Help! I think she's going to die...

[mscherilyn]

I have a black sexlink hen that is approximately 10 months old. She was started laying eggs on 23 September. She layed 56 days straight, missed 1 day, layed 10 days, missed 1 day, layed 2 days, missed 2 days, layed 2 days, missed 1 day, layed 1 day, missed 3 days, layed 1 day, then stopped laying altogether on 12 December. She got lethargic and was not looking well at all. I did a little research of course and could only start making guesses as I could see no other symptoms. None of the others were showing any signs of problems. I isolated her in another pen and eventually gave her ACV in water. I was trying to address a possible sour crop at the time. Anyway, she started getting well and bounced right back. She began laying again on 6 January and layed eggs everyday again through 30 January. On 31 January she stopped laying and is again looking lethargic. This time it seems much worse and she is losing weight. There is no visual symptom. No coughing, sneezing, respiratory issues. No mites or lice have been seen. There is no evidence of blocked crop or anything. So now what? I am certain, that if I can't figure this out real soon, she is going to die. She looked tonight as if she could barely hold her head up. When I picked her up and checked her over...and set her back down, she never moved from the way I set her down. It was pathetically sad really. Does anyone have any ideas to help me figure this out?

(BTW, I have 11 chickens. She is the only one looking or acting sick.)

 

[Eggcessive]

I would worm her right away with SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer or Valbazen. If she is having runny droppings, then I would also start her on Corid or amprollium in her water for 5 days for treatment of possible coccidiosis. Until you get that, I would get her some electrolytes, and start getting her to drink. Could she be dehydrated from being kept from her water?

HOMEMADE ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION
1/2 teaspoon salt substitute* (potassium)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 gallon water

 

[mscherilyn]

Thank you for your reply. I will try to do both.


I don't see much poop in her area to identify it...but what I have seen has been flat white-ish stuff.
She has water available, but honestly it doesn't seem that she is drinking.
She also has food available, but it appears she is eating....albeit just a little.

Thanks for the electrolyte recipe. As for the wormer, if it is a goat wormer, what dosage would I use for a chicken?

 

[dawg53]

Give your Black Star Safeguard liquid goat wormer, 1/2cc orally undiluted for 3 days straight. Use a syringe without a needle to administer it. Then follow up by giving her buttermilk mixed with scrambled egg to eat for 2 to 3 days.

 

[Eggcessive]

Dosage of Valbazen or SafeGuard is 1/2 ml orally, and repeat in 10 days. SafeGuard can also be given 5 days in a row to get the more rare worms, where Valbazen just needs to be give once and in 10 days. Try putting some water into a small amount of feed to get more fluids into her. If you can get a picture of the flat whitish material in her poop, it might help to identify tapeworms, or just something normal. Chicken urine is the white part of the droppings.

 

[mscherilyn]

dawg53... I was unable to find the specific brand you mention (Black Star safeguard), but I was able to pick up Intervet safe-guard (goat dewormer). Is this going to work the same?

 

[mscherilyn]

My hen is still alive. She is stumbling as she tries to walk now, but at least she is still trying to get up and move a little. I can't get poop pics yet so I brought her into my kitchen. She is just sitting there...not moving a lick. Not even when I approach or the dogs.

So, back to the wormer...
Is the Safeguard dewormer you mention the same as the one dawg53 is referring to? Is there more than one Safeguard dewormer? That seems a little confusing. I found "Intervet safe-guard" goat dewormer, but I am unsure whether this is the same thing you or dawg53 are actually recommending.

 

[Eggcessive]

I can't find Intervet goat dewormer, but as long as it is fenbendazole paste or liquid, the dosage for chickens is 10 to 25 mg per pound of weight. Panacur equine past is also fenbendazole, as is SafeGuard goat or equine wormer.

 

[mscherilyn]

YIKES! After bringing her in to my kitchen and being real up close an personal with her in an attempt to give her water with a syringe, I found small light colored bugs (lice) on her. They are crawling around her face and into her nostrils. I don't know if they are all over. I hate this idea of bugs because I am so good about keeping a clean coop. I just can't understand how this happened. Wild birds maybe? Maybe they just got out of control her from when she was sick before?

So, now, what's the best way to attack this problem? Do I have to treat all the chickens now? Sooo many questions. I need your advice experts.

Also, is she going to live to make it through this?

 

[dawg53]

YIKES! After bringing her in to my kitchen and being real up close an personal with her in an attempt to give her water with a syringe, I found small light colored bugs (lice) on her. They are crawling around her face and into her nostrils. I don't know if they are all over. I hate this idea of bugs because I am so good about keeping a clean coop. I just can't understand how this happened. Wild birds maybe? Maybe they just got out of control her from when she was sick before?

So, now, what's the best way to attack this problem? Do I have to treat all the chickens now? Sooo many questions. I need your advice experts.

Also, is she going to live to make it through this?

Purchase Sevin dust and dust your hen, avoid the eyes and nostrils. You'll have to dust inside the hen house, including nests and roosts. Redust her again in 10 days. Wear a mask and chicken clothes when dusting. Inspect all your chickens for external parasites and dust accordingly. Sevin dust can be purchased in the garden department at Lowe's, Home Depot etc...

When I stated "Black Star," that is a name given to Black Sex Links. "Red Star" for Red Sex Links. Here's a pic of Safeguard liquid goat wormer to end the confusion: