In desperate need of help!

[Sarahjean09]

my Plymouth Rock hen for the past month has been acting lethargic, stand off ish and acts like there is something wrong with her neck/crop area, every time I throw food(always organic veggies and grain bread in moderation and always make sure they are chicken safe before) she acts interested but can’t seems to grasp or hold down the food with her beak. She will get a piece of food down, and then shake and “adjust” her neck/crop, she seems to be very malnourished and has lost so much weight. She used to be the most dominate hen in my group of 7 but now when I pick her up she feels like feathers and bones. When I try to palpate her crop area there is nothing to feel, not before or after eating, I can only feel her esophagus. Originally I thought she had signs of sour crop so I treated her with apple cider vinegar, yogurt and probiotics with vitamins and electrolytes in her water. She also won’t go in the hen house at night to roost, I have to put her in at night. Last week I found out the hens and hen house have been taken over by mites, everything is being treated currently but it doesn’t seem to help her, I’m not sure if it’s the mites or some underlying issue that is causing this, when I checked her today for mites I didn’t see any. I fear she is on her last limb and I hate seeing her suffer, any suggestions on what this could be? Or suggestions on treatment? Both local farm stores aren’t any help, could only help with the mite situation. The next step I’m considering is giving her shots of penicillin.

 

[cmom]

Some mites only come out at night and feed on the birds. We had a lot of rain the last half of May, over a foot. I noticed some of my birds looking kind of raggedy. I thought they may be going through their molt early but upon closer inspection discovered they had mites. I never had mites before. I did some research and decided to use permethrin spray. I sprayed the birds while they were roosting and sprayed inside the coop, walls, floors, nest boxes, roosts, everywhere especially concentrating on any cracks and crevices where the mites could hide. I haven't seen anymore mites but I'm still spraying weekly. The birds are looking better but still recovering. Good luck.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

acting lethargic, stand off ish and acts like there is something wrong with her neck/crop area, every time I throw food(always organic veggies and grain bread in moderation and always make sure they are chicken safe before) she acts interested but can’t seems to grasp or hold down the food with her beak

She will get a piece of food down, and then shake and “adjust” her neck/crop, she seems to be very malnourished and has lost so much weight

When I try to palpate her crop area there is nothing to feel, not before or after eating, I can only feel her esophagus

Last week I found out the hens and hen house have been taken over by mites, everything is being treated currently but it doesn’t seem to help her

Is she pooping? Can you place her in kennel overnight on puppy pads so you can get some photos of the poop?
Photos of your hen may help as well.
How old is she?
When was the last time she laid an egg - does she have a history of laying "odd" eggs?
What are you using to treat the mites?

From your description it sounds like she has a blockage somewhere, since the crop never feels like it's full or has anything in it, likely she is pretending to eat most of the time. A blockage could be in the gizzard or intestines. It could also be in the oviduct or abdomen (how does the abdomen feed) - it would be hard to know where the blockage is without seeking vet care or investigating further if you happen to lose her.

Do what you can to get her hydrated. Vitamins like Poultry Nutri-Drench or Poultry Cell can be given direct dose daily. I would give her a little coconut oil and even though you don't feel anything in the crop, give her a gentle massage-see if you feel anything there. I would also go ahead and treat her for the mites.

 

[Sarahjean09]

Thank you for your response, I hadn’t considered a blockage. I have not separated her yet since the other hens haven’t been picking on her, but tomorrow I will and get a picture of her poop, I have not seen her poop since this has happened, but they are free range in a large side yard so it’s hard to distinguish which poop is hers and which eggs are hers, if any, since most our hens lay light brown eggs. My best guess is she hasn’t laid in weeks, since she has not gone in the house on her own in a couple weeks but no history of odd eggs either. She is about 1 1/2 years old. How do you recommend getting the coconut oil down her?
For the mites I am using a natural spray with clove and cottonseed oil as the main ingredients spraying both the hens and house a couple times a week, as well as using Diatomaceous earth where they take dust baths and the whole yard and house.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My chickens love coconut oil. I use organic unprocessed (tastes like coconut). I usually take out what I want, but it in a little dish then pop it in the freezer to harden it. Cut it into bit size chunks. Once they get a taste, they eat it on their own.
Alternatively if she won't eat it by herself, melt it then draw it up into a syringe, then syringe it into her. I have good luck with dropping vitamins/oils, etc onto the side of the beak and letting the bird take it in (this is a slow process). I have also administered medications/fluids as shown in the following link.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...er-construction-check-back-for-updates.73335/

I appreciate your wanting to use natural methods for treating external parasites, but if you have an active infestation a Permethrin based poultry dust or spray is very effective and safe to use. Mites feed on blood and heavy infestations not only can cause anemia, but they can impact egg production and leaves sores on the body.

 

[Shortblondemommy]

Some mites only come out at night and feed on the birds. We had a lot of rain the last half of May, over a foot. I noticed some of my birds looking kind of raggedy. I thought they may be going through their molt early but upon closer inspection discovered they had mites. I never had mites before. I did some research and decided to use permethrin spray. I sprayed the birds while they were roosting and sprayed inside the coop, walls, floors, nest boxes, roosts, everywhere especially concentrating on any cracks and crevices where the mites could hide. I haven't seen anymore mites but I'm still spraying weekly. The birds are looking better but still recovering. Good luck.

Is there a certain kind or brand spray you suggest?

 

[Sarahjean09]

My chickens love coconut oil. I use organic unprocessed (tastes like coconut). I usually take out what I want, but it in a little dish then pop it in the freezer to harden it. Cut it into bit size chunks. Once they get a taste, they eat it on their own.
Alternatively if she won't eat it by herself, melt it then draw it up into a syringe, then syringe it into her. I have good luck with dropping vitamins/oils, etc onto the side of the beak and letting the bird take it in (this is a slow process). I have also administered medications/fluids as shown in the following link.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...er-construction-check-back-for-updates.73335/

I appreciate your wanting to use natural methods for treating external parasites, but if you have an active infestation a Permethrin based poultry dust or spray is very effective and safe to use. Mites feed on blood and heavy infestations not only can cause anemia, but they can impact egg production and leaves sores on the body.

Thank you! I just bought permethrin dust and will start immediately, can this go directly on the hens? Also, do you know if penicillin helps with a blockage at all?

 

[Mosey2003]

Firstly, you need to look down her throat. It sounds like there is a blockage of some sort there preventing her getting food down. Could be something stuck, could be something like canker growing all over in there.

Secondly, permethrin is what you want, yes. The dust goes right on the birds. Some people shake a good amount of dust into a garbage bag, then place the bird in and hold it closed gently around their neck and shake the bag all around, that way you don't waste any of the dust. Or you can hold the bird upside down by their legs and dust them. You want to pull all the bedding from the coop and nests, then dust everything (especially cracks and seams), and replace with fresh bedding. Avoid using straw, mites hide inside. Repeat in 10 days. Personally, I get the liquid so it can be sprayed into cracks, but if dust is what you have, so be it.

Penicillin won't do anything for a blockage, although it could be indicated if there was an infection that resulted because of the blockage.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you! I just bought permethrin dust and will start immediately, can this go directly on the hens? Also, do you know if penicillin helps with a blockage at all?

The Permethrin dust goes directly on them, make sure to get around the vent and under the wings when you dust them.

I'm sorry but Penicillin does not help break down blockages. If it was in the crop, then I would suggest a stool softener (no stimulant) given 1 time, sometimes that will help break down a boggy crop along with massaging 3-4times (or more) a day. I'm not sure if the stool softener would break up anything lower down since you can't really massage it-the blockage may or may not be in the intestines.

 

[Sarahjean09]

Thank you! Once I look down her throat do you have any suggestions on how to get it out if I see something?

Firstly, you need to look down her throat. It sounds like there is a blockage of some sort there preventing her getting food down. Could be something stuck, could be something like canker growing all over in there.

Secondly, permethrin is what you want, yes. The dust goes right on the birds. Some people shake a good amount of dust into a garbage bag, then place the bird in and hold it closed gently around their neck and shake the bag all around, that way you don't waste any of the dust. Or you can hold the bird upside down by their legs and dust them. You want to pull all the bedding from the coop and nests, then dust everything (especially cracks and seams), and replace with fresh bedding. Avoid using straw, mites hide inside. Repeat in 10 days. Personally, I get the liquid so it can be sprayed into cracks, but if dust is what you have, so be it.

Penicillin won't do anything for a blockage, although it could be indicated if there was an infection that resulted because of the blockage.[/QUOTE