Life threatening event and now yellow urates

[jonalisa]

Sorry to be a pain but while she has seemed pretty normal, her crop is not empty in the morning. I just brought her in to the house and gave her more coconut oil and another dulcolax. Any reason why the crop would not completely empty? (They just eat layer crumbles.)

 

[jonalisa]

This morning her crop is full and very firm - not squishy. I just don't know. She seems active. Should I continue coconut oil?

 

[jonalisa]

Okay, not sure anyone is still interested but I almost wonder if she could have wry neck or something else going on. Her crop now seems fine. I saw that she was puffed up, not moving much (very slow). At one point she had her head resting on her back (only happened once). But what really made me t

hink wry neck was the bulge in the front of her neck feels like spine/bone.
I'm posting a photo of her on the roost standing with eyes closed. (She does this periodically all day).
And a video of her walking here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qq5omt5d1po0zip/chicken walk.url?dl=0


She's not active like the others. Moves very slowly.
I know she doesn't look like a classic case of wry neck that I have found, but that bulge in front is not her crop, it's definitely bone.
She is very underweight - is very lethargic and eats very little.
I started her on prednisone, nutridrench and vitamin E w/selenium. I give her wet layer crumbles and tuna. I put her outside in the run for the day but bring her in late afternoon. The bulge in front is less prominent, But honestly I am not sure what the issue is.
Can anyone give me insight on what to look for? None of the people I know with chickens can help me. Thanks in advance - you guys are my only source of advice.

 

[jonalisa]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qq5omt5d1po0zip/chicken walk.url?dl=0
I don't know why the link isn't working, try this

 

[MINDANAO DAVE]

Hey all, I need some education here.
Yesterday morning I noticed my 5 yr old Golden Comet, Charlotte was puffed up, standing aloof with eyes closed. I felt her crop and it seemed hard, but not big. I went in the house and got water and olive oil and 2 syringes. I gave her some water, then olive oil and started to massage her crop, but she only seemed to get worse. Things escalated quickly and she began gasping and turning dark red, falling over. When trying to move everything downward didn't work, I had no choice but to hold her upside down and try to help her 'throw up'. She was obviously in worsening distress and scratch mixed with a clear 'mucous' started coming out. She was starting to turn blue and the other chickens were clamoring for what she was expelling, so I ran in the house with her. For almost an hour on my bathroom floor, I fought to help her breathe - her head, comb, wattles were purple and eyes closed. I stuck my finger down her throat, feeling only bits of scratch, no obstruction. I alternated upside down, rightside up, giving small amounts of water or oil, massaging the crop/throat -even breathing into her mouth. She seemed dead at some point, her neck limp and head swinging. I finally got to where her eyes were open and she could breathe. It was the most horrifying chicken experience I have ever had.
I put her in a 6ft brooder I have in a spare bedroom with water only. She seems good today, good color, making some soft clucking noises. This morning I gave her half a boiled egg chopped fine with some olive oil mixed in. But her poop is dark stool- very small pieces (like a mouse poop) and the urates is neon yellow.
I'm sure that is not good, but I don't know if it is normal for what she has been through or a sign of something worse.

Can someone advise me? What to do next and how long to keep her in the house...?

Thank you in advance.
jonalisa

Please look up Newcastle Disease I lost 65 chickens in 6 days same thing. Also look up pictures of Newcastle Disease. I lost 65 chickens in 6 days. Good luck

 

[Eggcessive]

Jonalisa, I have been treating a hen with a similar crop problem with vomiting her, and tube feeding water with electrolytes/vitamins and a small amount of yogurt. I also had given Nystatin, an antifungal (prescription only.) several times her crop had this hard bony thing that I realized was her trachea which is lined with bony spines.

Your hen sounds like she may be suffering from either liver disease from the yellow urates or egg yolk peritonitis. I have had several older hens recently with this, and crop problems can complicate those and other illnesses. There is probably not much you can do for her except keep her comfortable. I would do a necropsy on her if she dies, and look for a lot of amber colored fluid when the abdomen is opened, plus large amounts of fat, or a discolored liver. With EYP there may be masses of egg material. Sorry that she is so ill.

 

[jonalisa]

Please look up Newcastle Disease I lost 65 chickens in 6 days same thing. Also look up pictures of Newcastle Disease. I lost 65 chickens in 6 days. Good luck

Thank you for your response. I don't think she looks like the Newcastle photos, but something to consider.

 

[jonalisa]

Jonalisa, I have been treating a hen with a similar crop problem with vomiting her, and tube feeding water with electrolytes/vitamins and a small amount of yogurt. I also had given Nystatin, an antifungal (prescription only.) several times her crop had this hard bony thing that I realized was her trachea which is lined with bony spines.

Your hen sounds like she may be suffering from either liver disease from the yellow urates or egg yolk peritonitis. I have had several older hens recently with this, and crop problems can complicate those and other illnesses. There is probably not much you can do for her except keep her comfortable. I would do a necropsy on her if she dies, and look for a lot of amber colored fluid when the abdomen is opened, plus large amounts of fat, or a discolored liver. With EYP there may be masses of egg material. Sorry that she is so ill.

Yes, I feel the bony spines.
She has been on 2.5mg prednisone and 400 units vitamin E with Nutridrench - all twice a day.This morning I gave her tuna and wet feed and a couple of blueberries.
She was happy to see the blueberries, but I am surprised that the noise she makes is very guttural chirping, similar to a pidgeon. I've never heard that with a chicken.
She is not laying - or at least, did not start again after the winter hiatus.

I looked up EYP symptoms:

• Pale comb/wattle (yes)
• Eyes are dull, may be partially/fully closed (sometimes)
• She’s not as keen as the rest to eat and drink (yes)
• May be keeping herself away from the rest of the flock, usually tucked up in a nest-box/coop (Stands in one corner of the run, but walks around if outside)
• Tail may be lowered (no)
• Difficulty/reluctance to move about (slowly)
• Reluctant to walk around and scratch; lack of interest in surroundings (slowly)
• Any evidence of discharge from the eyes, nose or mouth (No but she had a dark red 'abrasion' (looked like) on side of face, where beak meets face.)
• Going off lay (hasn't laid since the fall)
• Loss of condition – can be assessed by feeling over the keel (breast) bone muscle mass: in chronically ill birds they often lose the majority of this muscle mass (Keel bone is prominent with almost no muscle. Very underweight)
• Faecal matter stuck around vent (Yes)
• Look in poor feather condition (not preening) (No preening that I witness, but looks ok)
• Any obvious injury (wound, limping, falling over) (No)

So she has most of these symptoms.

I looked to see what I have for meds:
Duramycin 72-200, Tetroxy HCA-280 and enrofloxin 10% (expired)

The site on EYP ends with:
"The earlier a case of Egg Yolk Peritonitis is diagnosed, the better the probable outcome. If a bird is to be treated, antibiotics and good, attentive nursing care are essential."

So it sounds pretty fatal (at least w/o a veterinary surgeon). What would you do? Is there anything I can get to give her a chance (or even in the event I'm wrong?).
A few questions, if you don't mind Eggcessive:
-Should I continue to treat with prednisone and vitamins?
-Is there an antibiotic that might be helpful in some sense? Or foods?
-Should I continue to put her with the others during the day and in the house at night?
(I do this so she won't be jumping up on a roost or eating something I'm not aware of)

Thanks so much for your help and your knowledge!
jonalisa

 

[jonalisa]

Please look up Newcastle Disease I lost 65 chickens in 6 days same thing. Also look up pictures of Newcastle Disease. I lost 65 chickens in 6 days. Good luck

Also, I am really sorry for your loss. That is devastating!

 

[Eggcessive]

Prednisone probably is not a good idea since it can make her more suseptible to infections. Some people use amoxicillin or Baytril (prohibited by FDA for chickens in the US,) and you can get those online for fish or if you Google them for poultry. I usually don’t treat with drugs since EYP is so common. She probably won’t lay eggs again, but you are not supposed to eat eggs or meat after Baytril. I have had a few die recently to reproductive problems, some with ascites, some with internal laying. If I have time, I try to do a brief necropsy to just find a cause. Sorry about your chicken.