Lethargic, head tucked, gagging movements watery poop :(

[blondij1]

Hi all, one of our hens has not been looking good the past week or so.

We are unsure of her age given we bought her from a local that picked her out of a bunch of over 70. We have had this happen before to a chook and unfortunately while she was in our diy chook hospital a feral animal got her.

Symptoms are she is very lethargic, closes her eyes as if she is sleeping a lot through the day, she will run for food and seems to be drinking, but very slow moving. I have separated her from the flock and fed her some scrambled egg with avocado, and kombucha for some probiotic- (she didn't eat very much of it). She seems to enjoy seed more than the soft food.

I haven't checked her crop in the morning, but its full and feels like a "bean" bag throughout the day.
A photo of her poo, she also has dried residue in her feathers. She has had scaley leg which we have managed with a foot bath and covering with vasoline.

Does anyone have recommendations of what it might be or what to do?

 

[alinas2010]

Hi all, one of our hens has not been looking good the past week or so.

We are unsure of her age given we bought her from a local that picked her out of a bunch of over 70. We have had this happen before to a chook and unfortunately while she was in our diy chook hospital a feral animal got her.

Symptoms are she is very lethargic, closes her eyes as if she is sleeping a lot through the day, she will run for food and seems to be drinking, but very slow moving. I have separated her from the flock and fed her some scrambled egg with avocado, and kombucha for some probiotic- (she didn't eat very much of it). She seems to enjoy seed more than the soft food.

I haven't checked her crop in the morning, but its full and feels like a "bean" bag throughout the day.
A photo of her poo, she also has dried residue in her feathers. She has had scaley leg which we have managed with a foot bath and covering with vasoline.

Does anyone have recommendations of what it might be or what to do?

Hi I’m really sorry about your hen. How is she today? Did you check her crop this morning? Was it flat? The gesture she’s making to adjust her crop makes me wonder if it’s a crop issue.

What do you mean by dried residue in her feathers? Could it be lice or mites you’re seeing?

Also welcome to BYC! I’m sorry it is under the circumstance of a sick hen.

 

[blondij1]

Hi I’m really sorry about your hen. How is she today? Did you check her crop this morning? Was it flat? The gesture she’s making to adjust her crop makes me wonder if it’s a crop issue.

What do you mean by dried residue in her feathers? Could it be lice or mites you’re seeing?

Also welcome to BYC! I’m sorry it is under the circumstance of a sick hen.

It's certainly disheartening having an unwell hen

She's had no change and her crop doesn't seem to have emptied overnight.

The dried residue I assume is from wet poo as it's around her cloaca

 

[alinas2010]

It's certainly disheartening having an unwell hen

She's had no change and her crop doesn't seem to have emptied overnight.

The dried residue I assume is from wet poo as it's around her cloaca

Ah, okay, so she’s having a crop issue. It should be emptying overnight and be completely flat each morning. Now we need to figure out what kind of issue she has going on. To start Is there a smell coming from her mouth?

Get some coconut oil and freeze it then break it into small chunks. About 2 tsp for adult chickens. Your chicken shouldn’t have any problem pecking at these small pieces. Mine usually like them. But if they do, you could also mix some into a raw egg and have her eat it that way, I’ve also done that. Then once she ingests, start massaging her crop in slightly upward motion. This is where I always start to get a crop to drain.

Read through this article as well for more specific advice and to determine exactly what else she has going on and how to treat.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Let us know how she gets along.