Fab hen is sick

Lorna R

In the Brooder
Jul 4, 2021
5
11
21
Buff Sussex Nellie, 2yrs old.
6 months ago was lethargic, I pulled poo and eggshell protruding from vent. 2 days later she was better but marran had poo protruding, which we pulled out. Then every 4 week Nellie laid a lash egg, was lethargic before, but 2 days later totally better.
4 weeks ago she became lethargic and hasn't improved. Each time she lost weight and put it back on, but not this time.
No injury or broken bones.
4) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Temp 14 to 20 degrees C. Cool irish summer.
Coop is wooden garden shed, lined with corrie board, (wipe clean weekly) poo trays under roost emptied daily. Flock of hens. Free range in garden 100 ftx100ft.
She gobbles soaked dry fruit, yogurt, soaked white bread, I have given her shredded cheese, meat, scrambled egg in afternoon as she appears to eat very little. She does scratch and walk around normally for half hour, but then sleeps. She is just bone and weighs 2.2kg.

I wormed her, and have been putting cider vinegar in the water.

Poop is now water with a little white, or green,

Chicken farm, pharmacies, farmers and backyard owners say there is no hen vet.
I think she is starving.
Crop spongy after eating, comb red, but flopped over 3 weeks ago (dehydrated).
Cannot feel and egg.

Hard underneath, possible growth.
 

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Hello and welcome to BYC!

8 am sorry about your girl, I requested the thread be moved to our Emergency forums. I hope she will be ok!
 
Buff Sussex Nellie, 2yrs old.
6 months ago was lethargic, I pulled poo and eggshell protruding from vent. 2 days later she was better but marran had poo protruding, which we pulled out. Then every 4 week Nellie laid a lash egg, was lethargic before, but 2 days later totally better.
4 weeks ago she became lethargic and hasn't improved. Each time she lost weight and put it back on, but not this time.
No injury or broken bones.
4) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Temp 14 to 20 degrees C. Cool irish summer.
Coop is wooden garden shed, lined with corrie board, (wipe clean weekly) poo trays under roost emptied daily. Flock of hens. Free range in garden 100 ftx100ft.
She gobbles soaked dry fruit, yogurt, soaked white bread, I have given her shredded cheese, meat, scrambled egg in afternoon as she appears to eat very little. She does scratch and walk around normally for half hour, but then sleeps. She is just bone and weighs 2.2kg.

I wormed her, and have been putting cider vinegar in the water.

Poop is now water with a little white, or green,

Chicken farm, pharmacies, farmers and backyard owners say there is no hen vet.
I think she is starving.
Crop spongy after eating, comb red, but flopped over 3 weeks ago (dehydrated).
Cannot feel and egg.

Hard underneath, possible growth.
Welcome to BYC. Sorry you are joining under such circumstances.
It sounds like an egg broke inside her and caused a reproductive tract infection. If she had been treated with antibiotics immediately after the membrane was seen hanging from her, the infection MAY have been prevented.
You can try to give her amoxicillin for a week and see if that helps her. The dose would be 250 mg twice daily for a bird her size. Can you source amoxicillin capsules for fish? In the US we can buy them online at fish supply websites. I would be prepared to euthanize her if she continues to decline.
The dark green in the poop is a sign of starvation. She's not eating and may not be processing her food well due to her poor condition.
Good luck with her. :hugs
 
I concur with both @DobieLover and @TwoCrows that your sweet hen most likely has a chronic reproductive infection stemming from that broken egg you fished out of her. Any remaining yolk from a collapsed egg will almost immediately start growing bacteria. If that ever happens again to a hen of yours, it's important to get her started on an antibiotic at once.

Sadly, it sounds as if the infection is very serious at this point. If you can find an antibiotic to give her, it might help a little, but usually when the infection reaches this stage, it may not help much.

The fact that she's losing weight is not a good sign as it indicates she's losing the fight.
 
Welcome to BYC. Sorry you are joining under such circumstances.
It sounds like an egg broke inside her and caused a reproductive tract infection. If she had been treated with antibiotics immediately after the membrane was seen hanging from her, the infection MAY have been prevented.
You can try to give her amoxicillin for a week and see if that helps her. The dose would be 250 mg twice daily for a bird her size. Can you source amoxicillin capsules for fish? In the US we can buy them online at fish supply websites. I would be prepared to euthanize her if she continues to decline.
The dark green in the poop is a sign of starvation. She's not eating and may not be processing her food well due to her poor condition.
Good luck with her. :hugs
Thank you.
I concur with both @DobieLover and @TwoCrows that your sweet hen most likely has a chronic reproductive infection stemming from that broken egg you fished out of her. Any remaining yolk from a collapsed egg will almost immediately start growing bacteria. If that ever happens again to a hen of yours, it's important to get her started on an antibiotic at once.

Sadly, it sounds as if the infection is very serious at this point. If you can find an antibiotic to give her, it might help a little, but usually when the infection reaches this stage, it may not help much.

The fact that she's losing weight is not a good sign as it indicates she's losing the fight.
Thank you. It makes sense. Im think it would be kinder to euthanise her, I'll miss her sooo much. Sleeping on my knee here, she seems content.I'm just so sad Thank you again. .
 

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