My chicken is dying

[micstrachan]

I’m so sorry. Did you lose your little girl? I would treat anyone who is left for coccidiosis

 

[Birdsong 82]

I’m so sorry I would go get corid and treat the rest since they have been exposed. If it’s not coccidiosis it won’t hurt them to treat. Blood in stool is a sign. And contagious

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Bear hugs!

 

[Kat C]

I wish I knew that before I gave it to them; on a website I read it was safe. Should've looked into it more. I was just desperate for something to help her.

And oh dear, I looked Meraks up and I sure hope that isn't the case. Her crop feels full, sort of squishy I guess.

She seems to be doing kind of better. She's peeping again and she seems stronger and a tad heavier, but all she really does is stand still and sleep standing up. I really wish there were something I could do. Guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens.

A full crop feels firm not squishy

 

[Kat C]

I'm so sorry for your loss as well. That may be a possibility, as her crop does feel very swollen. What did you use?

FYI our healthy birds have crops after feed that feel like baseballs and are almost that size. They are large and tight. We feed whole grains so maybe with crumbles crops feel different. But the idea of the crop is to store food for later digestion. If a bird still has a hard tight crop first thing in the morning there is probably impaction as the food should have all moved during the night. Massaging the crop usually fixes that.

 

[Kat C]

Agree, DE and ACV are both irrelevant for worming birds, and science backs my claim.

Marek's is one possibility... how is the crop feel? I recently faced a young bird hunched with a neck spasm of sorts... we thought trying to gag. Crop was swollen, maybe squishy... dead the next day. Though I had been ill so by the time I identified it I hadn't seen any droppings.

What do you feed including treats and supplements?

I suggest if this one passes that you get a necropsy... https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures.799747/

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

Sorry you face this.

Yeah I would go with Marek's as the most likely here

 

[Svaness]

A full crop feels firm not squishy

An impacted crop feels firm.
A sour crop feels squishy.

 

[Eggcessive]

Also many chickens with coccidiosis or other illness, and even some broody hens, can have puffy crops. Not always sour crop symptoms.
Sour crop would be ususual in an 8 week old pullet. Coccidiosis is very common.

 

[Kat C]

An impacted crop feels firm.
A sour crop feels squishy.

Yes an impacted crop feels firm but so does a normal crop right after feed. A firm crop in the morning is impacted. A firm crop after feed means you have a bird who is eating well.
"Be sure the crop is emptying by feeling it first thing in the morning before the chicken eats. If the crop is firm, tender and the size of a tennis ball, then the crop is most likely impacted." https://www.tillysnest.com/2012/01/crop-issues-html/ First thing in the morning is the key to diagnosing if a crop is impacted. Author at the link has some suggestions for dealing with impacted crop

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Ah, you're right you're right.
So DE isn't good for them at all?

I've been feeding them starter chick feed, and I've given them a little bit of Greek vanilla yogurt not too long ago. I've also fed them Grubbies a few times as treats– dried black soldier fly larvae. Besides that, that's all I can think of.

IMO... DE has no place in chicken keeping. It isn't welcome at my house... you will have to decide if the risk outweighs benefit for YOU.

The BSFL *could* have been an issue... if there is no access to grit.

Cocci is the most likely culprit here (in my experience and opinion according to the symptoms and history) and has the highest economical loss in the poultry industry.

So sorry for your loss.