Emergency! Please help, sick Muscovy hen!

[Qui1980]

My girl Maisy has not been herself for over 24hours. Either standing or laying, not eating and barely drinking. I’ve tried yogurt, dog food, peas, greens, oyster shell, layers feed, meal worms… she has no interest. Her poop is all water. There is no fecal matter in it. She is drinking a bit, but not much. I’ve added electrolytes and vitamins to her water as well as some apple cider vinegar. She is not coughing, breathing heavy, or walking funny (when she does) other than really really slow. Her caruncles are very pale! She has no energy or interest in anything.
We lost a hen a cpl days ago. That hen had been setting and hatched a chick, she ended up pooping on the chic and all her eggs, I took them to wash them off and she wouldn’t return to nest after that. Died within 24hrs…
What is going on?
first pic of her most recent poop. Others are if her right now with caruncles faded and almost orange.
Last pic of her one month ago.
Maybe egg bound? It walking funny or falling over though?

 

[-Isla June-]

Oh my, I am so sorry for your sweet Maisy girl!I have no idea what this could possibly be, you seem to be feeding her well. Here are some trusted friends that can hopefully help you, meanwhile I’ll be praying for you and your duck! @Eggcessive @Kiki @nuthatched @Dr Evy

 

[Banana01]

I have raised dozens of muscovies and only ever lost one, the day before she had quit eating and lethargic from thereon. A post mortem showed she had ingested a few rubber bands that a child must have thrown into my yard.

The pure water and no eating is a bad sign for sure. If there is an internal blockage in the gizzard, which ingesting the rubber bands caused, there is only very little you can do.

If you had done a post mortem on the hen looking for worms or internal blockages, you would know if deworming would have been the answer.

I might suggest a warm coconut oil treatment, trying to flush out whatever may be causing a blockage in the digestive tract, if that is indeed the cause. Just syringe some warm coconut oil into her mouth, although this is only a last attempt to save her it isnt a definite answer.

The hen dying is another very strange, rare thing to die with a one day old baby. That tells me it was either worms or poison. Ruling out an internal blockage, poisoning would be my next guess.

Watery diarreah is possibly poison, viral, parasitic, or bacterial. It could be from eating or ingesting bacterial contaminated water or parasitic contaminated water. For that you are looking at an antiparasitic or antibacterial medication. In the meantime, she will have to stay hydrated which sounds like she is.

If you cant get any anti parasitic or antibiotic for the watery diarreah, maybe try giving Immodium in a small dose yet to be determined.

 

[Qui1980]

I have raised dozens of muscovies and only ever lost one, the day before she had quit eating and lethargic from thereon. A post mortem showed she had ingested a few rubber bands that a child must have thrown into my yard.

The pure water and no eating is a bad sign for sure. If there is an internal blockage in the gizzard, which ingesting the rubber bands caused, there is only very little you can do.

If you had done a post mortem on the hen looking for worms or internal blockages, you would know if deworming would have been the answer.

I might suggest a warm coconut oil treatment, trying to flush out whatever may be causing a blockage in the digestive tract, if that is indeed the cause. Just syringe some warm coconut oil into her mouth, although this is only a last attempt to save her it isnt a definite answer.

The hen dying is another very strange, rare thing to die with a one day old baby. That tells me it was either worms or poison. Ruling out an internal blockage, poisoning would be my next guess.

Watery diarreah is possibly poison, viral, parasitic, or bacterial. It could be from eating or ingesting bacterial contaminated water or parasitic contaminated water. For that you are looking at an antiparasitic or antibacterial medication. In the meantime, she will have to stay hydrated which sounds like she is.

If you cant get any anti parasitic or antibiotic for the watery diarreah, maybe try giving Immodium in a small dose yet to be determined.

Thank you so very much! I will do what I can…

 

[Banana01]

You could try to treat it as salmonella poisoning. Give only clean fresh water and look for the source of contamination. Rodents, wild bird droppings, wild flies, other dirty possible infected areas.

The raw vegetables in the water are also a possible source, although unlikely. Hope she pulls through.

 

[casportpony]

Is a vet an option?

 

[Qui1980]

You could try to treat it as salmonella poisoning. Give only clean fresh water and look for the source of contamination. Rodents, wild bird droppings, wild flies, other dirty possible infected areas.

The raw vegetables in the water are also a possible source, although unlikely. Hope she pulls through.

Any veg I generally give are fresh from my garden.. other than frozen peas. Hard to look around my property for salmonella.. not too sure what to look for? Suggestions? Lots of wild birds and rodents around.. A few acres of bush with a small pond in spring/ swamp in summer.
Also… just noticed Yellow in her poop. Still basically all water with spots of yellow. Looks like yolk maybe?

 

[Qui1980]

Is a vet an option?

No
However, I am willing to do anything I possibly can to help her?

 

[casportpony]

Can you catch her, lube your finger and check her for an egg?

 

[Qui1980]

Can you catch her, lube your finger and check her for an egg?

I’m sorry, didn’t see this til now. She’s been by my side all day.. I will try that now.