Lethargic Hen/Help please!

[scrapingran]

I have a hen that is very lethargic right now. Her comb is hanging to the side, and she has green diarrhea. She eats a little and is still drinking. Is it worms or something more serious? I thought she maybe has vent gleet, but her vent area doesn't stink the way they say vent gleet should. Help please!

I also have a hen who has developed a weird head shake, like a tic. She gives her head a shake every few seconds. She also has diarrhea, but hers is really watery with a little bit of solid stool inside of it. I don't see any evidence of worms in her stool.

 

[BantamLover21]

I have a hen that is very lethargic right now. Her comb is hanging to the side, and she has green diarrhea. She eats a little and is still drinking. Is it worms or something more serious? I thought she maybe has vent gleet, but her vent area doesn't stink the way they say vent gleet should. Help please! I also have a hen who has developed a weird head shake, like a tic. She gives her head a shake every few seconds. She also has diarrhea, but hers is really watery with a little bit of solid stool inside of it. I don't see any evidence of worms in her stool.

Green diarrhea is usually caused by a chicken not eating much, though it can sometimes be a sign of disease. Check your hen's crop in the morning. At that time of day, it should be flat and empty. If it is hard, or looks/feels large and balloon like, you are dealing with impacted or sour crop.

If her crop is normal, I would worm her. Some wormer choices include Valbazen, Wazine (however, this is only effective on roundworms, not other types of worms that chickens can get), SafeGuard, Ivermectin, or the Worminator (I use it). The Worminator can be purchased online from here: http://www.twincitypoultrysupplies.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=584. You can probably find the other wormers online or at a livestock supply store.

I would also check her for mites and lice. Check around the vent, under the wings, and beneath the hackles and feathers near the tail. Mites and lice can cause a chicken to not feel well.

Coccidiosis is another, less likely problem. It can cause diarrhea, but usually also causes symptoms like droopiness, ruffled feathers, lack of appetite, and blood in the droppings. If this was the problem, you would want to treat her with Corid (Amprolium).

But most importantly, get your hen eating! Entice her to each by giving her scrambled eggs, applesauce, mealworms, or anything else that she will eat. Give her vitamins in her water, and, if possible, probiotics. If she does not eat on her own, you may have to tube feed her or otherwise find a way to get her to eat. Making sure that she is drinking is important, too.

Hope I've helped!

 

[scrapingran]

Thank you so much! I will go to the feed store in the morning to get a de-wormer. She is eating a little, and I got her to drink some water with electrolytes in it. I will keep that up and try the applesauce and yougurt with her. She is one of my sweetest birds and I hate to see her not feeling well! :-(

 

[BantamLover21]

Thank you so much! I will go to the feed store in the morning to get a de-wormer. She is eating a little, and I got her to drink some water with electrolytes in it. I will keep that up and try the applesauce and yougurt with her. She is one of my sweetest birds and I hate to see her not feeling well! :-(

I know how you feel. It seems as though its always the sweet ones that get sick... Another tip: Don't give her too much yogurt, as chickens are said (I don't think there has been any conclusive scientific data on the subject) to have trouble digesting lactose. And sometimes, yogurt can give them diahrrea. Some yogurt in moderation is fine, but you wouldn't want it to be the staple of her diet.

 

[scrapingran]

We tried everything suggested and ended up putting her down because she just wasn't getting better and was continuing to lose weight. None of the other chickens have gotten sick, thank Heaven!

 

[BantamLover21]

We tried everything suggested and ended up putting her down because she just wasn't getting better and was continuing to lose weight. None of the other chickens have gotten sick, thank Heaven!

I'm sorry for your loss. You did everything you could.