Is it possible Newcastle isn’t deadly?

[GregsHotWife]

I have a hen that in October started having very large green diarrhea poop every night. Only at night on the roost. I have a poop board. And the coop and run both have sand. Poop is cleaned every day so I see it all. After frantically searching, my options were she’s not eating enough or Newcastle. There were no other symptoms so I made sure to throw extra weeds and treats to make sure she wasn’t starving herself. About a month later she laid back to back pointed wrinkled eggs. I was terrified. But still no other symptoms and none if my other hens have this issue. 4 months later and she still has the diarrhea and just laid another pointed wrinkled egg. I guess my question is if anyone has had a chicken get Newcastle and recover without it being contagious? Or is there another possibility that I’m missing? Sorry for the graphic poop pics.

 

[Hanathehappyhen]

The poop doesn’t look like pictures I’ve seen of Newcastle disease poop.

Which looks much more mucousy and green than your hens. I had an otherwise healthy hen who would often get diarrhea like your hen’s. Turned out that she would forget to drink water throughout the day before guzzling it down at mealtime which made her poop constantly runny. Could be that, but it wouldn’t hurt to deworm the whole flock just in case.

 

[Eggcessive]

Has she or any others been sneezing frequently recently? Or any other respiratory symptoms? Wrinkled egg shells can be associate with infectious bronchitis virus, or problems with stress or her shell gland. I’m not sure why you would suspect Newcastles if she is just having some diarrhea. There are a few strains of Newcastles, and the exotic or severe type causes respiratory symptoms. It is rare, except for some cases seen in California in the last couple of years. Birds with it would have severe gasping and respiratory symptoms, lethargy, and possibly a twisted neck or other neurologic symptoms.

Hopefully, she is just having some change in her droppings. Is she eating and drinking normally? Have you wormed the flock recently? How does her crop feel in the early morning before she eats or drinks? It should feel empty at that time and gradually fill up during the day with food. Is she on a layer type feed with crushed oyster shell available in a separate container?

 

[GregsHotWife]

Has she or any others been sneezing frequently recently? Or any other respiratory symptoms? Wrinkled egg shells can be associate with infectious bronchitis virus, or problems with stress or her shell gland. I’m not sure why you would suspect Newcastles if she is just having some diarrhea. There are a few strains of Newcastles, and the exotic or severe type causes respiratory symptoms. It is rare, except for some cases seen in California in the last couple of years. Birds with it would have severe gasping and respiratory symptoms, lethargy, and possibly a twisted neck or other neurologic symptoms.

Hopefully, she is just having some change in her droppings. Is she eating and drinking normally? Have you wormed the flock recently? How does her crop feel in the early morning before she eats or drinks? It should feel empty at that time and gradually fill up during the day with food. Is she on a layer type feed with crushed oyster shell available in a separate container?

The reason I suspected Newcastle was because of the pointed wrinkle tipped eggs. Coupled with the green diarrhea. That was the only thing I could find. She has had poop like this for 4+ months now. 18% layer feed and multiple sources of crushed oyster shell. She is the only one of the six and the only one that lays those weird eggs. No medications ever. Don’t want to use the dewormer unless it’s necessary. Haven’t seen any indication of worms.
She won’t let me close enough to her to touch her. Most of my chickens are pretty skittish, but like I said, doesn’t appear to be any other symptoms. No funny, walking or neck croocking no lethargy. No visible weight loss. No sneezing, coughing, funny sounds or nasal discharge in any of them.

 

[Sammster]

Has your hen improved? I've been dealing with this same long-term, overnight, watery diarrhea issue. And just today, had a wrinkly, pointed, thin-shelled egg. I'm not exactly sure which hen. I do know I have one with a shell gland issue and once found lash material in the droppings box. One of my girls always has a messy bottoms and needs regular bottom-baths, so it may be her. I'll need to start sneaking out after dark and trying to figure out their roosting positions, again. It's hard, because they're all the same breed, and I can't see their color-banded legs when they're roosting. It's tricky because no one is acting like they aren't feeling well.