Help! Hen is lethargic, has weight loss and green diarrhea

[Jennifer5419]

Hello, I have a hen (approx. 1 year old) who is showing signs of illness. I know a vet is probably what she really needs, but there are very few avian vets in my area and the few there are, are quite expensive. She has become increasingly lethargic over the past two weeks or so. I initially attributed this to lice as we had an outbreak, but I treated all my birds for lice and she has not improved. While treating for lice, I also noticed that she has lost weight and has a more prominent keel bone than my other chickens. She has also been having green diarrhea. My other chickens all seem lively and healthy. Any advice would be welcome, as I suspect she doesn’t have long if I can’t figure out how to help her. Thank you!

 

[casportpony]

Does she have any lice right now?

 

[Jennifer5419]

Does she have any lice right now?

Not that I could tell.

 

[Perris]

sorry to hear you're having this issue. Green poo is a sign they're not eating or have digestive problems, and prominent keel bone points the same way. There are a variety of types of enteritis that may be at root, but starvation isn't helping even if it isn't the cause. I have had several birds in similar situations over the years, some have recovered, some haven't. If she were mine, I'd bring her in and offer her plain natural yogurt (to help her good gut bacteria, and supply protein etc.), live mealworms (in my experience, if a bird doesn't want them, they are already at death's door), and bread moistened and softened with either a dairy product or fermented grain liquor (carbs, protein, probiotics), as much as she will eat. Let her rest and digest in warmth and quiet, and repeat later when she's ready to eat again. Fresh clean water available too of course.

 

[Shadrach]

Hello, I have a hen (approx. 1 year old) who is showing signs of illness. I know a vet is probably what she really needs, but there are very few avian vets in my area and the few there are, are quite expensive. She has become increasingly lethargic over the past two weeks or so. I initially attributed this to lice as we had an outbreak, but I treated all my birds for lice and she has not improved. While treating for lice, I also noticed that she has lost weight and has a more prominent keel bone than my other chickens. She has also been having green diarrhea. My other chickens all seem lively and healthy. Any advice would be welcome, as I suspect she doesn’t have long if I can’t figure out how to help her. Thank you!

A few clear poop pictures would be helpfull. There are many different shades of green and the different shades can mean different things.

 

[Jennifer5419]

My hen has unfortunately passed. I will be getting a necropsy at my local university to hopefully get some answers so I can prevent this happening again.

 

[Perris]

My hen has unfortunately passed. I will be getting a necropsy at my local university to hopefully get some answers so I can prevent this happening again.

so sorry to hear that she's gone;
I do hope you get some conclusive results, and please come back to tell us so we can learn from it too.

 

[Jennifer5419]

so sorry to hear that she's gone;
I do hope you get some conclusive results, and please come back to tell us so we can learn from it too.

Thank you! I got the report back today - ovarian cancer. She’s only the second hen I’ve lost so it was really hard to lose her, but at least knowing the cause makes me feel better - at least I know it wasn’t because of something I did wrong. She was so sweet though, and way too young.

 

[Perris]

Thank you! I got the report back today - ovarian cancer. She’s only the second hen I’ve lost so it was really hard to lose her, but at least knowing the cause makes me feel better - at least I know it wasn’t because of something I did wrong. She was so sweet though, and way too young.

It is tragic for such a young hen to pass, but it is indeed good to know it was not the result of something you did or failed to do; feelings of guilt are common, even if misplaced, and without an autopsy it's impossible to know for sure. I hope you have more luck with the rest of your flock.

 

[Shadrach]

My hen has unfortunately passed. I will be getting a necropsy at my local university to hopefully get some answers so I can prevent this happening again.

Sad to read this.