I'm torn! Sick chicken, should I worm or not worm??

[Dawnclucks22]

You've got crop issues or a blockage somewhere if I had to guess. The liquid is a good indicator. What is the color? The chilly would indicate not cocci, but who knows.

But I MUST agree that molting IS at least part of the issue. I checked you other thread and I see the little white ends that are still on my ladies who are almost done molting. After raising more than 100 birds, probably is molting unless you've seen her molt and finish already this season. The pale comb, is usually related and doesn't red back up until returning to lay. And I just can't believe how the demeanor of my ladies change during molt. Keel bone sticking out is normal and variable. And being a prolific laying breed, 3 1/2 seems like a good age for things to start trying to manifest. Could even be multiple things manifest at the same time. And making it even harder is that birds will present differently, some having lots of symptoms while others will have only one or two.

Unfortunately that is when something your birds may be carrying could rear it's ugly head and try to take advantage of already weakened birds. The limp point to Marek's, bumble foot, or maybe gout?

Did I already share this symptom checker tool? It will list lots of possibilities that you can then narrow down by ruling things out...
http://www.poultrydvm.com/symptoms

It's white, and there's not a lot of it.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

does she have bumblefoot at all that could be causing the limp

There did seem to be a scab and I took it off and bandaged her up, no change.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

*UPDATE* it's looking pretty bleak. I made her an electrolyte mix I saw somewhere here on BYC and cracked an egg for her, which she's always liked (and normally I won't let her have it, but you can understand my dilemma). She couldn't even sit up or use her legs. I had to hold her up so she could reach and sip up some egg. She wasn't interested in the electrolyte water so I syringe-fed her. Crop is now empty. @casportpony could it be Marek's?

 

[casportpony]

I would be helpful to see a video of her, and if you can, get a nice clear closeup of each eye.

 

[sunny022]

Hey everyone. I've posted a couple threads on different topics but all about my sick hen, Dorothy. This morning her crop was not empty but there was only a bit of food in it. She is hunched over, her bottom dipped down, her neck squished against her breast and eyes closed. I'm afraid it might be time for her to die. I've been told worming could aggravate a sickness if it doesn't turn out to be worms, but I'm afraid she'll die anyway if I don't. Please tell me what I should do!

Hot peppers! The hotter the better. They love them and they are good for cleaning out their system.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sometimes we cannot diagnose a sick chicken. We can give water, vitamins with electrolytes, keep them warm if they are chilling, and keep them safe from being hurt by other flock members. Hopefully, by observation and treating symptoms, we can try to help them.

I just lost a 3 1/2 year old today who had not been able to get off the roost the last 2 days. She had laid thin or shell-less eggs for 2 years since being injured by a dog. She started today with lameness, using both wings to help her walk when I tried to make her walk. I put her down this afternoon when the others started pecking at her comb. She had an empty crop, had lost weight in her breastbone area, but had a full lower belly. When I did a brief necropsy after I put her down, she had ascites and about a pint of dark amber fluid in her belly. Most likely, it was egg yolk peritonitis. Mareks isn’t always the problem when they become lame. It is just good to look at the possibilities, and after death, get a necropsy done by the state vet or poultry lab if possible.

 

[casportpony]

@Eggcessive , sorry for your loss.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

Sometimes we cannot diagnose a sick chicken. We can give water, vitamins with electrolytes, keep them warm if they are chilling, and keep them safe from being hurt by other flock members. Hopefully, by observation and treating symptoms, we can try to help them.

I just lost a 3 1/2 year old today who had not been able to get off the roost the last 2 days. She had laid thin or shell-less eggs for 2 years since being injured by a dog. She started today with lameness, using both wings to help her walk when I tried to make her walk. I put her down this afternoon when the others started pecking at her comb. She had an empty crop, had lost weight in her breastbone area, but had a full lower belly. When I did a brief necropsy after I put her down, she had ascites and about a pint of dark amber fluid in her belly. Most likely, it was egg yolk peritonitis. Mareks isn’t always the problem when they become lame. It is just good to look at the possibilities, and after death, get a necropsy done by the state vet or poultry lab if possible.

I understand... I want her to be healthy as she is my favorite girl and one of the first chickens I ever got. I want to keep her alive, even if she's very sick. But I know I couldn't possibly do that to her. Is it best I put her down? Is there hope? Or should I just end her life kindly?

 

[Saaniya]

*UPDATE* it's looking pretty bleak. I made her an electrolyte mix I saw somewhere here on BYC and cracked an egg for her, which she's always liked (and normally I won't let her have it, but you can understand my dilemma). She couldn't even sit up or use her legs. I had to hold her up so she could reach and sip up some egg. She wasn't interested in the electrolyte water so I syringe-fed her. Crop is now empty. @casportpony could it be Marek's?

Really glad she's doing good!! What's her exact age
Marek's really affects young chickens
Like in 5-6 months of age ..once they crossed their 1 year successfully without any Marek's symptoms or any new birds add in their coop then they have a good immunity n health ..

Give her some essential vitamins and amino acids orally ( not mixed in water)

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Really glad she's doing good!! What's her exact age
Marek's really affects young chickens
Like in 5-6 months of age ..once they crossed their 1 year successfully without any Marek's symptoms or any new birds add in their coop then they have a good immunity n health ..

Give her some essential vitamins and amino acids orally ( not mixed in water)

Ya, except that they are now carriers and Marek's can rear it's ugly head when they get under the stress of molt or something regardless of age.