help me diagnose my girl!

[GardenTeacher]

Hi everyone! Please help me out with my little Easter Egger, Superwoman! She is squatting with ruffled feathers but open, alert eyes. Not eating much at all.

So, yesterday I wrote thinking my chicken had an impacted crop issue. But it didn't really make sense because I wasn't feeling anything round like a crop, instead it felt really bony. Well... I now think I was feeling her neck bone. Oops. She was so emaciated that I couldn't even find her crop where I was expecting it. When I did find it, it was basically empty.

Now I have NO idea what her issue is. I had been feeding her some olive oil with a dropper for what I thought was crop issues. I rush ordered Corid in case it was coccidiosis. I've been feeding her garlic water with a dropper in case of worms and to keep her hydrated.

What are next steps I should take? Also, is there a way to make sure that she is still getting nutrition. Like, should I be feeding her scrambled eggs or oatmeal and feeding her that?

 

[boskelli1571]

Hi there,

welcome and sorry you are having problems. Has she been properly wormed? You will find the correct dosing in the emergency tab somewhere. If she is that emaciated that you felt her neck bones, she needs some attention quickly or she will die.
Is she drinking ok? If so, add some 'rooster booster' or other brand of electrolyte powder to her water. Scrambled egg is good, also oatmeal - add some probiotic yoghurt to her oatmeal, it will help her fight off any infection that's brooding.
You don't say how old she is - has she been laying? What do her poops look like? Is she shedding feathers? A picture would help also.

 

[GardenTeacher]

Thanks for your reply. The problem has since worsened a little with another chicken coming down with the same droopy symptoms. They are both 6.5 months old and I think that one is laying and one I haven't yet seen in the nesting boxes but I can't be sure...

I brought them inside my house for the weekend since I don't have as much access to the coop on weekends because they're kept on school grounds. The girls (one EE, and one australorp) are both alert but subdued. They haven't been eating a lot and I've been beaker feeding them water to keep them hydrated since they haven't been seeking out much water on their own. Their poop, strangely, is semi solid and green. That's strange because I haven't fed them greens in a few days. They've mostly been eating scrambled eggs with olive oil, yogurt and a little bit of their normal feed.

I'm not sure what you mean by properly wormed... I haven't done any preventative worming. Also, I live in New York City where it has been below freezing on and off and I thought that was a deterrent to worms growth. Also, because we're in NY, it has been hard finding a vet who will do chicken fecal tests.

I bought corid in case it was coccidiosis but I haven't seen any blood in their stool...

I'd appreciate any and all advice here! Thanks, everyone. I'm at wit's end.

 

[boskelli1571]

I would suggest you google chicken poop chart. The Chickenchick site has some pix of ab/normal poop from chickens - you might recognize something there. Also, cols weather or not, intestinal worms will still thrive, I suggest you dose them with wazine or similar. Look for your local Cornell extension - they might do poop samples for you.
Is there any chance they could have eaten something putrid/rotten? Although food poisoning would bring diarrhea......
I'm hoping someone else jumps in here because I'm running out of ideas....keep feeding what you are and keep offering water, I've got my fingers crossed for you....

 

[cafarmgirl]

Have any new chickens been introduced where they live? You could always treat for coccidiosis, even if just to rule out that possibility. It certainly never does any harm. You can't depend on lack of blood in the stool, sometimes there will be blood, sometimes there won't.

As far as worms, it may be cold there now but worms that were picked up over the summer can survive just fine inside a chicken. I would deworm them with something effective, either Valbazen or liquid Safeguard goat dewormer. 1/2 orally, repeat the dose in 10 days.

If they are indeed eating and pooping then I think I'd stop with the olive oil. Maybe try making a warm mash with their feed and see if they are interested.

Also check them carefully for mites or lice.

 

[GardenTeacher]

They seem to be doing mysteriously better! Not 100% yet but walking around more and looking more chipper. Eating a little more, too. Here's hoping they make a full recovery!

Thank you everyone for your wise words!