Hen "vomiting", diarrhea & weight loss

[Tweeza]

My first major illness of sorts. Need moral support and suggestions.

She is supposed to be a golden sex-link and is 11 mo old. I've noticed her feathers started to look a little different. Wasn't sure if it was due to a molt, heat, or food. They've been on Dumor. The door to the rabbitry was open and she wandered in and could have eaten some spilled rabbit food. We've had others in the rabbitry with no ill effect. There's bugs in there also and that's what they seem to hunt for. They (18 of them) free-range from morning to dark, about an acre. I have not wormed and didn't find any lice or mites.

Last night after I threw some scratch I notice a wet spot and another chicken pecking at it. I shewed them away. It seemed strange for a wet spot at that place. They went under the trampoline to peck there and all of a sudden she "vomited" and the other chicken started to gobble it up! I brought her inside and that's when I noticed the diarrhea. I'm not sure if she is still vomiting as the diarrhea is wet like the vomit.

She ate a little oil soaked bread last night. Tried to get her to take some fluid steaped in garlic but she'd have none of it. Her crop was small and malleable/pliable. This morning it was half the size (small walnut) of last night, after a few bites of milk soaked bread (forgot to check before feeding the bread, which was just a few bites not much). She ate most of a scrambled egg. I'm not sure if she is drinking or not. The diarrhea did not seem to be smelly last night but there is some smell this morning but not "run you out of the room" smell. There is some very loose brown poo this morning but the diarrhea was/is green. No urate last night but there is with the diarrhea this morning. I haven't changed the paper this morning so some is from over night.

I tried to look into her mouth last night but she is not weak and is a fighter.

Thanks for any suggestions and/or moral support. Sorry this is so long.

 

[ivan3]

Mild poisoning? You could try a molasses purge (Miss Prissy's recipe):

Molasses flush is 1 pint molasses per 5 gallons water given over a period of 8 hours withhold all other food or water.

The break down is -

(1 PINT = 2 CUPS)

2 cups to 5 gallons water

1 cup to 2.5 gallons of water

1/2 cup to 1.25 gallons of water

1/4 cup to 2 quarts water

4 tablespoons to 1 quart water

The molasses acts as a laxative by pulling water into the intestines and flushing it out.

I would mix it by the quart.

That said, get some Plain, Live Culture yogurt and some meal worms. If the chook won't eat the yogurt, slather the worms in it and put `em in front of her. Also, peeled, chopped red grapes (another excellent means to move meds/etc. into a chook without a fight).

If the vomiting continues then there is a possibility of impaction or an obstruction further down the GI tract (screws/staples...).

Let us know how she's doing.

Good luck!​

 

[threehorses]

I just wanted to highly second Ivan's advice here. And subscribe to see how your girl does. After the flush, if you have electrolytes to add to her water, I would do so, too. The yogurt step is very important as you'll have flushed GOOD bacteria out while flushing out possibly bad bacteria and toxins. So replace the good bacteria in the 'clean slate' area of the gut so that they take over first and help eliminate blooms of the bad bacteria, fungus, etc.

Best of luck to you with her! Please do update here in the thread, if you don't mind.