Labored breathing, green poop--looking for answers

[Barred Feather]

I know there are many posts about green poop and I've read them, but here I'm hoping to get new eyes on this illness. It's absolutely stumped me. My 6 year old Barred Rock/Dominique hen had dark green "dehydrated" poop and was lethargic starting last Tuesday (2/7). I isolated her and started care, mush cornbread, scratch mixed with water and veggies/fruit so she would eat, and she has gained strength. I'm giving her penicillin thinking she had an infection (tomorrow will be the last day.) In the course of almost two weeks this is what has happened:
Her poop changed to watery yellow-brown diarrhea
She started eating and gained strength
Her breathing is labored and when I listen to her lungs there is a crackling and very slight wheeze
Her poop returned to normal consistency and brown.
Her poop still normal consistency but is still light green.
Breathing continues to be labored.
She has the energy to talk, forage and dust bath but is not up to 100% energy
I'm not sure the last time she's laid an egg.

In the past when my hens get sick they either die quickly (within 3 days) or get better. For this hen, she seems to be hanging in the medium sick zone. I'm not sure about euthanizing because she doesn't appear to be suffering and in some respects, she seems to have improved since last Tuesday. However, some things aren't changing. I've checked many diseases and can't seem to find a match. Maybe some sort of cancer?

Does anyone know what this illness might be and/or advice for continuing care or humane euthanization?

Thank You!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry about your hen.
Do you have photos of her and her poop?

At 6 yrs of age, she may be starting to have some reproductive issues, but hard to know.
Do you note any feeling of fluid or bloat in the abdomen below the vent between her legs?

I'd check to make sure her crop is emptying overnight, re-check for lice/mites and consider getting a fecal float to see if she needs deworming.

No one can say for certain if it's time to let her go or not except for you. You are there to observe symptoms and can best access her condition. That said, if she's improved and is holding her own at the moment and doesn't seem to be in pain, then consider giving her more time, but evaluate daily.

 

[Barred Feather]

I'm sorry about your hen.
Do you have photos of her and her poop?

At 6 yrs of age, she may be starting to have some reproductive issues, but hard to know.
Do you note any feeling of fluid or bloat in the abdomen below the vent between her legs?

I'd check to make sure her crop is emptying overnight, re-check for lice/mites and consider getting a fecal float to see if she needs deworming.

No one can say for certain if it's time to let her go or not except for you. You are there to observe symptoms and can best access her condition. That said, if she's improved and is holding her own at the moment and doesn't seem to be in pain, then consider giving her more time, but evaluate daily.

Thank you. I didn't take any photos and it's changed so much. This morning it looked almost normal. She doesn't have any bloat that I can see although she has always been a chunky chicken. Her crop is emptying. I will continue to monitor her. Thanks for the support and links to other articles!

 

[Barred Feather]

I wanted to give an update in hopes it might help someone in the future. While my hen initially improved with my care, she eventually took a downturn and I opted to euthanize to end her suffering. She was clearly not getting better anymore and getting a little worse each day. When she wasn't interested in foraging and treats and her crop stopped emptying, I knew it was time. I read many books, articles, and posts here and could not match her symptoms to any contagious disease, such as virus or bacteria. My best guess is that she had a tumor or malfunction with the reproduction system as @Wyorp Rock suggested. I think the labored breathing was caused by an increase in fluid in the body's activity. She had a good 6 years and ended her last weeks of life being pampered with premium foraging opportunities. I decided not to do a postmortem investigation and just add it to my list of mysterious illnesses.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry to hear about your hen

Thank you for updating the thread.