Hen has diarrhea and no appetite.

[Brian]

This has been going on for around 10 days now. She is 10 months old and she no longer has interest in food. I give my 16 free-range hens two treats (scratch and sunflower seeds) three times a day. They, of course, come running for it. This one hen is last to leave the hen house in the morning, and has no interest in food. I can throw food right in front of her, and she ignores it. She is the only one to not come running for treats.

Today, I noticed that her whole hind end is wet. She has diarrhea, big-time, and it looks a little greenish. I don't know if she's still laying eggs or not.

All the other hens are fine.

Does she have worms? If so, how to treat? Please advise.

I've posted a thread on her before around a week ago when this first came up, with few good suggestions that panned out. So, if you're an old hand at raising chickens, or are pretty sure you know what's going on with this hen of mine, I'd really appreciate hearing from you!!!! ASAP.

Brian

 

[glassparman]

I'm no pro but it sounds like Coccidiosis. You can get a powder to put in her water to clean it up. It's an intestinal thing. Isolate her first.

You need to read the precautions for the treatment when it comes to the eggs aftewards.

Michael

 

[Brian]

She should be dead by now if it were coccidiosis. That was my thinking. Also: she has no blood in her stool, nor are any others infected.
Brian

 

[oberhaslikid]

This came from Amish woman

For sick chickens
When chickens just hang around and have diarrhea and are sick

Chop poke root up fine and put 1/4 cup of the root in 2 quarts of water. Make sure that the sick chickens get a drink of this. Put it there for the healthy chickens too and it will prevent the virus in them.

I have tried this myself on my chickens and it does work.I gave it for 3 days straight.

 

[Brian]

Interesting. It does assume this is a virus...in which case I'd expect to see it in more than just one of my birds.

Where does one find "poke root?"

 

[hinkjc]

Green diarhea is a sign they are no longer consuming food. Have you checked her crop for impaction or sour?

Jody

 

[mypicklebird]

What do you feed them besides the scratch and sunflower treat?

Have you picked her up yet and given her a good once over? Check her crop, mouth, vent area, abdomen.

For a chicken to ignore scratch, it is very sick. She is probably dehydrated from the diarrhea. She needs fluids, warmth, electrolytes and calories. Separate her and bring her into a warm, quiet and safe place.

A fecal done at a vet's will determine if you have a parasite problem (cocci or other).

Green diarrhea, I agree just means she is not eating well or at all- you are seeing bile. It is a symptom, not a diagnosis.

 

[Brian]

I appreciate these replies.

When I pick her up, her weight feels normal and her crop has food in it. Again, this illness is now at around day 10.

My wife and I put her rear end under the mud room sink last night and we cleaned out a lot of fecal debris that was clinging to feathers around her vent. We then brought her in for the night. This morning she had two stools on the newspaper. One was small and loose, and predominantly green. The other was small fairly normal in appearance, though somewhat green. I have seen her eating grass. Yesterday and today, she has eaten some black oil sunflower seeds, but no scratch or laying pellets.

My hens have access to 16% protein laying pellets all day. They eat some in the evening, in the morning before being released into the yard, and when laying eggs. Otherwise, they graze all day long and enjoy the treats I give them each day.

If she's not better in a couple of days, I'll have fecal done for parasites.

Any other thoughts are appreciated.

Brian