HELP....CHICKEN HAS HAD WATERY POO FOR A LONG TIME AND NO IMPROVEMENT

[Mountain Life]

It's not like any of the poo pictures, so don't bother sending them. Here's what hers looks like. Very watery, that's why I have to keep putting paper towels down and I'm going through a roll a night. I found this problem cleaning out the nesting boxes and then picking her up and she was wasting away. She eats and drinks constantly and it just comes back out like this. I did the crop pill 5 days ago and her crop is soft, but this problem continues. She hasn't laid an egg for months and there is no smell to this at all. It's like the feed with bile and water and that's it. She seems fine otherwise. I leave her out with the others during the day and put her inside at night to make sure she gets enough to eat and drink - I'm doing mash, yogurt and last night I started the sick feed on happy hens link. Anyone ever seen poo like this and have any idea? I've been to vets and EVERY TIME they charge me a fortune and have not diagnosed anything right yet! (So, please don't tell me to take her the vet - she's been before and they said she had cancer when she had an infection from a hole the roo put in her side.) I've been trying to get improvement for a week and decided I needed to reach out and pray someone has had this experience and will help me. Thank you!

 

[Michael Apple]

There are numerous diseases, dietary conditions that can cause watery droppings.

First, I need to know what medications, if any, you've used to remedy this.

Second, how old is the hen?

Third, how long is a "long time" in regard to the diarrhea?

Fourth, describe what their living conditions are, and if you've seen any of these symptoms with any other chickens you may have.

 

[Mountain Life]

Thank you for a response! I will answer your questions.

When I first noticed this problem and that she was losing weight severely, I ordered "crop bound" pills and treated her, massaged her crop and it has been soft since - about 5 days ago. But, the problem continued before and after that treatment. Because I'm keeping her inside at night and she pretty much eats and releases most of the night, she is gaining a little weight.

The living conditions are in a big pen, covered with a waterproof shelter and the food is off the ground in a "washing machine liner" to keep it from getting wet. The coop is just for nesting and sleeping and I clean it out every couple of days. All of the other ones are fine.

Her age - she came to be almost two years ago as a birthday gift from an auction house and was sick with bronchitis, so I don't know how old she is. She did stop laying over six months ago. Everyone else is laying and healthy.

She has struggled with respiratory issues and the vet said gape worm, so they were all treated for gapeworm and respiratory mircoplasm antibiotic clinicare a couple of months ago. Then the problem came back in just the two (the roo and this one) and it didn't get worse so about 45 days later I did 5 days of gyllmacin in the water and the respiratory issues went away and then I started giving them all probiotics out of that tube to boost their immune systems. I also did scrambled eggs and "drench" and yogurt for the past 30 days. But, this is why I didn't think I needed to worm her or treat with antibiotics - I was worried that could be part of her problem already??? This current problem has been ongoing for about two weeks that I know of. And, it's a LOT of water!

My husband tended to think that her gizzard stopped working? I tend to think it's more in the digestive tract since it looks like it's not being digested but just grabbing some bile and then heading out???? Is there such a thing as too much probiotic? It did heal up all the respiratory problems on those two that NO antibiotic would ever do???

Oh, I have seen some white dots in the other chicken poo. I put diatamaceous earth in the feed and cayenne pepper. They free range when I'm home and we have had a lot of rain. I have ivermetictin Agri-mectin 1%, I could worm them all again, but again, I didn't want to do anything to her immune system at this point, she's already dwindled down in weight so much.

Does it take this long after an impacted crop to recuperate? If so, I will just keep piling on the paper towels and make sure she eats and drinks as much as she wants.

 

[Michael Apple]

Thank you for a response! I will answer your questions.

When I first noticed this problem and that she was losing weight severely, I ordered "crop bound" pills and treated her, massaged her crop and it has been soft since - about 5 days ago. But, the problem continued before and after that treatment. Because I'm keeping her inside at night and she pretty much eats and releases most of the night, she is gaining a little weight.

Most "crop bound capsules" are available at the drug store as Docusate Sodium. Colace is a common brand name. If there's a bacterial infection in the crop Nystatin or Medistatin is a good remedy for sour crop. Most pigeon supply outfits carry it.

Her age - she came to be almost two years ago as a birthday gift from an auction house and was sick with bronchitis, so I don't know how old she is. She did stop laying over six months ago. Everyone else is laying and healthy.

If you're sure it was bronchitis, there is a vaccine for Infectuous Bronchitis, but there is no cure.

She has struggled with respiratory issues and the vet said gape worm, so they were all treated for gapeworm and respiratory mircoplasm antibiotic clinicare a couple of months ago. Then the problem came back in just the two (the roo and this one) and it didn't get worse so about 45 days later I did 5 days of gyllmacin in the water and the respiratory issues went away and then I started giving them all probiotics out of that tube to boost their immune systems. I also did scrambled eggs and "drench" and yogurt for the past 30 days. But, this is why I didn't think I needed to worm her or treat with antibiotics - I was worried that could be part of her problem already??? This current problem has been ongoing for about two weeks that I know of. And, it's a LOT of water!

Did you ever consider it may be coccidiosis? If the bird has coccidiosis, no antibiotic will cure it. Only Amprolium or Sulfadimethoxine can remedy it. What did the vet use to treat for gapeworms? MG too?

My husband tended to think that her gizzard stopped working? I tend to think it's more in the digestive tract since it looks like it's not being digested but just grabbing some bile and then heading out???? Is there such a thing as too much probiotic? It did heal up all the respiratory problems on those two that NO antibiotic would ever do???

Your husband may be correct since the digestive process begins in the gizzard, not the crop. If the gizzard isn't operating properly, food will often appear undigested, or the crop doesn't empty properly.

Oh, I have seen some white dots in the other chicken poo. I put diatamaceous earth in the feed and cayenne pepper. They free range when I'm home and we have had a lot of rain. I have ivermetictin Agri-mectin 1%, I could worm them all again, but again, I didn't want to do anything to her immune system at this point, she's already dwindled down in weight so much.

DE, cayenne pepper, and Ivermectin do absolutely nothing to eliminate worms in chickens. Valbazen is the most effective wormer and gets them all.

Does it take this long after an impacted crop to recuperate? If so, I will just keep piling on the paper towels and make sure she eats and drinks as much as she wants.

You can continue to treat the bird, but I'll share a brief story. I had a 2 year old Buff Rock that lost weight, had watery droppings, and eventually lost it's appetite over a period of 2 months. I treated for coccidiosis, wormed the bird, treated for histomoniasis, and treated for enteritis. I took the bird to a lab for a necropsy and the report came back that the bird was suffering from oviduct cancer, which perpetuated an E. coli secondary infection. Sometimes a bird can be brought back to health, sometimes they cannot. If I were in your position, with a bird having ill health for this length of time and not responding to treatment, I would compassionately end the bird's suffering, and possibly have a necropsy done at a local lab.

 

[Mountain Life]

Wow! Thanks for the feedback!

She did stop laying and the white blood cell increase may have really been cancer and not just the infected hole in her side? I kind of whipped the vet over this issue. But, she did get better after that hole healed. Could this possibly be a secondary infection from that hole that was in her side? It has completely healed.

How do you compassionately end her life? I won't end her life at this point. As long as she has the will to live, I will support her choice.
Although I don't know, my husband may end my life, if I keep bringing her in at night and using a roll of paper towels to put down every time she squirts these huge
amounts of water, so she's not sitting in a wet spot.

With all of those answers, I don't even know where to begin???? What are some of the other symptoms of the coccidosis? Is that contagious?

My husband said to just feed her regular food so her gizzard could go back to working, but if it was her crop I was afraid to do that right away. I am giving her both (the soft sick bird food) at night when she's inside with me and the layer feed when she is out with the others all day.

I know in human medicine, they start treating you and that makes you die faster; i.e. chemo, insulin, etc.

Where would you start? Are you in the US? Can we get those meds?

 

[Michael Apple]

Wow! Thanks for the feedback!

You're welcome.

She did stop laying and the white blood cell increase may have really been cancer and not just the infected hole in her side? I kind of whipped the vet over this issue. But, she did get better after that hole healed. Could this possibly be a secondary infection from that hole that was in her side? It has completely healed.

I'm surprised the vet didn't prescribe Penicillin for treatment in preventing infection of an open wound. I don't think you are dealing with digestive problems due to the wound that long ago.

How do you compassionately end her life? I won't end her life at this point. As long as she has the will to live, I will support her choice.
Although I don't know, my husband may end my life, if I keep bringing her in at night and using a roll of paper towels to put down every time she squirts these huge
amounts of water, so she's not sitting in a wet spot.

I wring the neck quickly, bringing instant death. It may sound harsh, but is never without compassion. It is a personal choice, and in your case, you can treat the bird as long as you desire, so long as the bird has quality of life, and is not contagious to your other birds.

With all of those answers, I don't even know where to begin???? What are some of the other symptoms of the coccidosis? Is that contagious?

Here's an informative article about Coccidiosis, a very common disease:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/1138/coccidiosis-control

My husband said to just feed her regular food so her gizzard could go back to working, but if it was her crop I was afraid to do that right away. I am giving her both (the soft sick bird food) at night when she's inside with me and the layer feed when she is out with the others all day.

I know in human medicine, they start treating you and that makes you die faster; i.e. chemo, insulin, etc.

Where would you start? Are you in the US? Can we get those meds?

I am in the U.S. It depends on where you are as to whether or not you can obtain those meds.

 

[casportpony]

FWIW, if it is cancer you might be able to feel it by doing a cloacal exam.

-Kathy

 

[dawg53]

The diseases you mentioned; Infectious Bronchitis, Mycoplasma disease, possible cancer and gizzard problems, coccidiosis, and probably worms...is not a normal life for a chicken. If you do not cull this bird, you are endangering the lives of your other birds as every one of the problems she has are contageous to your other birds.

 

[Michael Apple]

The diseases you mentioned; Infectious Bronchitis, Mycoplasma disease, possible cancer and gizzard problems, coccidiosis, and probably worms...is not a normal life for a chicken. If you do not cull this bird, you are endangering the lives of your other birds as every one of the problems she has are contageous to your other birds.

I know you are right in the instances you mentioned. I question whether or not the diseases mentioned are actually the case, or perpetual symptoms from using the wrong medication/antibiotic. The bird seems to have been with the rest of the members of the flock, yet this is the only one showing these symptoms. When I get a sick bird, I remove it from the rest of the flock, treat in comfortable surroundings (it helps to have a vacant grow off pen with its personal coop at the time), and if treatment is not successful based on what I've learned over many years of keeping birds, I cull.

 

[dawg53]

Yeah, I agree with you...but just going by what Mountain Life and what the vets have stated. Also a rooster was involved. I'd cull in a heartbeat if I suspected a respiratory disease.