HELP Please. boney hen

[TNJEZ]

i have a 1.5 year old silkie hen that appears normal until you pick her up. everytime i check her, her crop is full, she eats like a pig, but she is nothing but bones, skin and feathers. her breast bone is protruding andi am extremely worried. this is what i have done so far for her in the last month or so trying to self diagnose her...

dewormed with ivermectin pour on twice 10 days apart, placing under wing directly on skin.
provided duramyacin 10 for her for 7 days
currently i am trying corid, i am on day 3
started feeding her hard boiled egg yolk twice a day, with a little greek yogurt, also on day 3. - she loves this!

she gets around normal, she is free range and chases bugs outside all day long. she has free choice of layer pellets and fresh water daily. i heard her sneeze yesterday, and noticed she is a little more standoffish. but once she realizes i have food, she is alert and quite aggressive about getting her egg yolk - she does not like to share.

any advise is appreciated. thanks in advance. i am taking a horse to the vet tomorrow for regular shots, and plan to hit the vet with this question as well. i will try to take a poop sample to him to test.

 

[War Chicken]

What is her poop like? There are a variety of infections and parasites that could cause this but it would be unlikely to have normal-looking poop.

Ivermectin won't have any effect on cestodes (tapeworms) or trematodes (flukes). Ivermectin resistance has also developed so some organisms that should be susceptible are no longer

Using a tetracycline like Duramycin in drinking water can be tricky. Tetracyclines have a tendency to bind to metals such as calcium and become inactivated. That's why it's recommended that you don't supplement calcium and use a feed with <1.0% calcium. You'll also have to make it the only water source. I even limit bathing and fruits with high water content. Also, some bacteria like Mycoplasma and Chlamydia need longer courses of antibiotics (45 days) while you try to prevent re-infection from other birds who may be asymptomatic carriers.

 

[TNJEZ]

should i go ahead an use wazine and try to deworm them? i was under the impression that the ivermectin was the better option.

 

[War Chicken]

I would give it a shot. You tried to deworm them with ivermectin so this would be trying to accomplish the same thing but perhaps with more success.

Really curious what the poops look like though...

 

[TNJEZ]

poop is looking slightly soft, brown, solid, all one color. not a normal brown with white on top. ill try to get a picture tomorrow morning and post. thanks for your input.

 

[TNJEZ]

OK, will try to attach the picture of her poop. if i can't it is white liquid with a black chunky center. this was in the kennel on the way to the vet.
took her to the vet today, even waited to see the vet who specializes in birds. he looked her over, and did a intestinal parasite screen, it came up clear - no internal parasites
he gave me some cephalexin drops to administer orally 2x a day, due to her eye being a little runny, as for he being extremely thin, he suggested culling her and sending her off for a necropsy. he said she is much more active and alert than he expected her to be. she was walking around the waiting office making friends with the 4 kids there. they even were feeding her crackers, and she was jumping on them to get closer to the food. he did comment that she was so thin that he could not even give her a shot, because she had no meat on her. i opted to take her home and see. am i making the right decision???

 

[TNJEZ]

its been a little over a week since i took her to the vet, she is still really boney, she eats like crazy. she always has a full crop. she is alert and moving around. but just not gaining any weight. im really worried. i also have another hen that is starting to look thin, and i just dont know what to do. whats wrong with my hens? should i cull one and send off for testing? the vet said that i had no worms when i took the original hen to the vet. i had him do a fecal on her. any advice is appreciated. thanks in advance.