Do newly laying pullets act sick?

[Red Horse]

Also, what is your location again? Do you have mosquitoes?

She's a brown egg layer, a golden comet. I stopped handling them so much when the cockerels started maturing so I hadn't realized she weighs so much less than her sister, like probably by half. I'm wondering if she's had issues for awhile that I didn't pick up on or if that's just how she is. I'm in central Ohio and the mosquitos have been EXTRA bad this year, presumably because of the massive amount of rain we have had all summer. They've even been out in the shade during the heat of the day which I have never experienced before. It's been miserable.

 

[azygous]

Avian flu has been reported in central Ohio. https://www.wksu.org/health-science...strain-detected-in-central-ohio-chicken-flock. I don't know if it affects the color of poop, but there are other poultry diseases that do. Infectious bronchitis is another.

The malaria mosquito is present in your state, although it hasn't caused malaria cases in humans. It can be transmitted to poultry from this mosquito, and it can affect the color of the poop since it affects the liver and triggers a pigment called biliverdin. You may be able to get a PCR test for this by asking here if it's one of the tests they offer. Zoologix Inc 9811 Owensmouth Ave, STE 4, Chatsworth, CA, 91311-9547 818-717-8880 www.zoologix.com This test is around $100 plus $25 for the test kit. That is, if it's one they offer.

Here is info on the malarial parasite in poultry. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/bloodborne-organisms/plasmodium-infection-in-poultry

This is a real long shot. It's rare. Don't assume this is the cause of this chicken's woes. Seafoam green poop most often is caused by things a chicken has eaten.

 

[Red Horse]

Avian flu has been reported in central Ohio. https://www.wksu.org/health-science...strain-detected-in-central-ohio-chicken-flock. I don't know if it affects the color of poop, but there are other poultry diseases that do. Infectious bronchitis is another.

The malaria mosquito is present in your state, although it hasn't caused malaria cases in humans. It can be transmitted to poultry from this mosquito, and it can affect the color of the poop since it affects the liver and triggers a pigment called biliverdin. You may be able to get a PCR test for this by asking here if it's one of the tests they offer. Zoologix Inc 9811 Owensmouth Ave, STE 4, Chatsworth, CA, 91311-9547 818-717-8880 www.zoologix.com This test is around $100 plus $25 for the test kit. That is, if it's one they offer.

Here is info on the malarial parasite in poultry. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/bloodborne-organisms/plasmodium-infection-in-poultry

This is a real long shot. It's rare. Don't assume this is the cause of this chicken's woes. Seafoam green poop most often is caused by things a chicken has eaten.

I think if it were avian flu she would have been dead days ago. We haven't had a case in the state since May and they seem to mostly have happened around bodies of water, like in the great lakes region and wherever waterfowl are prevalent. I'm pretty careful not to go where there are a lot of wild geese congregating or ponds with ducks, since 'tis the season. She doesn't seem to have a lot of the other symptoms of plasmodium, I think she would be really anemic by now and her comb and wattles are still nice and red. Do you think that despite having that big solid poo earlier that she could still have a blockage somewhere? Her crop is smaller than it has been but quite hard. I scattered my afternoon handful of greens in the run and she was interested in them, but only ate maybe two or three shreds. That's really all she's had today, still doesn't want any scrambled egg or wet mash. She had a bit of brownish mucousy diarrhea a little while ago. Do you think she would benefit from something like nutri drench?

 

[azygous]

The green poop may be nothing of significance. Just something to ponder as to possible causes.

It's not unusual for there to be a hard lump in the crop on the tail end of a crop issue. Try massaging the lump to break it up. Do this a few times a day when you think of it. It will reduce discomfort and assist appetite.

Yes, Nutri-drench in the water or sprinkled over food is always a good idea when a chicken isn't eating as much as she should. But too many days of it can cause diarrhea. But that might actually help her if there's a blockage farther down her digestive system.

 

[Red Horse]

It ended up being coccidiosis! The whole flock has it, of course. So far no one is as bad off as she was but they don't have much of an appetite and some have pale combs. The diarrhea in the rest of them didn't even start until the 2nd day on corid so I think if you hadn't suggested to do that they would be in very big trouble and I may have lost some. I didn't even notice anything weird till I threw treats in and no one was really interested. She is doing much better, not quite 100% but she is eating a lot more and sticking up for herself instead of hanging out alone. After her crop finally emptied I never have felt it completely full again.
I can't believe they got it before they were even entirely off the medicated chick feed. Do you think I should keep giving her the calcium tablets or just let her body lay again when its strong enough? She never did pass anything so I'm not sure why her crop wouldn't empty. I think I'm just going to add probiotic to the whole waterer with the corid if you think that's ok.

 

[azygous]

Glad you figured it out and they're on the mend now. Medicated feed doesn't prevent coccidiosis. It's meant to encourage resistance by balancing a small amount of amprolium with a very light load of coccidia in their systems. When the coccidia become too numerous, they overwhelm the effects of the amprolium. Good news is they should be resistant once they get over this.