Help please!! Older hen with bad diarrhoea, very skinny!!

[Wyorp Rock]

Is her crop emptying overnight?

What was the worming tablet? (Active ingredient?)

I'd work on keeping her hydrated and eating the chick starter, see that her crop is emptying overnight.
Hopefully the mites/bugs are gone by now, if not, then work on ridding her of them.

It's possible that she may have more going on, like a reproductive problem (Cancer, EYP, etc.) but just keep working with her and see how it goes.
Hopefully she'll turn right over the course of a few weeks.

Oh, last thought. You are in AU. Is the chick starter medicated? I think most starters in AU have Lasolocid Sodium as a Coccidiostat, so if the starter has that, then I'd switch her to an all flock feed (18-20%protein) or layer feed.

 

[briannajustine]

Is her crop emptying overnight?

What was the worming tablet? (Active ingredient?)

I'd work on keeping her hydrated and eating the chick starter, see that her crop is emptying overnight.
Hopefully the mites/bugs are gone by now, if not, then work on ridding her of them.

It's possible that she may have more going on, like a reproductive problem (Cancer, EYP, etc.) but just keep working with her and see how it goes.
Hopefully she'll turn right over the course of a few weeks.

Oh, last thought. You are in AU. Is the chick starter medicated? I think most starters in AU have Lasolocid Sodium as a Coccidiostat, so if the starter has that, then I'd switch her to an all flock feed (18-20%protein) or layer feed.

Yeah it seems to be, the last few nights I forgot to remove her food so I think she ate in the morning, but I’ll take it out tonight to make sure.
I think the active ingredients are this: Levamisole hydrochloride 20mg, Praziquantel 4mg
I haven’t seen more mites on her but it’s hard to look as she doesn’t really like to be held and she’s so frail i worry her bones will snap when she’s wiggling to get out of my hands
I’ve started putting her outside in a separate cage so she can see and talk to my other girls and she seems to be eating more, scratching around and much more active, has even tried to fight them through the cage and won apparently haha
I know she could have some sort of cancer or incurable illness but she still seems to be really wanting to live and trying her best to do normal chicken things so I’m trying to be hopefully. She is a commercial australorp though which would make her very old by their standards.
I have been giving her layer pellets recently instead of the chick starter as I wasn’t sure what was best..
also here’s a picture of her poop today if it’s helpful at all, and a pic of her free ranging with me today just because haha

 

[EggSighted4Life]

here’s a picture of her poop today if it’s helpful at all,

That's really yellow.. like even the urates, I think. Do they usually look yellow like that or do they ever have white urates on them? Suspect liver issues.. which will/can also cause the diarrhea. Her face doesn't look yellow, so maybe it's not?? Just looking at different clues.

Some birds are bony.. have you got a weight on her? Is it going up, down, or staying the same?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I agree, the urates are yellow which can indicate some liver issues.

She is holding her tail up and she looks pretty alert, this girl is has not given up yet!
I'd continue to offer feed free choice and see that she's drinking well. Bits of egg, fish or meat can be given a few times a week to bolster protein.

Keep on keeping on. It takes a bit of time to come around, but she's looks much better than the photos at the beginning.

 

[briannajustine]

I agree, the urates are yellow which can indicate some liver issues.

She is holding her tail up and she looks pretty alert, this girl is has not given up yet!
I'd continue to offer feed free choice and see that she's drinking well. Bits of egg, fish or meat can be given a few times a week to bolster protein.

Keep on keeping on. It takes a bit of time to come around, but she's looks much better than the photos at the beginning.

It’s funny cause that’s actually the only one that has looked that yellow.. the rest has been various shades of brown, occasionally a little green, mostly this colour so not sure. She was our free ranging yesterday and spent a few hours digging around, eating grass and bugs so not sure?
Since she’s been outside around my other hens she’s been really happy. She is very alert and chats to the other girls all day, and is very excited when she sees me giving them food and will eat a bit if she thinks the other girls are going to get it first She definitely hasn’t given up and very much wants to live, so I’m not giving up if she’s still fighting!

 

[briannajustine]

That's really yellow.. like even the urates, I think. Do they usually look yellow like that or do they ever have white urates on them? Suspect liver issues.. which will/can also cause the diarrhea. Her face doesn't look yellow, so maybe it's not?? Just looking at different clues.

Some birds are bony.. have you got a weight on her? Is it going up, down, or staying the same?

That is the only time it’s been yellow like that and hasn’t really been yellow since that so not sure.. I’ve attached a photo above of her usual poop colour. Yeah her face is quite red so I’m not sure.
This girl is all bones, absolutely no weight on her at all, shes definitely not supposed to be like this. I haven’t been able to weigh her but she is so skinny I can actually see through her skin to her bones.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hopefully she'll start to gain a little now that she's not being kept from food.
It can take a bit of time.

Getting out and being able to dig and scratch about sounds great!

I'd keep up with everything you're doing and see how she looks in another couple of weeks.
Please keep us posted, I'm hoping for this Gal!

 

[micstrachan]

You’re doing a great job with her. I’m so glad you took her in. A trick I learned from Wyorp Rock is buttermilk. Like her, I like to give it to the chickens on top of their feed during molt. I have also started giving it to them now and then when I think they need a little boost. I have found it seems to firm up their poops, as well. You might give it a try for your new feathered friend. Does she have a name?

 

[briannajustine]

Hopefully she'll start to gain a little now that she's not being kept from food.
It can take a bit of time.

Getting out and being able to dig and scratch about sounds great!

I'd keep up with everything you're doing and see how she looks in another couple of weeks.
Please keep us posted, I'm hoping for this Gal!

I let her out in the run today while the girls were free ranging and I saw her eat more then I swear I’ve seen hete eat since she got here so I think she might be feeling a bit better! She stood eating for like 15 mins even though she had the exact same thing in her big outdoor cage I will definitely keep everyone posted, I’m really hoping she’s still got some time left As I’ve grown so attached haha. She’s got such a funny little personality.

 

[briannajustine]

You’re doing a great job with her. I’m so glad you took her in. A trick I learned from Wyorp Rock is buttermilk. Like her, I like to give it to the chickens on top of their feed during molt. I have also started giving it to them now and then when I think they need a little boost. I have found it seems to firm up their poops, as well. You might give it a try for your new feathered friend. Does she have a name?

This is a good idea I will definitely try this!!
She doesn’t have a name yet, I’ve been too worried that the minute I give her one she’ll die on me