Hello, I'd appreciate help diagnosing what may be affecting my hen, Lilly. My internet research has basically just enforced that pretty much every chicken ailment causes diarrhea and lethargy... 
She is 1.75 year old Buff Orpington. She seems to be underweight, as yesterday I noticed her breastbone is becoming more prominent.
A week ago she started acting a bit lethargic. Tuesday (4 days ago) she was really in slow motion, and was eating only snow when all the others were happily eating treats.
I noticed she had a lot of poo caked on her vent and hind feathers, so brought her in for a bath and close watching. Since that time she has completely lost her appetite, and is barely drinking. She stays fluffed up, barely moving inside the dog crate that is in the bathroom (keeping her warm). She seems to be a little more interactive when I give her warm baths (one to clean her off, a second yesterday for an epsom salt soak) but doesn't fight me, and quickly goes to sleep.
Looking back, I think she has been acting off for about a week. My other birds seem fine (mixed flock of 10.)
The only thing that perhaps happened that may have caused any trauma is that the roos got out with the ladies, and she was mounted kinda aggressively by my two young roos, but once I pulled them off she chased them around as if she was giving them a strong verbal lashing, and she seemed fine at the time. It was the next day she started acting extra tired. I also noticed that we had a big puddle in the middle of the run, when a bunch of snow melted, that they were drinking out of, to my dismay.
In her dog crate the first couple of days she ate lots of feed (plain old layer pellets) but for the last two days hasn't eaten anything, including the yogurt, hemp seeds and egg shells I've offered (some favorite treats). When I kind of forced her head down into a dish of water yesterday she drank a little bit. Her abdomen does not seem swollen or hard. Her crop isn't distended.
Even when she was eating her poops were very watery, white. I haven't noticed any signs of worms or blood. All of her poos now seem to be watery or mucous. I think that may have been going on for quite a while, because her bottom feathers had been dirty for a month or so... I feel awful about not checking and giving her a bath sooner.
I tried to check to see if she was egg bound, but didn't feel an egg. In her vent she just has what feel like a lot of calcium bits, kinda like really coarse sand. Is that normal?
Other than the simple bath and the 20 minute epsom salt soak, I got some monistat cream to apply in/around the vent area, thinking maybe this is vent gleet. However now that she has completely stopped eating I am not confident in my diagnosing skills.
I would love to do as much for her at home if I can. I haven't done anything with a vet... my vet doesn't work with chickens, but they did refer me to someone else who can, but I have no idea of their availability. Of course, being a holiday, I have no hope to be able to call with questions for several days. I don't want to go to extremes such as surgery, but would like to try medications if they'll help.
Thank you so much!! There are so many knowledgeable people on this forum, I appreciate your expertise and advice.
She is 1.75 year old Buff Orpington. She seems to be underweight, as yesterday I noticed her breastbone is becoming more prominent.
A week ago she started acting a bit lethargic. Tuesday (4 days ago) she was really in slow motion, and was eating only snow when all the others were happily eating treats.
I noticed she had a lot of poo caked on her vent and hind feathers, so brought her in for a bath and close watching. Since that time she has completely lost her appetite, and is barely drinking. She stays fluffed up, barely moving inside the dog crate that is in the bathroom (keeping her warm). She seems to be a little more interactive when I give her warm baths (one to clean her off, a second yesterday for an epsom salt soak) but doesn't fight me, and quickly goes to sleep.
Looking back, I think she has been acting off for about a week. My other birds seem fine (mixed flock of 10.)
The only thing that perhaps happened that may have caused any trauma is that the roos got out with the ladies, and she was mounted kinda aggressively by my two young roos, but once I pulled them off she chased them around as if she was giving them a strong verbal lashing, and she seemed fine at the time. It was the next day she started acting extra tired. I also noticed that we had a big puddle in the middle of the run, when a bunch of snow melted, that they were drinking out of, to my dismay.
In her dog crate the first couple of days she ate lots of feed (plain old layer pellets) but for the last two days hasn't eaten anything, including the yogurt, hemp seeds and egg shells I've offered (some favorite treats). When I kind of forced her head down into a dish of water yesterday she drank a little bit. Her abdomen does not seem swollen or hard. Her crop isn't distended.
Even when she was eating her poops were very watery, white. I haven't noticed any signs of worms or blood. All of her poos now seem to be watery or mucous. I think that may have been going on for quite a while, because her bottom feathers had been dirty for a month or so... I feel awful about not checking and giving her a bath sooner.
I tried to check to see if she was egg bound, but didn't feel an egg. In her vent she just has what feel like a lot of calcium bits, kinda like really coarse sand. Is that normal?
Other than the simple bath and the 20 minute epsom salt soak, I got some monistat cream to apply in/around the vent area, thinking maybe this is vent gleet. However now that she has completely stopped eating I am not confident in my diagnosing skills.
I would love to do as much for her at home if I can. I haven't done anything with a vet... my vet doesn't work with chickens, but they did refer me to someone else who can, but I have no idea of their availability. Of course, being a holiday, I have no hope to be able to call with questions for several days. I don't want to go to extremes such as surgery, but would like to try medications if they'll help.
Thank you so much!! There are so many knowledgeable people on this forum, I appreciate your expertise and advice.
