How to treat.....

[Wil781]

I have a 6 month Golden Comet pullet who has been off her feed for 2 days. She is a little mopey still out most of the time with sisters but to herself. I thought maybe she was egg bound due to drop in eggs so I checked her for a stuck egg, no egg stuck. I put a board down over the poop board so I could catch poop before it hit the PDZ and this poop doesn't look normal, I don't know if I should treat with Corrid for sure or not: here is a pic
I see no blood but the yellow looks like egg. If treating with Corrid should I discard eggs?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What is a good antibiotic to keep on hand and do you have to have prescription for one?

While it may seem like a good idea to have antibiotics on hand, you need to know what you are going to treat. For instance injuries you can use Penicillin or Amoxicillin, for respiratory illness Tylan50 is probably best. For a heavy hitter that might take care of most things Baytril may be the way to go - but you do need to consider that most antibiotics are not approved for use in poultry and/or there is an egg/meat withdrawal - each medication would need to be researched to find the appropriate timeline that you are comfortable with. You also need to think about who is going to consume the eggs/meat - is anyone going to be allergic to the meds you are giving. IF you sell your eggs or you have a family member that is sensitive to medications, it would be wise to make sure you throw the eggs away.

Water soluble medications are prescription only. In some states all antibiotics have to be prescribed by a vet. In others, you can still find Tylan50 and Penicillin in most feed stores. You can also look to see what's available online, some people order fish antibiotics.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She is acting a little off again today, I gave them all a separate waterer with probiotics along with there regular water. I don't understand this yellow stringy stuff in her poop is this her urine? Anyway I called the vet he is giving me a wormer for her when I asked about a fecal float they said they don't offer it (strange I think). I really don't want to worm them unless they have worms. So anyway I didn't start the Corrid but thinking maybe I should? I need advise please...

View attachment 1524613 This her poop from overnight. It just occurred to me what. The yellow stringy stuff reminds me of an egg that was boiled and cracked and the yolk was boiled

What is the name of the wormer he prescribed?
What do you feed your pullets?
Have you ever had a respiratory illness in your flock (coughing, sneezing, wheezing, watery eyes, mucous)?

The poop is not normal. It could be worms, coccidiosis, infection, sign of reproductive disorder - it's hard to know.
Have you given her a once over, feeling of the abdomen for bloat/swelling or feeling of fluid? Cup your hand under the vent and between the legs and compare her to a couple of the other girls her age.

I probably would deworm her and treat for Coccidiosis - whether that will correct what is going on with her, time will tell.

Since she is a Golden Comet, she may already have some reproductive problems, it's not unheard of at that age. Egg Yolk Peritonitis, ascites, cancer, tumors, Salpingitis and internal laying are unfortunately common in laying hens.

Keep her eating/drinking, check the crop each morning. If you decide to treat her for worms and Coccidiosis, offer vitamins and probiotics after you finish the course of treatment.
http://www.scoopfromthecoop.com/laying-issues-internal-layers-and-peritonitis/
http://www.theveterinaryexpert.com/backyard-poultry/egg-yolk-peritonitis/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a 6 month Golden Comet pullet who has been off her feed for 2 days. She is a little mopey still out most of the time with sisters but to herself. I thought maybe she was egg bound due to drop in eggs so I checked her for a stuck egg, no egg stuck. I put a board down over the poop board so I could catch poop before it hit the PDZ and this poop doesn't look normal, I don't know if I should treat with Corrid for sure or not: here is a pic
View attachment 1523525 I see no blood but the yellow looks like egg. If treating with Corrid should I discard eggs?

What type of food/treats do you feed?
Do they have a source of grit (crushed granite) available?
How long have you had her?

You lost one a few weeks ago, I'm not sure if it could be related or not. I would re-check that crop when she goes to bed to see if she had eaten anything, then feel of it again first thing in the morning to make sure it's empty.

The poop is not normal, so getting a fecal float is a very good idea. You could treat for Coccidiosis, the Corid won't hurt her and there is no egg withdrawal for Amprolium.

 

[Wil781]

Will she drink/eat on her own?

If you can find the products in @Hen Pen Jem previous post, that would be worth a try. I know some people use that in hen's with reproductive disorders as well. For a short period of time it can make them comfortable especially if they have fluid in the abdomen. I don't see anything that it would hurt.

Yes she eats and drinks, she still doing chicken things but lays around more than normal. She is not eating a lot and has dropped a good amount of weight. She has no fluid in abdomen. I am trying to locate some Liquid Hepato so I can start her today!

 

[Eggcessive]

The droppings have urates that look yellow. I would worry about a reproductive disorder, as Wyorp Rock has suggested, or possible liver disease. Is she overweight or does she have an enlarged lower belly between her legs? But I agree with treating with Corid for possible coccidiosis first. Worming is good. I prefer Valbazen or SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer for worming, but don’t see any reason that you cannot use the Corid and the ivermectin at the same time.

 

[Eggcessive]

I did a necropsy this past year on a fairly skinny hen who had a ton of fat inside of her, and I thought she may have had fatty liver disease. But some other liver problem may cause yellow urates. As you said, some hens tend to have cooked egg material in their poop that can be from internal layin. Unfortunately, we don’t always find out until we can perform a necropsy. Most state vets will perform them if the body is kept refrigerated, not frozen.

 

[Wil781]

The droppings have urates that look yellow. I would worry about a reproductive disorder, as Wyorp Rock has suggested, or possible liver disease. Is she overweight or does she have an enlarged lower belly between her legs? But I agree with treating with Corid for possible coccidiosis first. Worming is good. I prefer Valbazen or SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer for worming, but don’t see any reason that you cannot use the Corid and the ivermectin at the same time.

Ok I checked her for enlarged lower body and it feels normal, I compared to my other hens. I put another board down over the PDZ under roost so I can collect another night of poop, she did eat before going to roost, she didn't pack her crop but she ate and is drinking good. I think I will go ahead and start with Corid in the morning. I understand there is no withholding of eggs due to Amprolium. I will post an update , thanks!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Ok she about the same this morning, more down hill than yesterday I think, here are pictures of her nightly poop and what she looks like this morning, she ate a little this morning or at least was pecking at it. I'm just feeling very down right now, I lost one hen 2 weeks ago due to sour crop and looks like I may be loosing her.

View attachment 1525282 View attachment 1525280
There was a bit of actual liquid on poop board today. Her comb is hanging over and I take this to be a not so good sign.

Do your best to keep her hydrated. Since you did have a vet visit, but had no stool sample for her at the time, do you think they would take one now?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They don't actually see chickens, he just has his own chickens and gave me some wormer the same one he uses on his chickens but he never saw her or me just left it at front desk and staff told me they don't do fecal floats on chickens, which I really don't understand because they do one on my dogs every time I take them for the yearly checkups, chicken vs dog fecal float I see no difference. I could have taken them the poop it's not like they had to collect it. Anyway this is so frustrating Ellie Mae is drinking on her own she is eating a little she went out and laid in the dirt like she was going to dust bathe but she just kinda hanging to herself. So if Corid or wormer doesn't fix her I guess there is nothing else to do.

I would try the corid and de-wormer. She may have some reproductive problems going on as well.

It is frustrating when they are not doing well, sometimes there is not much we can do but try to treat what we think may be happening, but often times we won't be able to find out much until they have passed and a necrospy is performed.

If you are near your state lab http://agi.alabama.gov/divisions/veterinary-diagnostic-labs
You might want to call them to see if they accept stool samples for testing. Each state is different so I don't know if that's possible.