Help! Sick Isbar hen

[cbryan5]

I have an Isbar hen that is around a year old. Recently she was making a gurgling sound so I gave her some VetRX and she has been feeling much better. Today I let my chickens out of the coop and she has been running around all day eating and laid an egg today as well. She has been eating and drinking fine. This evening I went to put them up for the night and she was standing in the run, eyes closed and tail drooping. I picked her up and she never fought to fly out of my arms. I have been checking on her periodically and she now has a thick drool coming out of her beak. Any advice would help!

 

[cbryan5]

This is her today. She laid an egg today and just sits there with her eyes closed. Advice please!

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Check her crop since it looks a bit enlarged in your picture. Feel of it to see if it is round and soft, or big and hard. Check it first thing in the morning. Check her for a bad or sour odor around her beak. Impacted crop or sour crop could possibly have caused some gurgling, but if it isn't the crop, then a respiratory disease such as infectious bronchitis, mycoplasma (MG,) coryza, aspergillosis, or ILT may be a problem. Vet RX is about equal to Vicks salve in what it does, so if you expect a respiratory problem, antibiotics such as Tylan 50 injection or oxytetracycline in the water may be a better treatment. Here is a good link about the respiratory diseases and one on crop problems: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/answers-from-chicken-vet-on-impacted.html

 

[cbryan5]

Oh goodness. Thank you so much. She finally opened her eyes for a bit when I got home from work and then about 30 minutes later she was back to feeling bad. I am keeping her separate from my other chickens in hopes that they don't get it. Her poop this evening was a yellowish tint and not eating or drinking much. I gave her some electrolytes mixed with water through a dropper to keep her hydrated a bit but the poor thing just won't eat. I smelled of the mucus that was dripping out of her beak and it has an odor but it's not a horrible sour smell. I will get some antibiotics for her tomorrow. Just praying that she makes it through the night/day until I get back home from work.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you think she could possibly have coccidiosis? They sometimes get a slow moving crop with that, along with lethargy, poor appetite, yellow/brown runny stools or sometimes with blood, and stand around puffed up(similar to what she is in the picture.) These chicken illnesses can be confusing sometimes, and figuring them out is tricky. Is there anyone who could watch her and offer her fluids while you are at work? It sounds like she isn't going to drink on her own. If you think she fits the picture for coccidiosis, you may want to get some Corid (amprollium) from the cattle section of the feed store. Older chickens can get it when they are new to the soil or if there is a new flock member, and they are exposed to a new strain (there are at least 9 strains in chickens.) Here is a better description of it: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/12/coccidiosis-what-backyard-chicken.html

 

[cbryan5]

From the symptoms it doesn't sound like she has coccidiosis. My husband said that she was perky throughout the day but once I got home she kind of went downhill again from there. He did say that she drank and ate a little bit. I am hoping to be able to work from home tomorrow so I can keep an eye on her and give her plenty of fluids. Once the feed store opens in the morning I will get some antibiotics. Her symptoms seem more on the respiratory side from what I've read but I just haven't found one yet that pin points all of her symptoms in one. Diagnosing a chicken is rather confusing.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would get the Tylan 50, (look in the cattle meds) and give it orally if you don't want to do shots. That way, she will get the proper dosage. Give her 1 ml daily for 5 days. For shots, you would need five 3 cc syringes, five 22 gauge needles, and you would give the shots 1/4 inch into the breast muscle daily for 3-5 days, alternating sides.

 

[cbryan5]

Here is a picture of the mucus coming out of her beak while she roosts this evening. It's kind of hard to see.

 

[cbryan5]

I will definitely get some Tylan. Praying and crossing my fingers for her. Thank you so much for your input!

 

[casportpony]

Can you bring her inside where it's warm?

-Kathy