Do very sick chickens ever recover and live for long?

[basement chick]

How do you burp a chicken?

I had just given her some stool softener by syringe in her beak, well attempted to. She may have swallowed some air in her flapping and twisting escape! Anyway, I massaged her crop and held her kind of like a football by my side with one arm and continued slowly, gently, massaging her crop while I slowly bent way forward, turning her, and myself, almost upside down. She will bend her neck to keep her head up as much as she can. A little liquid came out her mouth and a big long "burp." Then i stood back up straight and quit massaging her crop to let her relax and repeated three times until she stopped "burping." She seemed to feel better.

 

[basement chick]

She may be missing something in her diet since she is still eating the shavings(?). Does she have grit free choice? I can't remember, but you may want to give her poultry vitamins -direct dose her with Nutri-Drench or Poultry Cell.

I don't give grit since they are out free range so often. I do give oyster shell. A couple days ago, I found a bag of grit i had from a couple years ago when they weren't let out. I offered her some and she gobbled it up like candy. Maybe 6-7 pieces. They are still in her crop. I have been putting nutridrench in her water which she is drinking. She doesn't look as perky today. She pooped a few times in her cage last night still watery but a little more solid pieces and she did eat some chick starter this morning. Thanks

 

[basement chick]

I'd definitely try some egg or chick-crumb if she won't take pellets. I agree that you should perform a second float-test (you can do this at home, too) to ensure the worms have been taken care of, and re-medicate with a different medication if necessary. As @Wyorp Rock suggests, introducing some oil; coconut (or olive works too, though solid-form oil is easier to introduce into the crop) and gently massaging her crop may help; it could be that the feed is becoming impacted as she is having a lot of fibrous foods.

You mention i can do a float test at home here....can you tell me how?

 

[Sneebsey]

You can just put the fresh poop into a small beaker of water and stir until it starts to dissolve. Then let it sit covered until it separates. Any worms should be visible through a magnifying glass, though you will likely need a microscope to identify them. If in doubt, I would worm them all again, just not with the Ivermectin. How is she doing now?

 

[basement chick]

You can just put the fresh poop into a small beaker of water and stir until it starts to dissolve. Then let it sit covered until it separates. Any worms should be visible through a magnifying glass, though you will likely need a microscope to identify them. If in doubt, I would worm them all again, just not with the Ivermectin. How is she doing now?

I can try that. Not sure i have a magnifying glass and no microscope. Not as perky as yesterday. Still eating chick starter and scrambled egg in small amounts and drinking water with acv, probiotics and enzymes, and a little nutridrench. She did walk around for over an hour in the yard this morning and scratched a lot and maybe a bug or two but slowly. Still doughy crop but not hard and definitely getting smaller. I have acidified copper sulfate on the way Monday for doughy crop. Still pooping white watery with some brown green pieces.

 

[Sneebsey]

I'm pleased that she's starting to eat 'proper food', at least, and ranging a little. Ensure that the grit is always available since she's not roaming as much as the others are. I'd give it a go, looking at the poop; just make sure it's very fresh. You should be able to see at least some of the larger worms without a magnifying glass, and if there's any at all, then there's likely more, and get her (and the others) treated with Flubendazole.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If you are wanting to perform fecal floats at home, you may want to check out this thread it explains the equipment and solutions needed to do it correctly. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/doing-fecal-floats-at-home.1047614/

@Sneebsey mentions using Flubendazole as a dewormer they are in the UK, since the OP is in the US then Valbazen (Albendazole) or Safeguard (Fenbendazole) would be treatment of choice.

Do keep in mind, that crop issues are a lot of times a symptom of an underlying condition. Worms, coccidiosis, reproductive problems and infection are common causes.
Getting a fecal float performed by the vet to re-check the worm load is the best way to determine if worms and/or coccidiosis is still an issue with your hen. Since she is a Sex-Link and has some age on her, she may also have some reproductive problems as well.

 

[Sneebsey]

Got them mixed up there. Thanks @Wyorp Rock

 

[coach723]

Respectfully, I disagree with the mixing in water and looking to check for parasites.
If there are visible worms in droppings then certainly they are there. If worms are not visible with the naked eye then that does not necessarily mean they are NOT there. When a proper fecal float test is done the parasite eggs is generally what is looked for. The parasites themselves often do not leave the digestive tract as they cannot survive outside it, the eggs can and do, that is how they spread. The eggs are microscopic and cannot be seen with the naked eye, or a magnifying glass, so microscope is the proper way to identify them.
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/fecal-flotation

 

[Sneebsey]

That makes sense, thank you for clarifying. I would assume that the method I suggested would only really work if there was a serious overload of worms, which is unlikely due to the first treatment.