Help!very Sick Chicken--another UPDATE

[roz]

I went out to the coop to let the girls out this morning and our 1 year old cochin was on the floor lying in a pile. She was closing her eyes. She at least showed some resistance when I picked her up, but she is not well. I brought her inside, and when I was carrying her, she started leaking a fowl clear liquid out of her vent. We lost a chicken a couple of months ago that did the same thing, although I dont remember the liquid being bad smelling. Any thoughts? She was acting fine yesterday. We've been going through worming because another was sick which we found out was worms, so I gave them wazine (I know now not a good choice), and will be following up with a broad spectrum on Friday. Please help. I dont know if there is any chance for her, but I'd love to do whatever I can.

 

[roz]

I just gave her a warm bath. Her whole underside is bright red. Please help. Is the from the worms? Could it be botulism? Some kind of infection? We've been behind the 8 ball since I found lice on Mother's day. We nursed one sick chicken back to health (she expelled the worms that made us realize that was the problem), but this cochin of ours was acting fine, and now all of a sudden isnt, just like the Phoenix we had that died.

 

[dmccann]

By any chance could it be egg bound?

 

[roz]

I don't know. I feel like I am clueless anymore...very discouraged. She was fine yesterday. Out of 9 hens we got 3 eggs yesterday (can't eat them bc of the worming though). One of them was on the floor below the roosting bar cracked and another of my hens was eating it. I am pretty sure it wasn't hers. A couple of days ago we got 7. I use to be able to tell who's egg is who's but not sure anymore. I am giving her electrolytes and vitamins plus probios in water and she has had a little, but she will only take a couple of sips and doze back off. She can't seem to stand either.

 

[jason180sx]

i have don't know but i hope she gets better

 

[roz]

She just pushed out an egg. The egg looks normal. If she had been eggbound, would you think she'd be up and active now? She had a wheezing sound when she was pushing out this egg. She has been drinking the vitamin/ electrolyte water. I dont know what the dosage is, so I guestimated. Does anyone know if it's bad to give too high a dosage?

 

[dmccann]

I do not know,is her poo normal,when they r egg bound they can have an watery type poop.U can find pictures of this on the net.

 

[roz]

For the last couple of days she had HUGE poops, not runny, but soft, dark. They were really smelly too. Then this morning when I found her and I carried her in, it was clear very smelly liquid. She is in our dining room in a crate and she has probably drank a cup of fluids so far since the start of this day which I'm hoping is a good sign, althrough I've read that when hens are excessively thirsty that isnt a good thing either. To give a little history (not sure if this has anything to do with what's going on), in February, she had something lodged into her neck. Later I realized it was probably an embedded tick. I had ended up spraying bleach water on it (at the recommendation of a farmer I know) and it shriveled up. She had lost some neck feathers. She still has somewhat of a bald neck. She has pin feathers growing in, but I have seen some of the other hens picking at her neck. I also have another hen who has a baldish neck. All in the front. They were wormed with wazine a month ago, and I made the mistake of not following up with a broadspectrum wormer. I found they had worms again last week, so I did the wazine again, I have ordered valbazen and will give it to them after the initial 10 days are up. Could this all be related to worms? The red belly, eggbound, etc.?

 

[roz]

So my girl is still alive which I'm thrilled about. She has been drinking A LOT today of the vitamins/electrolytes/probios water. She finally started eating the oats mixed with honey and water that I gave her. She also started making a couple of chicken noises. She has liquidy poops, but they are not clear anymore. They have color...they still smell bad. She tried to stand and turn around, but was very wobbly. She had no balance. I hope it's just part of her recovery and not something new I need to be concerned with.

 

[NottinghamChicks]

I did some research and this is the only "common" disease that I could find with fould smelling vent as a symptom. I am glad she is doing better and I hope this gives you some useful info about how to treat her for this potential issue.


Necrotic Enteritis
Synonyms: enterotoxemia, rot gut

Species affected: Rapidly growing young birds, especially chickens and turkeys 2-12 weeks of age, are most susceptible. Necrotic enteritis is a disease associated with domestication and is unlikely to threaten wild bird populations. Necrotic enteritis is primarily a disease of broilers, roasters and turkeys. Ulcerative enteritis, on the other hand, commonly affects pullets and quail.

Clinical signs: Initially there is a reduction in feed consumption as well as dark, often blood-stained, feces. Infected chickens will have diarrhea. Chronically affected birds become emaciated. The bird, intestines, and feces emit a fetid odor.

Transmission: Necrotic enteritis does not spread directly from bird to bird. Bacteria are ingested along with infected soil, feces, or other infected materials. The bacteria then grow in the intestinal tract. Infection commonly occurs in crowded flocks, immuno-suppressed flocks, and flocks maintained in poor sanitary conditions.

Treatment: The clostridia bacteria involved in necrotic enteritis is sensitive to the antibiotics bacitracin, neomycin, and tetracycline. However, antibiotics such as penicillin, streptomycin, and novobiocin are also effective. Bacitracin is the most commonly used drug for control of necrotic enteritis. As with all drugs, legality and withdrawal time requirements must be observed.

Prevention: Prevention should be directed toward sanitation, husbandry, and management.