she was alert. She appeared to enjoy her Epsom salt soak as well. At times I didn't even have to hold her wings down and she just floated. Her stool is back to normal. I'm confused!

 

[Tinabuglaw]

There is no need to isolate the sick hen as long as she isn't being picked on. If she has something contagious, all the others have been exposed, so isolating her for that reason is a wash.

If you give us some background, we may be able to narrow it down to what may be wrong.

1.Age.
2.Is she laying? When was the last time? Any issues with her eggs being thin shelled or shell-less?
3.Have you checked her crop? Read this if you aren't familiar with crop disorders. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
4.How long has she been this way? Is she having any balance problems or trouble walking?
5.Does she stand in one spot mostly, perhaps facing a corner or wall, with tale held down low and flat?
6.Any bubbling from her eyes or nares? Any swelling in her face?

I am so glad I don't have to isolate her. I took her inside anyway, but I think we can rule out crop issues. BUT . . . I am saving that link! Thank you for all your help!

 

[azygous]

Her symptoms and the information you filled us in on all point to an obstruction in her oviduct, and it can clear as quickly as the change you saw in her. It would explain her behavior and watery discharge.

Something you should remember if this ever happens again is to have some calcium citrate on hand. This is what you want to get.

At the first sign a hen has skipped a regular egg and has the symptoms this hen had, give one whole tablet directly into the beak. She will swallow no problem. A warm soak is not really necessary except if you can feel the egg and it's right there but refuses to come out. Then a soak can help lube the hen so the egg might come out easier.

This hen needs a couple of days on this calcium to prevent what happened from occurring again with perhaps a worse outcome. Continue the calcium, one tablet a day in her beak until she lays an egg again and you see that it's got a normal shell.

 

[Tinabuglaw]

Her symptoms and the information you filled us in on all point to an obstruction in her oviduct, and it can clear as quickly as the change you saw in her. It would explain her behavior and watery discharge.

Something you should remember if this ever happens again is to have some calcium citrate on hand. This is what you want to get.View attachment 2888306At the first sign a hen has skipped a regular egg and has the symptoms this hen had, give one whole tablet directly into the beak. She will swallow no problem. A warm soak is not really necessary except if you can feel the egg and it's right there but refuses to come out. Then a soak can help lube the hen so the egg might come out easier.

This hen needs a couple of days on this calcium to prevent what happened from occurring again with perhaps a worse outcome. Continue the calcium, one tablet a day in her beak until she lays an egg again and you see that it's got a normal shell.

Thank you! Can I give her one calcium gel cap and one vitamin d?

 

[azygous]

Yes. But I've not heard of calcium coming in gel caps. Check to be sure it's a minimum of 500mg or it won't be very effective.

Also, the reason I recommend calcium citrate instead of the more common calcium carbonate, is because citrate is much easier to digest, therefore gets absorbed more quickly than the carbonbate version.