Hen with diarrhea, floppy comb, fluid in breast

[buffo1]

She's a 3-4 year old Buff Orp we raised from 2 days old. We have 4 other BO's and 6 new 6-week old chicks from a hatchery. All the rest are fine. As you can see she's got a poopy butt (for at least one month now)- I just washed her two nights ago, and her comb is deep red, looks dehydrated and flops to one side (recent-maybe 3 days), and I feel fluid under her breast skin (just tonight- no idea how long it's been that way.)
It doesn't seem to cause her any pain, She walks around stiff legged and slowly, but she's eating and drinking, but she's getting worse- slower, more out of it. I don't know who's laying eggs, so I don't know if she is or not. She was up on the roost last night so at least she can still get up there. I've never wormed- never seen any sign. Still don't. We don't have other livestock, and she free-ranges in the backyard 14 hours a day.

Tonight I gave her Gatorade & nacho chips- and she seemed to really like it- so did the others. I have some tetracycline on hand (son with acne) so I mixed one capsule in the gatorade bottle...the couple of sips she had = maybe she got 10mg. Antibiotic therapy is an inexact science!...I don't know what else to do for her.

So what I'm asking is, do any of you recognize the problem? Is there anything I can do? Earlier this spring I had another hen I found dead on the nest- hemorrhaged out. Egg-bound? Old age?

 

[buffo1]

Ok, I understand that you're not vets. But no responses? In 3 hours...I'm ready to go to bed. she may be dead when i open the door tomorrow. We obviously can't take a chicken to the vet... a $5 chicken and a $45 vet bill. I don't even take my kids to the doctor every year..... Get my point? These seem like typical symptoms- can no one help me?

If the answer is no- then I'm done with this. This is a bunch of city people...having fun.

 

[NovaAman]

about the fluid... Is it her crop? Sour crop maybe?

good call on the Gatorade but try some fresh chopped garlic mash and a bit of olive oil. Give her only this for a few days... And water. Its good for sour crop. Just one possibility.

 

[NovaAman]

Oh, and stop the antibiotics. They won't help unless she has an infection, in which case there'd be more than a squishy crop. You might need to drain her crop.

 

[buffo1]

No- it's not in her crop- I massaged her neck and her crop is good- it's fluid in her breast but her hind-areas feel very hard (normal).

When I pick her up, there's a cushion under her breast area, but under her stomach/legs it's very tight.The breast area- I could hold and find excess fluid- I'm ready to try and excise it. She walks slowly/ carefully but she's still eating. If this is worms of some sort I'll go out and buy wormer- just tell me.

I just wish someone could help me.

 

[NovaAman]

Hmmm... I don't think worms... Try searching for fluid build up. I have readability a few people who had simular problems.. Out comes aren't very nice a lot of times, but several people have drained it...

 

[NovaAman]

what you are looking for is ascitis...

 

[buffo1]

I don't care what the outcome was- I just want to know. I know human diseases. I was a shepherdess for years. I just want someone of these boards to help me. If no-one can help me- then I'm either done or I'll have to become more involved.

What is wrong with this hen? Tell me?

 

[NovaAman]

Hello again. Did you look into the ascitis? It describes your symptom, and what to do for it.

 

[buffo1]

You were right. It was her heart / fluid build up. I read the thread and determined this. The next day, (Father's day) I asked my husband to go out with me and end her suffering. He offed her head, then I did a quick necropsy through my tears. The fluid poured out of her. She had felt like a water balloon. When I picked her up, one other hen ran at me and tried to attack me.

It was so sad. This has been a hard year.... down from 9 to 3...hatchery chicks are not long -lived----- I take it.

Nobody is laying now- the heat... the new chicks are trying to gain SOME standing---- but failing (they're only 6 weeks old)- see my previous posts. Barney died in this heat- no-one could remember how old he was so he must have been very old..

I know I DISSED this forum when I was so distraught over my hen- and nobody to help me. I'm so sorry. I was just so upset. I was frantic. I'm sorry. We are all a bunch of people trying to do this...not commercial growers- trying to help each other out. No Vets in-sight. Invite them!!!!!!!

Each of you Moderators- thank you for donating your time and talents to help us. It doesn't matter whether we're in the city with a $$$ coop, or in the country with a cobbled together shed.

We Thank You.

Laurie