Help, chicken diarrhoea, one already dead :-(

[sarah-jane-lucy-lou]

We had four 15 week old Pekin chickens. Last week one became very lethargic, with diarrhoea, and then was put to sleep by the vet. She did not know what the cause was. We now have another chicken going the same way. Still eating and drinking, but very lethargic and not wanting to move much. Will post a picture of poop, which looks a mixture of liquid and soft solid. Vet has put all on antibiotics to prevent secondary infections, but I’d really like to stop the cause. Have already tried apple cider vinegar. Any help will be hugely appreciated.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC and sorry for your loss. Where are you located? What antibiotic are you using? Most states have a state poultry vet who will do a necropsy and do testing to look for infectious diseases. It is inexpensive in some states, and some will do 2-3 for the same cost, but some are more expensive. That is the best way to find a cause of death. Your vet could have done a culture to see if she had worms, coccidiosis, or an intestinal infection. A reproductive infection might be a possibility, but a necropsy would be the only way to know what happened. I urge you to get one, and keep the body cold, but not frozen, wrapped in plastic bags, and send it to your state poultry lab if you lose another. Here is a list of state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[sarah-jane-lucy-lou]

Thank you so much for your reply, I am located in the UK (North Norfolk).
Unfortunately I was given some antibiotic powder with no name as was from a larger bottle, so no not sure which was used, but it is mixed with their water and all of them are drinking it.
At present, the sick chicken is still alive, and possible looking like the diarrhoea has stopped for now. Although she is still eating and drinking (the antibiotic water) she is looking very pale and skinny and is not moving much, although at least today she has come back outside.
I am deeply hoping that she will recover, but if not I will definitely take the body to the vet to ask for an autopsy. The other two, so far, seem fine.

 

[Chicalina]

Have they got any other symptoms besides lethargy and diarrhoea?

I assume they aren't laying yet? Did your vet check for egg binding, reproductive infection?

When did you last worm them?

Were they fed ACS medicated chick crumbs when tiny?

Have they been on ground that other chickens have been on?

What are their living conditions like in the coop and run? pics helpful

Are their crops normal? Full at dusk and empty by morning? Any smelly breath, hard impacted or squishy crop?

Vents normal, or poop sticking, or any manky looking cheesy bits?

 

[Chicalina]

I would suggest garlic and ACV in their water and feed them live yoghurt and a chicken vitamin supplement. That always helps with digestive problems and with balancing gut flora.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would just put the antibiotics in the water and nothing else. Make sure the sick hen is drinking it. If you make up a small bowl of chick feed, you can put a little of the medicated water in that as well, but change it daily. That will get more fluid into her. I still wonder if coccidiosis could be a problem. If you talk to your vet office, I would ask what the antibiotic is, and request that you bring in a sample of her droppings to test for coccidia and worms. A sulfa antibiotic would treat for coccidiosis and might help with other infections.

 

[sarah-jane-lucy-lou]

Hi Chicalina,
Thanks so much for your help and questions. Answers below...

Have they got any other symptoms besides lethargy and diarrhoea?
Doesn’t appear so, although she has lost a lot of weight.

I assume they aren't laying yet? Did your vet check for egg binding, reproductive infection?
Not laying yet, I don’t know if the vet checked for this, they are still quite small.

When did you last worm them?
I have never wormed them. I was told to give them Apple cider vinegar and garlic mix with their water a couple of time’s per week and this would do, I hope that was good advice.

Were they fed ACS medicated chick crumbs when tiny?
I don’t think so

Have they been on ground that other chickens have been on?
Since they have been with us the last couple of months no. But I have seen small wild birds in their pen on occasion

What are their living conditions like in the coop and run? pics helpful,
I will post pics, they are in a coop at night, the tend to huddle in the nest boxes rather than be on the roosts. I clean and replace all bedding once per week, and move the whole pen along the garden a bit.

Are their crops normal? Full at dusk and empty by morning? Any smelly breath, hard impacted or squishy crop?
No smelly breath. I had a feel of crop this morning and could feel nothing, but she didn’t eat much yesterday, and I’m not sure if I’m doing it right anyway

Vents normal, or poop sticking, or any manky looking cheesy bits?
Yes poop sticking to feathers and possibly cheesy looking bits too. I have given her a gentle bath with a little salt this morning. But to be honest I am now thinking of putting her to sleep, I don’t want her to suffer anymore. I am waiting to hear from the vet to see if he has any other ideas.

Would welcome any ideas
Many many thanks

 

[sarah-jane-lucy-lou]

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[sarah-jane-lucy-lou]

I would just put the antibiotics in the water and nothing else. Make sure the sick hen is drinking it. If you make up a small bowl of chick feed, you can put a little of the medicated water in that as well, but change it daily. That will get more fluid into her. I still wonder if coccidiosis could be a problem. If you talk to your vet office, I would ask what the antibiotic is, and request that you bring in a sample of her droppings to test for coccidia and worms. A sulfa antibiotic would treat for coccidiosis and might help with other infections.

have just spoken to the vet. To be honest my poor hen is so very weak now and has stopped eating and drinking at all so I’m thinking that it may just be kinder to put her to sleep and get a post mortem done incase the others come down with it. So sad, her twin sister will miss her I’m sure :-(
Thank you so much for your help x

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry that she is not better. If she dies or you cull, you can get a necropsy to find out what was wrong, please post the report.