Diarrhea, Not Eating/Drinking, and Clicking Beak

[thailand]

Hi All,

Hoping someone can advise me please. My hen is sick with something. Can't figure out what it might be.

Symptoms: Not interested in eating or drinking
Can stand and walk ok
Hanging by herself and so have moved her into a crate on her own with food/water
Watery poop, possibly a little bloody
Making a weird clicking sound with her beak and kinda crossing it over a tiny bit
Comb flopped over
Otherwise still very alert
NO nasal discharge
NO discharge from eyes
Vent dirty

What I've done so far: Wormed her with Valbazen today
2.5 mls given of Baytril 5% liquid

Note: currently all chickens are being kept penned 24/7 as we do not yet have fences up.....so I had considered cocci, but have ruled this out due to no free-ranging? Correct?

Would appreciate any thoughts on what might be happening please? I'm wondering if the beak thing is that she has fallen from the roost and whacked her beak onto the floor? There are no obvious physical signs of any beak damage (just trying to figure out what the weird clicking thing is).

Are there any chicken disease that fit the above description of symptoms...particularly the clicking beak thing?

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[nightowl223]

You can't completely rule out cocci if there are any flies around. They can carry it, and if the chickens catch them, they can catch the cocci from them. I found that out the hard way with some 2 month old juveniles a couple of years ago, and lost a sweet and very rare little pullet in the process, so it was a painful lesson. But it will still show up with bloody stools, no matter what age they are when they catch it. If you're not seeing bloody stools, you can probably scratch that off the list.

Check the inside of her mouth, because there are worms they can get that grow in their throats, called gapeworm. I think the wormer you gave her will kill them, though.

For now, I'd give her plain yogurt, and water with honey and ACV (apple cider vinegar, the unpasteurized kind with the "mother" in it), and keep her away from everyone else. Also, take care of everyone else before you take care of her, and wash up very well after you tend to her, just in case anything might be communicable to the rest of your flock.

Monitor her to make sure she's eating. You can try giving her dry catfood, too, which is high in protein, and at least my feathered critters all love it as a treat. You can also scramble or boil and mash an egg to offer her, too. It's packed full of nutrients she needs.

Best of luck with her! I know what it's like to be worried about a featherbaby you care about!

 

[nightowl223]

I would also add that beak clicking isn't generally an issue by itself. They can do it if they're cold, or if they're aggressive, or if they're talkative, or if their beak needs trimmed (severely overgrown beak, either top or bottom or both), or if there's something on their beak that's slightly sticky, like yogurt or something. It could be significant, but likely isn't.

 

[thailand]

Thanks so much for your quick reply

I'm boiling an egg for her as I type this. Just hope she will eat it as she's not eaten a thing all day! It's now 8:15pm here in Thailand so hoping she's still alive and better in the morning.

Thanks for the info about the cocci. I do have Sulmet on hand....perhaps another day of Baytril? and if no better then I'll switch to the Sulmet?