Lethargic hen, watery poop, low appetite

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

That poop is green. She's having liver trouble. Give her 1000mg of Milk Thistle for 3 days.

Also, give her something for the diahrea.

Molasses or baking soda in water. You should definitely deworm again. It could also be coccidiosis. But heat stress can do the same thing.

 

[Winchikn]

That poop is green. She's having liver trouble. Give her 1000mg of Milk Thistle for 3 days.

Also, give her something for the diahrea.

Molasses or baking soda in water. You should definitely deworm again. It could also be coccidiosis. But heat stress can do the same thing.

Thanks, Mason Farm and Ranch. I thought green poops could result from not eating enough but I will try to see if I can get some milk thistle. And I thought molasses was a purgative?

I appreciate the confirmation on deworming. She is really lethargic today. I've been keeping her in a crate inside and my biggest concern is getting her crop to empty. It still has a fair bit of fluid in it that doesn't seem to be going anywhere fast...

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Thanks, Mason Farm and Ranch. I thought green poops could result from not eating enough but I will try to see if I can get some milk thistle. And I thought molasses was a purgative?

I appreciate the confirmation on deworming. She is really lethargic today. I've been keeping her in a crate inside and my biggest concern is getting her crop to empty. It still has a fair bit of fluid in it that doesn't seem to be going anywhere fast...

Go with the baking soda. It will also clear up what sounds like the beginning of sour crop and replace a specific acid lost during heat stress.

I think your girl had a heavy worm load and in her weakened state developed heat stress on top of it. It happens fast and organs can shut down. And causes all kinds of problems in the GI tract.


Check her lungs too.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She's eaten very little the last couple of days and I've given 2 calcium supplements but I assume that wouldn't show white in poop. Oddly, she is heavier than when she was unwell back in Feb/March but her breastbone seems to be more protuberant.

I will withhold her food/water when I go to bed tonight, check crop in the morning, do the 5 days of Safeguard and hope for the best.

Should I repeat a single dose of Safeguard at the 10-day mark to catch roundworms as well or is that too much?

You do the 5 days of Safeguard - no repeat.

I would treat for Sour Crop.

 

[Winchikn]

Go with the baking soda. It will also clear up what sounds like the beginning of sour crop and replace a specific acid lost during heat stress.

I think your girl had a heavy worm load and in her weakened state developed heat stress on top of it. It happens fast and organs can shut down. And causes all kinds of problems in the GI tract.


Check her lungs too.

What dose do you suggest for baking soda? I gave her some electrolytes this afternoon and put her back outside as we have slightly cooler temps today. She was a bit perkier wandering around my garden but still isn’t eating any chicken food and would drink a bathtub of water if I let her. I was rationing so she didn’t fill her crop too much.

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

What dose do you suggest for baking soda? I gave her some electrolytes this afternoon and put her back outside as we have slightly cooler temps today. She was a bit perkier wandering around my garden but still isn’t eating any chicken food and would drink a bathtub of water if I let her. I was rationing so she didn’t fill her crop too much.

1 part baking soda to 3 parts water. A teaspoon should do it.

 

[Winchikn]

My hen is doing quite poorly. I put her in the coop last night to be with her buddies and her crop still had some liquid in it this morning. Still no smell but it's very squishy. She is extremely thirsty but with her crop not moving I've only been giving water in small doses every couple of hours. I've been massaging her crop and she is pooping out tiny bits of liquid but is getting pretty weak.

She feels warm to me - which makes me wonder if she's fighting an infection, and with her crop so full I'm afraid to give more fluids but she is clearly feels extremely thirsty (like, she's eating water droplets off wet grass).

We gave the second dose of Safeguard yesterday and I was hoping if parasites were the issue she'd be coming around by now...

The other thing standing out to me is that she feels really heavy for a hen who has been eating next to nothing for several days now. Could this indicate a tumour? I've felt her rear abdomen but it feels normal (I've never dealt with water belly), and she shows no sign of trying to pass an egg.

Feeling like we're gonna lose this little battle, which will be my third hen this spring after no losses in 3 years

Any other advice is much appreciated.

 

[LaFleche]

This sounds like a kidney issue to me.
Infectious Bronchitis comes in various strains and there is one that especially affects the kidneys leading to watery diarrhea, increased thirst and water intake and all the symptoms you described.

https://www.msdvetmanual.com/poultry/infectious-bronchitis/infectious-bronchitis-in-poultry

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8983847/

Sadly there is no cure and the birds will die of kidney failure.

To know exactly what is going on, you could send her to your state vet laboratory for necropsy.

 

[Winchikn]

You do the 5 days of Safeguard - no repeat.

I would treat for Sour Crop.

This sounds like a kidney issue to me.
Infectious Bronchitis comes in various strains and there is one that especially affects the kidneys leading to watery diarrhea, increased thirst and water intake and all the symptoms you described.

Sadly there is no cure and the birds will die of kidney failure

@Wyorp Rock
I have both clotrimazole (1%) and metronidazole (.75%) creams on hand. Which of these would be preferable to treat sour crop? And what dosing? I read the crop article but the dosing seems vague.

@LaFleche
Could this be an outcome of IB 2 months+ after onset of symptoms in my flock?

Both - Can I treat for sour crop along with the Safeguard? Should I try molasses flush? How much should I let her drink?

Thank you.

 

[Winchikn]

Only other update is that her crop really isn't moving and is like a little water balloon. I am massaging regularly and have seen her pass some small amounts of fluids. What is coming out look almost totally clear. No urates and no solids.