Hen Losing Weight

[BayBay Peepers]

Ok I saw two poops from overnight. Both very small. I made a scrambled egg for her, set aside some worms, and added a but of chick feed and her choice was eggs. And that's after we put the water and baby bird mix in her. She's looking a bit more alert and is standing which is good improvement I think. Can't help but wonder how different this would be if I had just picked her up even one day earlier. Poor girl.

 

[JensChickies]

That's good you got fluid in her. My girl was super dehydrated so I had to get her hydrated first. How is her crop?? Is it moving slow?

 

[casportpony]

The more fluids she gets, the better her poop will look. Make sure she is hydrated before feeding. They can live for many days without food, but not without enough water. Get lots in her crop. As an example. I'm about to do a blind hen that weighs about 4 pounds and she'll get 60ml of fluids, then 120ml of baby bird food about an hour later. You should be filling her crop until you feel a slight bulge and then adding more as is goes down.

Maybe @JensChickies will tell you how she saved her hen.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

According to the books I have read, oral fluids are given at 30mg/kg every 6-8 hours. Three pounds is 1.36078, so a three pound hen should get about 40ml every 6-8 hours. This amout will be fine unless the crop already has fluid in it.

-Kathy

 

[JensChickies]

The more fluids she gets, the better her poop will look. Make sure she is hydrated before feeding. They can live for many days without food, but not without enough water. Get lots in her crop. As an example. I'm about to do a blind hen that weighs about 4 pounds and she'll get 60ml of fluids, then 120ml of baby bird food about an hour later. You should be filling her crop until you feel a slight bulge and then adding more as is goes down.

Maybe @JensChickies
 will tell you how she saved her hen.

-Kathy

Thanks Kathy . For my girl I believe I am just providing palliative care.
Bay Bay- please keep us posted on your girl. I took mine to the vet. If you are interested in what the vet said I can tell you. Your girl and mine have similar symptoms, but mine does not have the mucus as you described.

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Thank you. It's been about 4 hours now. I did feel it bulge a little, the first time we did it I didn't feel it but I just don't think I was paying enough attention. I was so worried about going down the wrong tube.

What did your vet have to say jenschickies?

I'm glad it's the weekend so I can monitor more and keep a better schedule with her. Still waiting for new poops.

 

[JensChickies]

Thank you. It's been about 4 hours now. I did feel it bulge a little, the first time we did it I didn't feel it but I just don't think I was paying enough attention. I was so worried about going down the wrong tube.

What did your vet have to say jenschickies?

I'm glad it's the weekend so I can monitor more and keep a better schedule with her. Still waiting for new poops.

Well they ran a Quick CBC and found that her white blood cells were elevated. But the ones that were elevated are the lymphocytes. She said that she could have an infection, so I started her on antibiotics just in case. The other possibility is of course, Mereks. Her symptoms started about three weeks ago and after tubing her she greatly improved. She gained weight and actually got up to 4 pounds. (her lowest weight was 3.2lbs.). The vet did say with Mereks that they can improve, but normally only for a month. If it is Mereks, this particular strain for is affecting her nerves to her GI tract, causing food to move very slowly aka "digestive paralysis". So now I am on week 3 and her symptoms have again reappeared. Unfortunately. She has always been my skinny chicken, so I think this has been an underlying problem her whole life. Then she presented with barley an appetite, ruffled feathers, droopy tail, and her crop was impacted due to her slow digestive system. But it didn't help that she was dehydrated. But for 3 weeks she acted just like a normal chicken, so I'm happy for that. Keep an eye on your chicken and wait for those poops. Lol, that's what I did, and hopefully she makes a good recovery.

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Been putting in fluids and some food. My biggest worry is she's still kind of groaning and gurgling. Not all the time but often enough. I think I'll be call the vet on Monday and setting up an appointment. Maybe they'll have some answers or can at least help the process of elimination.

 

[JensChickies]

Been putting in fluids and some food. My biggest worry is she's still kind of groaning and gurgling. Not all the time but often enough. I think I'll be call the vet on Monday and setting up an appointment. Maybe they'll have some answers or can at least help the process of elimination.

That's sounds like a good plan. Keep us updated.

 

[BayBay Peepers]

I will. Thank you guys for the help and support. Still no significant change in poop, but I'll continue tube feeding her and check back in tomorrow with news (hopefully good)