Help! 3 year old hen very thin, then poopy rear, then limping...

berkeleychicks

Chirping
8 Years
May 25, 2011
4
0
60
Help! My poor little Rhode Island Red, "Red", has had such troubles. A year ago she started laying her eggs into her abdomen, got an infection, went on antibiotics, and got well. The vet said it would keep happening and it did. We did another round of antibiotics... again she was cured. After that, we couldn't afford to keep taking her to the vet (kids, bills, etc). She got another infection, but she seemed to get better on her own a couple of times. She remained very thin - boney breasted, but still eating and enjoying life. Meanwhile, her crazy sister, Falcon, likes to "roost" under Red (she sticks her head between Red's legs to sleep!) and so when Red started to get a poopy rear, I thought it was the awkward roosting. Then, about a week ago, Red started to limp, but was still eating and otherwise acting normal. Within a few days, however, I found her lying in the dirt, unable to move. We've moved her inside, but she can't seem to move, doesn't eat, and has a terrible yellowish diarrhea. I've been feeding her with drops of watery yogurt, but she mostly just sleeps.

I'm hoping for advice on what might be the problem, whether I can do anything at all to help, or if my feeding her now is just prolonging her suffering. My other chickens all seem fine, but I'm worried they might also get sick. I can't afford to take her to the vet (I wish I could, believe me!), so I'm counting on some good advice!
 
Help! My poor little Rhode Island Red, "Red", has had such troubles. A year ago she started laying her eggs into her abdomen, got an infection, went on antibiotics, and got well. The vet said it would keep happening and it did. We did another round of antibiotics... again she was cured. After that, we couldn't afford to keep taking her to the vet (kids, bills, etc). She got another infection, but she seemed to get better on her own a couple of times. She remained very thin - boney breasted, but still eating and enjoying life. Meanwhile, her crazy sister, Falcon, likes to "roost" under Red (she sticks her head between Red's legs to sleep!) and so when Red started to get a poopy rear, I thought it was the awkward roosting. Then, about a week ago, Red started to limp, but was still eating and otherwise acting normal. Within a few days, however, I found her lying in the dirt, unable to move. We've moved her inside, but she can't seem to move, doesn't eat, and has a terrible yellowish diarrhea. I've been feeding her with drops of watery yogurt, but she mostly just sleeps.

I'm hoping for advice on what might be the problem, whether I can do anything at all to help, or if my feeding her now is just prolonging her suffering. My other chickens all seem fine, but I'm worried they might also get sick. I can't afford to take her to the vet (I wish I could, believe me!), so I'm counting on some good advice!
Poor thing....going with the yogurt probiotics should help her stomach feel better....do you have access to any liquid or powder anti-biotics? Meanwhile, see if she will eat some canned tuna, salmon, cat food, hard boiled crushed rggs to get her protein up to help with healing....Gently syringe sugar water, electrolytes (pedialytes, sprite with water at 50%)to keep her hydrated.

Any chance she is egg bound? Can you glove up, vaseline and see if she may have a bursted egg within? If so, be very careful removing shell fragments so not to cut her...crunch them in your fingers before removing them from her vent...Keeping her clean with warm/soapy water and dry will help reinfection, just avoid chilling her.

Wish I could offer more. Someone else may see this and offer more insight, Please keep us posted,
hugs.gif
 
Poor thing....going with the yogurt probiotics should help her stomach feel better....do you have access to any liquid or powder anti-biotics? Meanwhile, see if she will eat some canned tuna, salmon, cat food, hard boiled crushed rggs to get her protein up to help with healing....Gently syringe sugar water, electrolytes (pedialytes, sprite with water at 50%)to keep her hydrated.

Any chance she is egg bound? Can you glove up, vaseline and see if she may have a bursted egg within? If so, be very careful removing shell fragments so not to cut her...crunch them in your fingers before removing them from her vent...Keeping her clean with warm/soapy water and dry will help reinfection, just avoid chilling her.

Wish I could offer more. Someone else may see this and offer more insight, Please keep us posted,
hugs.gif
Hi Berkeleychick, just wanted to touch base with you to see how your RIR is doing? Please post me when you get a chance and let me know...Thanks a bunch!
thumbsup.gif
 

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