HELP!!!!

[Wolfiehowl229]

Please help me figure out what this is. My chicken is a two year old hen fed on calcium grains and some corn and oyster shell scratch. I raised her as a 1 day old baby and has never had any problems. She has 2 other sisters and has some mites on her legal but we are getting that taken care of. Now that I'm down with info onto the problem. She is getting very skinny even though her gullet is almost always full everyday and she gets a lot of water. Her poop is the normal brown and white but sometimes is watery which is probably because of all the water she drinks cause of summer. She is also losing feathers and she looks very scraggly like she's about to molt but she already did... I don't know what is happening because she looks very healthy but is giving small peeps like she's weak. She still lays eggs. Please help I don't want her to die. If it's worms then how do we treat it??? Do we keep her away from the others???

 

[sylviethecochin]

I'm guessing worms. @casportpony?
@dawg53? @Wyorp Rock? @azygous?

Good luck.

EDT: What color is her comb?

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC! If she were mine I would check her for mites and lice and probably deworm with Valbazen.

Edited to add:

• Treat mites and lice with permethrin. Do not use DE because DE doesn't work.
• De-worm with Vabazen @0.08 ml per pound of body wight orally, repeat in 10 days

 

[azygous]

I have a hen right now that I'm treating for sour crop. Her crop (gullet) is full to bursting, but it's not full of food. In fact, she's starving. She's been very active, and because of that, I didn't discover her sour crop until it was really bad. The crop is full of sour, brown liquid, and it's making her so miserable, she is not active now.

A lot of times folks think it's worms that's making their chicken sick when it's really a crop disorder. Thankfully, you can verify whether your hen is suffering from worms or a crop disorder. Gather a poop sample and ask your vet to run a simple fecal float test for parasites.

To verify if your hen has a crop disorder, check her crop first thing in the morning before she gets down off her roosting perch. If it's empty, she has a healthy crop. If it's full, she has a crop issue. To determine what sort of crop disorder, I've written this article to help you figure out which it is and how to treat it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a hen right now that I'm treating for sour crop. The crop is full of sour, brown liquid, and it's making her so miserable, she is not active now.
A lot of times folks think it's worms that's making their chicken sick when it's really a crop disorder. Thankfully, you can verify whether your hen is suffering from worms or a crop disorder. Gather a poop sample and ask your vet to run a simple fecal float test for parasites.
To verify if your hen has a crop disorder, check her crop first thing in the morning before she gets down off her roosting perch. If it's empty, she has a healthy crop. If it's full, she has a crop issue. To determine what sort of crop disorder, I've written this article to help you figure out which it is and how to treat it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

I agree! Op mentions gullet is full and drinks a lot of water. Checking the crop to see if it's empty by morning before eating/drinking is the first thing I would do.

Crop issues can be caused by underlying conditions, so getting a fecal float or de-worming is also a good idea.

@Wolfiehowl229 Can you post some photos of your hen?
Providing your general location (state/country) is also helpful.

While you are examining for for evidence of mites and lice, also feel of her abdomen (between her legs below the vent) for any swelling, bloat or feeling of fluid.

 

[casportpony]

There have been a few people that have posted about false negative fecals lately, so given the weight loss I think I would skip the fecal and just assume worms.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

There have been a few people that have posted about false negative fecals lately, so given the weight loss I think I would skip the fecal and just assume worms.

I would too

 

[Carole McKelvey]

Hello, I need help. I have an Andalusia about 2 years old. She is very skinny. Her breastbone is taunt against her skin. Her comb is very pale pink. All the rest (4) of flock are plump and fine. She eats and drinks, has not laid eggs since last year. "Goldie" just isn't doing well at all. I haven't notice diarrhea. I'm living on small income (SS) and vet wants $62 to just look at her. I believe in taking full care of my pets, which they are. She keeps up with the others, but does seem to sun off to herself a lot. I don't want to lose her! Any ideas? How do I keep others around her healthy or do I have to isolate her (and how do I do that?). Please help! Thanks.

 

[azygous]

Not laying eggs for a year and the weight loss may be related. A reproductive issue possibly a reproductive track infection can cause weight loss, and weight loss can cause a cessation of egg laying, so it would be difficult to say which came first.

I suggest you stay on this forum and start your own thread and add as many details as you can, including where you live. We might be able to help you come up with a diagnosis and possible treatment with more information on a current thread devoted to just your situation.