Lethargic hen with diarrhea

[Snowy_Idaho]

My Golden Comet hen is acting odd as of this morning, very lethargic I removed her from the flock so I can monitor.

She’s 1 1/2 years old, a healthy weight. Her comb and wattles are red, though slightly dull compared to normal. She’s reliably laid since she reached 4 months of age, but stopped laying about two weeks (?) ago. She still visits the nesting box periodically though. No signs of molting. She spent most of the day resting in safe spaces around the yard, with her eyes partially closed. Earlier today her crop had some food in it, but when I checked later this afternoon it was empty. She usually has a full crop and is a great forager. No signs of her being egg bound, I haven’t experienced that first hand but have previously done research. She walks and stands normally. No visible or audible signs of a respiratory infection.

Yesterday I moved some raised beds and soil, leaving behind some layers of partially broken down grass, leaves, sticks (lasagna method) and the girls went nuts in the decomposing materials. It’s was the only thing different in their diet.

I saw her drinking water today, this afternoon I offered her some mealworms and bread which she ate quickly. She picked at the pellets I gave her. She always has access to grit and oyster shells.

Attached are photos of her poop. Earlier today I saw her poop a large glob of pure white, different than any of the other white poops I’ve seen before (no photo).

I am stressed about her being unwell, and could use some feedback on what I should keep an eye out for and anything I should be doing.

Thank you in advance!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How is she doing?

Is her crop emptying overnight? (Check first thing in the morning before she's ate/drank)

If she's not been laying eggs, then she may be suffering from a reproductive problem. I would offer her Calcium Citrate for 3-5 days.
See that she's drinking and eating.

 

[Snowy_Idaho]

How is she doing?

Is her crop emptying overnight? (Check first thing in the morning before she's ate/drank)

If she's not been laying eggs, then she may be suffering from a reproductive problem. I would offer her Calcium Citrate for 3-5 days.
See that she's drinking and eating.

Thank you so much for your response!! She appears to be doing better, no longer lethargic but still has very watery poop.

Her crop is operating normally, full at night and empty in the AM. She’s been eating light since this post so I’ve supplemented with hard boiled eggs, plain yogurt and some mealworms. She’s drinking normally.

Thank you for the tip about calcium citrate, I’ll research dosages but if you have any brand, tips on administering or dosage suggestions please let me know.

Thanks again!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you so much for your response!! She appears to be doing better, no longer lethargic but still has very watery poop.

Her crop is operating normally, full at night and empty in the AM. She’s been eating light since this post so I’ve supplemented with hard boiled eggs, plain yogurt and some mealworms. She’s drinking normally.

Thank you for the tip about calcium citrate, I’ll research dosages but if you have any brand, tips on administering or dosage suggestions please let me know.

Thanks again!

You can find Calcium Citrate at stores like WalMart, CVS, etc.
Caltrate is the name brand, but store brands work just fine. 1 whole tablet daily. Pull down on her wattles, pop the tablet in the beak, let her swallow.

A photo of what I and others use is in this link below.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...o-help-an-old-hen-build-an-egg-shell.1522766/

 

[Snowy_Idaho]

Update: This hen is still acting odd and uncomfortable. The remainder of the flock is acting normal.

She was dosed with calcium citrate for 5 days. Still no eggs being laid.

She spends a portion of her day acting listless, but is grooming herself and foraging some - not nearly as much as usual. Her comb looks normal, but she’s looking scraggly. Missing feathers from top of her head, I assume from getting pecked but I haven’t seen it. Excessive pecking has never been an issue with them.

Today, her vent is pulsating regularly and and she’s gasping for air some (in tune with her pulsating vent).

She was treated with antibiotics right after initial post.

4 days ago she was treated with Valbazen.

She had poop in her feathers so I brought her in to bathe her, and she conveniently pooped in the sink, photos attached. Anything look odd? First photo is the pile, remaining photos I dug around in it. Lots of, what looks like, semi digested food. A little mucus.

Any feedback/ideas welcome. She’s from my original flock and I’d really hate to lose her

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you take a sample to your vet to see if worms are part of the problem?

When you bathed her, you didn't see any bugs (lice/mites) did you?

 

[Snowy_Idaho]

Can you take a sample to your vet to see if worms are part of the problem?

When you bathed her, you didn't see any bugs (lice/mites) did you?

Thanks for all your helpful responses @Wyorp Rock. After a few more days of observation, we realized she was likely suffering from egg peritonitis. We hadn’t had an egg from her in quite some time, longer than we thought. It felt like she definitely had fluid in her abdomen and was visibly impacting her mobility, and she had several days of abnormal breathing, we culled her. I think the initial concerns I posted about were temporary, unrelated issues and by observing her through that, could see the progression of a bigger issue. Sad to lose her, but lessons learned along the way. Thank you again for taking time to previously respond!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry to hear about your hen