Losing weight even after dewormer

[Pixelsaurus]

I noticed one of my Isa Browns isolating herself in the corner of the run, sleeping a lot, and shaking her head.

On Monday (Feb 1) I brought her inside to separate her from the flock and started her on Zfend A (it is what I had on hand) along with electrolytes both mixed with her water. On Tuesday (Feb 2) I weighed her and she was 3lb 12 oz. I gave her some yogurt, chopped spinach and blueberries as a supplement to her regular feed (which she doesn't seem to eating as much).


I also started fermenting winter wheat and on Wednesday (Feb 3) started feeding her a couple tablespoons a day.

I am worried about having her visit any other chickens, so I have a camera set up in the coop and she can listen to her friends. That seems to be soothing. Her comb is also looking better.



I thought I was doing good, but today (Feb 5), I weighed her again and she was 3lbs 5oz! That is a 7oz loss in just 4 days.

I went Tractor Supply and picked up some Safe-Guard (fenbendazole) liquid dewormer for Goats (as suggested in the Chicken Chick's article on treating for deworming and gave he first does tonight. I also picked up some chick starter food. When I had a sick chick with wry neck, I mixed the chick food with yogurt and she loved it. I mixed up 2 tablespoons of chick food with a tablespoon of yogurt and my sick Isa Brown is loving it - most i have seen her eat all week.

I don't see any blood in the feces, nor worms (which would be worst case). There is also plenty of liquid in the feces, so she is not dehydrated (assumption).

Since isolating her, we figured out she is the one chicken who hasn't been laying for the past 4 weeks. We thought it was just winter and the girls weren't laying as much. But we have gotten consistent laying from all the girls still out in the coop. So she may have been sick since early January.

I am hoping the fenbenazole will start working and will continue treatment for the recommended 10 days. But what about food - getting her to eat more? I plan to continue adding the chick food to the yogurt because she is eating it. Will also continue the few tables spoons of fermented Winter Wheat.

Any thoughts? Is it ok to supplement with chick grower food for a 10 month old chicken to help her get her weight back?

Thanks in advance!
Ginger

 

[ChicNmom]

Did you see signs of worms in her? At 10 months even in winter I wouldn't think she would stop laying. How does her abdomen feel? I would feed her whatever she will eat at this point just to keep her strength up. And possibly give her extra calcium in case she is having a reproductive issue.

 

[Pixelsaurus]

Thanks for your reply!
I have not seen any signs of worms. Just the weird head shaking, weight loss, and her behavior of isolating from the flock and sleeping.

will keep prepping food she will eat. Update - she cleaned the late of Chick food mixed with yogurt.

 

[Pixelsaurus]

UPDATE: Saturday morning she weighed in at 3lbs 8 oz. So a gain of 3oz probably from liking the chick food with yogurt.

But that is the end of the good news. She wasn't interested in food Saturday night or Sunday morning.

This afternoon I saw the first signs of worms in her poop.


Thinks these are roundworms and are about 3".

QUESTION: When you start seeing worms in poop does that mean she is pooping them out and thus getting better?

She still isn't interested in food. I had a few salmon roe left over from lunch - large orange fish eggs - thought maybe she'd go for it and she did. She ate about 7 of these. Then I gave another dose of Safe-Guard (fenbendazole) liquid dewormer for Goats. Set her back in the pen and she pecked at the chick food a little and is drinking.


She is very sleepy. Just sits on my lab.

Should I bring her to a vet?

 

[ChicNmom]

At least you know there is a worm issue for sure. Usually once they are coming out it's a good sign.

I checked this thread because I have a hen that has been getting thin but hungry all the time but also picky about what she eats. I gave her a dose of Valbazen (sp)
Tuesday. Still no sign of worms but she has had some runny poop. I took some advice off another thread and scrambled some eggs with rice. for her. Have you tried that?
It was a huge hit.

If you think there is another issue then probably a visit to a vet wouldn't hurt.

 

[Pixelsaurus]

Haven’t done the scrambled eggs yet. But thinking it is worth a try. She was comfortable tonight after getting the dewormer dose - but just been hanging with me on the couch and not eating. She seems comfortable but still not eating

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What dose are you giving her?
At her weight I would give her .80ml orally once a day for 5 days.

She may have more going on than just roundworms. I would make sure her crop is emptying overnight. Reproductive issues come to mind as well since she's not been laying eggs, but hopefully de-worming will help. If you are seeing worms expelled, then she has a heavy load.

Do what you can to keep her eating. Grower feed or chick starter are fine to give her. I would go with whichever has the highest amount of protein. Provide oyster shell and grit free choice for her. Work on getting her hydrated.
If she's not wanting to eat, try making a wet mash out of her feed using a little buttermilk or yogurt along with water. I would also give her poultry vitamins a couple of times a week.

 

[ChicNmom]

Haven’t done the scrambled eggs yet. But thinking it is worth a try. She was comfortable tonight after getting the dewormer dose - but just been hanging with me on the couch and not eating. She seems comfortable but still not eating View attachment 2521165

She looks really comfortable. She may decide she wants to be a pampered house chicken!

 

[Pixelsaurus]

What dose are you giving her?
At her weight I would give her .80ml orally once a day for 5 days.

She may have more going on than just roundworms. I would make sure her crop is emptying overnight. Reproductive issues come to mind as well since she's not been laying eggs, but hopefully de-worming will help. If you are seeing worms expelled, then she has a heavy load.

Do what you can to keep her eating. Grower feed or chick starter are fine to give her. I would go with whichever has the highest amount of protein. Provide oyster shell and grit free choice for her. Work on getting her hydrated.
If she's not wanting to eat, try making a wet mash out of her feed using a little buttermilk or yogurt along with water. I would also give her poultry vitamins a couple of times a week.

She has had 3 doses of the dewormer (1.0ml). Have been making wet mash with yogurt. Initially she loved it - ate whole plate Friday night. But now she is not interested.