Extremely thirsty, explosive watery poops, bruised comb

[SarahGfa]

1) What type of bird , age and weight
1 year old Hamburg. I can't check her weight because she flies away from me when I get close to her. Her appetite is normal and she is active and eating a lot.

2) What is the behavior, exactly.
She has been really thirsty with watery poop for about 3 weeks. It seems to be getting worse and it's like she's spraying water out the back when she poops. There were black spots on her comb that first looked like peck marks but now look more like bruises.

She is also making some sneezing noises. Not a high-pitched "ah-choo", but more like a "sniff" like clearing out your sinuses. No discharge or anything coming from eyes or nose.

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
A few birds are making the "sniff" noise, but she is the only one with extreme thirst and diarrhea.

I gave them all Wazine last week, and there was no difference. Also put rooster booster with lactobacillus in her water for a day, no difference.

View attachment 1661649

 

[SarahGfa]

I posted this a few days ago because I thought it was fowlpox, but now it just looks like bruises.

 

[ChickNanny13]

What are you feeding? When was the last time she laid? Check her crop in the evening then again in the morning? Glad you have your location in your profile, helps knowing your time zone & whose in the area.

Hopefully the more experienced will peep in .... @casportpony @Lady of McCamley @micstrachan @QueenMisha Thank you all for any help here

 

[micstrachan]

Hi there. She’s a pretty girl! +1 to checking for crop issues. I had a girl with a doughy crop who had the same symptoms (watery poop and excessive thirst.) If it is a crop issue, we can walk you through treati g her. There are some great articles on the boards, as well. You won’t really be able to tell until the morning, when it should be empty.

Ascites, which can be caused by a mumber of different tings, can also lead to excessive thirst. Can you cup your hand around her abdomen (fluffy butt) and see if it feels swollen or bloated? If you can’t tell, compare her to another hen in the flock. This is easily done at night while roosting. When did she last lay an egg?

Has she had access to anything that could make her sick, like a soggy compost heap?

 

[micstrachan]

Just looked at your profile page. We are neighbors since I’m in Los Gatos (unincorporated, in the mountains). How about this storm? I had to close one “shutter” in the chicken coop because two of them had water droplets all over their backs!

 

[SarahGfa]

What are you feeding? When was the last time she laid? Check her crop in the evening then again in the morning?

I feed them regular 16% layer pellets, but they free range and eat all sorts of grass and bugs. I have seen her in the nest box, but am not positive that she has been laying eggs. There were two broken soft eggs in the last week with about 25% chance they could have been from her.

 

[SarahGfa]

Hi there. She’s a pretty girl! +1 to checking for crop issues. I had a girl with a doughy crop who had the same symptoms (watery poop and excessive thirst.) If it is a crop issue, we can walk you through treati g her. There are some great articles on the boards, as well. You won’t really be able to tell until the morning, when it should be empty.

Ascites, which can be caused by a mumber of different tings, can also lead to excessive thirst. Can you cup your hand around her abdomen (fluffy butt) and see if it feels swollen or bloated? If you can’t tell, compare her to another hen in the flock. This is easily done at night while roosting. When did she last lay an egg?

Has she had access to anything that could make her sick, like a soggy compost heap?

Thanks! I will try to feel her crop in the morning. What should it feel like? I might not be able to feel it because she is not friendly and runs/flies away if I get close to her.

Yes there has been a lot of rain here! They have been spending a lot of time near the soggy compost because all the earthworms are crawling out.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

1 year old Hamburg.

Her appetite is normal and she is active and eating a lot.

She has been really thirsty with watery poop for about 3 weeks. It seems to be getting worse and it's like she's spraying water out the back when she poops. There were black spots on her comb that first looked like peck marks but now look more like bruises.

She is also making some sneezing noises.

The first thing I see when I look at her photo is she's lovely!
The second thing I see....she has a very large crop or it could be the angle of the photo.

You are going to have to catch this sweetheart and do a crop check. Check her when she goes to roost, then first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks. This is so you can tell if it's emptying by morning.
Excess thirst can be a number of things, but a crop problems is the very first thing I think of when it's mentioned.

If her crop is not empty in the morning - read the article linked below, then let us know which one you think it might be. A crop issue can be a combination of things - it might be slow or partially impacted - if left that way long enough, it can also turn sour.
I've also found that crop issues are usually a symptom of an underlying cause. Is your girl laying eggs? Do you notice any bloat or fluid in the belly?
You wormed her - Wazine will only treat roundworms - can you get a fecal float to check for other types of worms?

Her comb, it's hard to tell, but I don't really see bruising. Possibly some dirt smudging.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[SarahGfa]

The first thing I see when I look at her photo is she's lovely!
The second thing I see....she has a very large crop or it could be the angle of the photo.

You are going to have to catch this sweetheart and do a crop check. Check her when she goes to roost, then first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks. This is so you can tell if it's emptying by morning.
Excess thirst can be a number of things, but a crop problems is the very first thing I think of when it's mentioned.

If her crop is not empty in the morning - read the article linked below, then let us know which one you think it might be. A crop issue can be a combination of things - it might be slow or partially impacted - if left that way long enough, it can also turn sour.
I've also found that crop issues are usually a symptom of an underlying cause. Is your girl laying eggs? Do you notice any bloat or fluid in the belly?
You wormed her - Wazine will only treat roundworms - can you get a fecal float to check for other types of worms?

Her comb, it's hard to tell, but I don't really see bruising. Possibly some dirt smudging.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Thank you! I will try my best to grab her in the morning and check. Her appetite is good and she eats like a pig so I know there is at least some room in her crop.

I could get a fecal but don't really want to, because the local vet charges $75 for a fecal float (everything is more expensive in California!). I have Safeguard and could go ahead and give it to her if it won't cause any harm?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you! I will try my best to grab her in the morning and check. Her appetite is good and she eats like a pig so I know there is at least some room in her crop.

I could get a fecal but don't really want to, because the local vet charges $75 for a fecal float (everything is more expensive in California!). I have Safeguard and could go ahead and give it to her if it won't cause any harm?

See if that crop is completely empty in the morning. She looks bright eyed in the photo, but they can hide things well too.

If she is not molting, then I would use the Safeguard. It takes care or more types of worms. Dosage is .23ml per pound of weight given orally for 5 days in a row.

By the time you get done with her, she's going to be tame