My girl hasn't ate or drank in 3 days*update, I culled her*

[augustmomx2]

Thank you for all of your advice. I read the locked post and understand why you guys don't want us to post similar posts and just add to our originial

Although I may feel like my girl is the only sick one, it obviously is not

Now to my chicken...she now has started leaning her head to one side...like her eye on the right is looking straight up, the left straight down, when she's walking, standing, whatever Also, when she sleeps her head now "dips" to the side...she straightens it and it dips again. The poo does have the normal color of poo, just runnier and a weird smell

She'll take the vitamins dribbled, water, applesauce and yogurt. She will only take about 10 dribbles at a time and then starts flapping to get away from me. Or, she'll just turn her head, close her eyes and that is when it dribbles on her chest. She refused the egg yolk. Here are a few pics.
This one is of her yesterday day:

Her poo Wednesday:

Just taken now (see the way her head is dipped?)

Her poo from tonight, it was just runnier than it looks

Sorry for all the poo pics...thanks for looking

& even if all of this doesn't work, hopefully it can help someone else...

 

[threehorses]

Oh definitely! I'm not confused - i'm frustrated because I feel like I'm failing at giving answers.

 

[threehorses]

Oh she reallyl is feeling bad. Well the applesauce, you can stop with that now. She's cleansed. So I'd keep with the yogurt, vitamins, water.

I'm concerned that she has no interest in drinking on her own. Because she's getting less, offer her electrolytes - in fact use that in the water you dribble to her.

And no egg yolk - usually they love it. Is there anything you can get her to eat at all?

Because of the bad smell of the droppings, ideally it would be best to have a fecal bacteria check done at a vet - and I'd recommend checking both negative AND positive bacteria if this is a possibility (the vet visit) as gram positive bacteria are often associated with very bad smells.

The diarrhea looks like straight diarrhea, not mucous, not bloody. It's a shame you can't get her to try the oatmeal. She definitely is not doing well and it's very frustrating.

Is her crop of normal size? (trying to catch up with the info here).

Were you able to tell if there was a broken egg inside? By the way, to tell (and this is not the funnest advice to give) you would put a glove on, put olive oil or KY jelly on the finger (we used that at the vet clinic)), and use your index finger on your right hand. You will insert into the vent gently, never pushing against resistance. I would suggest going in at the top of the vent along the top wall. You'll use your opposite hand along the abdomen. that way if there's a (whole) egg, you will feel it between your index and your hand. You can also do the same but feel for egg shell fragments.

If hypothetically you ever find egg shell in the vent, remove what you can gently with your finger, and then use *cool* water (not warm) to flush the vent of its contents. Alternately you can use cool water and a few drops of nolvasan. This flushes out the cloaca while the cool water helps with the inflammation inside.

I wonder, too, about the egg. That could explain her demeanor. I'm surely repeating myself here, and I apologize, but did she get oyster shell and laying pellets before?

Also I think you had asked about palpating for egg binding. You will feel the abdomen (like you do for the vent-exam) for any excess lumpiness, etc. Sometimes they can internal lay - in that case you may not feel anything until there are several misplaced yolks which can feel abnormal in her "abdomen", the area between her legs and up to her vent.

Sitting here thinking, I think I'd start to make what I call "soup". The vitamins, a little yogurt, and I'd mash an egg yolk with water and use some of that to make a thick water or a thin soup or broth with the egg yolk, etc. If you dribble stuff to her, it might as well have some nutrients in it. Alternately, you could dissolve her crumbles in water and do this. NutriDrench is also a wonderful product if you're able to use it. It has the electrolytes, vitamins, and a B vitamin to encourage appetite.

Wednesday's droppings look a bit like she didn't have much nutrition - that forest green skinny solid feces at the bottom. The second could be the droppings from the applesauce flush. Stopping that, perhaps adding powdered coatmeal to the water-soup (another option - grind a little oatmeal in the food processor, mix that with your "broth" whichever recipe you choose) might give her something to solidify her droppings, give her a little carbs for energy.

So definitely:

Stop the applesauce now - she's cleared.
Continue the vitamins and yogurt.
Try to get her to eat anything normal - dampening crumbles, try the egg again, etc.
Make one of the water-soup recipes for the 'dribbling' water to nourish her.

She's a beautiful girl, even sick. Does she feel thin now to you by the way?

Sorry - these questions and this info are all scrambled and disorganized.

 

[augustmomx2]

I'm going to post my info in bold

Oh she reallyl is feeling bad. Well the applesauce, you can stop with that now. She's cleansed. So I'd keep with the yogurt, vitamins, water.

I'm concerned that she has no interest in drinking on her own. Because she's getting less, offer her electrolytes - in fact use that in the water you dribble to her.

And no egg yolk - usually they love it. Is there anything you can get her to eat at all? No

she refuses to eat anything. Even to the point of fighing me to get out of my hands and ignorning me completely

Because of the bad smell of the droppings, ideally it would be best to have a fecal bacteria check done at a vet - and I'd recommend checking both negative AND positive bacteria if this is a possibility (the vet visit) as gram positive bacteria are often associated with very bad smells.

The diarrhea looks like straight diarrhea, not mucous, not bloody. It's a shame you can't get her to try the oatmeal. She definitely is not doing well and it's very frustrating.

Is her crop of normal size? (trying to catch up with the info here). It feels as though it is a walnut size and it moves around when you push it

Were you able to tell if there was a broken egg inside? By the way, to tell (and this is not the funnest advice to give) you would put a glove on, put olive oil or KY jelly on the finger (we used that at the vet clinic)), and use your index finger on your right hand. You will insert into the vent gently, never pushing against resistance. I would suggest going in at the top of the vent along the top wall. You'll use your opposite hand along the abdomen. that way if there's a (whole) egg, you will feel it between your index and your hand. You can also do the same but feel for egg shell fragments. I have not done this, I'll go to Walmart in the am and pick up some plastic gloves and thank you for the detailed explanation as to how to go about this, I have no idea

If hypothetically you ever find egg shell in the vent, remove what you can gently with your finger, and then use *cool* water (not warm) to flush the vent of its contents. Alternately you can use cool water and a few drops of nolvasan. This flushes out the cloaca while the cool water helps with the inflammation inside.

I wonder, too, about the egg. That could explain her demeanor. I'm surely repeating myself here, and I apologize, but did she get oyster shell and laying pellets before? She is on layer feed and was my early morning layer. The day she became ill (Tuesday) she did not lay. However, she did lay on Wednesday. I did not offer oyster shell and you suggested I should for my other girls. I went out that day and purchased some

Also I think you had asked about palpating for egg binding. You will feel the abdomen (like you do for the vent-exam) for any excess lumpiness, etc. Sometimes they can internal lay - in that case you may not feel anything until there are several misplaced yolks which can feel abnormal in her "abdomen", the area between her legs and up to her vent. Gotcha, I've been feeling and do not feel anything protruding. I'll check her again

Sitting here thinking, I think I'd start to make what I call "soup". The vitamins, a little yogurt, and I'd mash an egg yolk with water and use some of that to make a thick water or a thin soup or broth with the egg yolk, etc. If you dribble stuff to her, it might as well have some nutrients in it. Alternately, you could dissolve her crumbles in water and do this. NutriDrench is also a wonderful product if you're able to use it. It has the electrolytes, vitamins, and a B vitamin to encourage appetite. Great idea, I have kids and you would think I would figure this stuff out myself

Wednesday's droppings look a bit like she didn't have much nutrition - that forest green skinny solid feces at the bottom. The second could be the droppings from the applesauce flush. Stopping that, perhaps adding powdered coatmeal to the water-soup (another option - grind a little oatmeal in the food processor, mix that with your "broth" whichever recipe you choose) might give her something to solidify her droppings, give her a little carbs for energy.

So definitely:

Stop the applesauce now - she's cleared.
Continue the vitamins and yogurt.
Try to get her to eat anything normal - dampening crumbles, try the egg again, etc.
Make one of the water-soup recipes for the 'dribbling' water to nourish her.

She's a beautiful girl, even sick. Does she feel thin now to you by the way? Thanks, she's a hatchery chicken from Ideal. I did forget to mention that about her weight. She she is very thin, her breast bone is protruding and she's just lighter

Sorry - these questions and this info are all scrambled and disorganized No need to ever apologize, I just need any kind of info and suggestions and I'm so grateful you are taking the time to help

 

[threehorses]

I had to laugh about "I have kids... you'd think..." You know, I end up saying this type of advice alot and I forget. It's a LOT of information, and we don't always make the connection but a lot of this stuff does work for both humans and chickens. Which makes it convenient.

Because of the egg, because of the oyster shell, I'd even take the chance and give her a tums tablet crushed in.... well I dont' know what I'd crush it in. Water perhaps, what you can - doesn't have to be the whole thing. But a little calcium boost at least. Something. If there's an egg issue, whatever you get into her might help.

On the crop, do you think there is something in there? not just crop, but something blocking her crop? Or is it just the bottom of that sack you're feeling? I wonder... I keep seeing a reference to a walnut and I keep thinking "is there something in there?".

I just really wish she'd eat. That's going to be key. Even if it's just souping up her water with egg or crumbles. But she's probably fighting that, too.

By the way, if you want to check for dehyration, you can try pulling the skin behind her comb or to the side of it (where it's bald) and seeing if it "tents", stays up instead of popping back against the body. If it tents, she's dehyrated. If you have pedialyte, I'd use it for her.

Please forgive me if I repeat myself or ask you to! lol

Do you think she was thin before this - or just now?

 

[augustmomx2]

Quote:
She is much thinner now. Her breast bone is protruding severly and she's light as a feather

She did poo today (I have no idea how, she hasn't hardly ate anything since Tuesday). But it was white and mostly runny.

I'm pretty sure she's close to then end

She can barely open her eyes, she has one wing spread and her head is bobbing back and forth still. I'm going to continue trying to have her eat or drink...poor girl

 

[augustmomx2]

I culled my sick girl, she hadn't ate or drank anything since last Tuesday...She was barely hanging on couldn't even open her eyes. So I waited, thinking she would pass on her own. After last night I resolved if she wasn't gone this evening, I would have to do it

I used the vinegar/baking soda method. I used a rubberrmaid tote, huge vase, a box of baking soda and a gallon of vinegar. She moved around at first (which was terrible cuz all I wanted to do was open the box and save her

) and then I just waited...she eventually passed. I'm praying I don't have to do this again, but if I must, I may try another method. This method I don't recommend, her moving around in the box trying to get out, almost made me freak out. Maybe I shouldn't own chickens if I can't do this...ughh...sorry my poor chicken

 

[speckledhen]

I'm so sorry. That is awfully hard, I know.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

I'm sorry to hear she did not make it. It sounds as though you tried everything you could to make her better, and helped end her pain when it was clear she wasn't getting better. You are a very good chicken owner!

 

[JestersEye]

It sounds like you went through an awful ordeal... I'm so sorry for you.

I know how helpless it feels when you are fighting to put weight back on a sick, lethargic chicken. I've been there, and am in a similar situation right now. I've also had other pets that we had to put down ourselves. A few months back, we had to euthanize one of our ferrets because she got so sick and old... but just laid there continuing to breath. My husband and I decided to use carbon monoxide by running the car exhaust into a cardboard box. Luckily, our ferret was so inactive to begin with, she simply went to sleep peacefully and never woke up. Maybe that method could be useful to someone else in this kind of difficult situation. Don't blame yourself or second-guess yourself... which we all do in these situations. You did your best to care for her, and I'm sure she knew that and appreciated your love for her!