Hi, all, I'm entering the 3rd year of caring for chickens as an adult--had them growing up as well. I am at a loss and want some ideas or confirmation of our next steps. If a vet is not accessible or willing to treat, I believe we need to consider euthanizing to prevent her from slowly starving to death. However, I have been reading these forums on and off for years now--please let me know what we may have missed, what you recommend, etc.
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Woodstock is a 3 year old red sex link. She's lost significant weight in the past week despite our intervention.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
She started with a floppy comb about 2 weeks ago. 1 week ago, she started to walk slower, stopped laying, and stopped running for food. We checked all our flock (14 total) and she was a little lighter than usual. We separated her and monitored. She was drinking fine and eating less. We checked for her to be egg bound. Next, we checked for mites and parasites. Treated for parasites. After this, we noticed in her crop a hard but malleable mass. We started hand waterings her multiple times a day and physically massaging the crop. She will be more bright eyes, drink more, and a little more energy. By morning, the mass is noticeable again and we must repeat the interventions. She is still losing weight.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
1-2 weeks overall
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
None, just weight loss, floppy and paling comb, lethargy. Still sassy and fighting every intervention.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
I believe she got into tall grass or ate something non-organic.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Drinks some without our intervention. Eats some but more picky, eating way less than she needs to.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Runny, green and white. Sometimes, it looks like she's passing just water.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Safeguard about 1.5 weeks ago. Tried only limiting her to water for a couple of days with crop massages. When she kept dropping weight, I started to feed her foods like moistened pellets and canned fish for protein. I even tried administering 3-6ml of water, turning her upside down and massaging. She fought that like the devil. She did not throw up and I stopped after flipping her on and off for the 30 minutes we tried.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I have called all the vets in our area. The one vet I can find who will treat chickens is not in office right now. When she returns, she's estimating 300 for the crop extraction surgery, if Woodstock could survive with how much weight she has lost. I do not think we should wait longer than the next 48 hours.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
No picture at this time. Can provide if needed.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
She is separated in a kennel with water and no bedding. Her larger coop is wood flakes. They free roam during the day, locked up at night.
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Woodstock is a 3 year old red sex link. She's lost significant weight in the past week despite our intervention.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
She started with a floppy comb about 2 weeks ago. 1 week ago, she started to walk slower, stopped laying, and stopped running for food. We checked all our flock (14 total) and she was a little lighter than usual. We separated her and monitored. She was drinking fine and eating less. We checked for her to be egg bound. Next, we checked for mites and parasites. Treated for parasites. After this, we noticed in her crop a hard but malleable mass. We started hand waterings her multiple times a day and physically massaging the crop. She will be more bright eyes, drink more, and a little more energy. By morning, the mass is noticeable again and we must repeat the interventions. She is still losing weight.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
1-2 weeks overall
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
None, just weight loss, floppy and paling comb, lethargy. Still sassy and fighting every intervention.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
I believe she got into tall grass or ate something non-organic.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Drinks some without our intervention. Eats some but more picky, eating way less than she needs to.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Runny, green and white. Sometimes, it looks like she's passing just water.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Safeguard about 1.5 weeks ago. Tried only limiting her to water for a couple of days with crop massages. When she kept dropping weight, I started to feed her foods like moistened pellets and canned fish for protein. I even tried administering 3-6ml of water, turning her upside down and massaging. She fought that like the devil. She did not throw up and I stopped after flipping her on and off for the 30 minutes we tried.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I have called all the vets in our area. The one vet I can find who will treat chickens is not in office right now. When she returns, she's estimating 300 for the crop extraction surgery, if Woodstock could survive with how much weight she has lost. I do not think we should wait longer than the next 48 hours.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
No picture at this time. Can provide if needed.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
She is separated in a kennel with water and no bedding. Her larger coop is wood flakes. They free roam during the day, locked up at night.
Sounds like she could be grass impacted, is there any grass at all in her poop? Grass impaction will require plain Dolculax, 100mg no laxatives. 
