Mystery illness - lethargic, droopy wings, and limited leg use

[Ltilden]

Nutri-Drench is fine to give.
Hopefully she will start to get better. Please keep us posted.

So starting last night I noticed a shift in her behavior and she seems like she might be starting to perk up. I went to feed my other chickens in the house some mealworms while Betty was on the couch nearby and she jumped off the couch and ran over to try and get some worms lol this morning she was standing when I went to check on her first thing and she voluntarily walked over to her food and water when I put that back in her crate.

Her crop was a little squishy this morning. It feels like soft play dough maybe, not hard or completely full, but it definitely did not empty all the way over night. He breath doesn’t smell really so I don’t think it would be sour crop. From what I’ve read you would know by the smell pretty easily if that was the case.

The last time I dealt with an impacted crop it was extremely full and hard. If I remember correctly I would feed her coconut oil and massage her crop through out the day, along with withholding food until it emptied.

Would you suggest try the same with Betty since she does seem to have some sort of crop issue?

*edited to add: I should mention I am still
noticing her breathing heavily. She doesn’t open mouth breathe unless I pick her up, but I noticed last night her body moving up and down significantly as she breathed. This morning I didn’t notice it until she just had breakfast, she immediately sat down after she ate and is now breathing heavily again.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Her crop was a little squishy this morning. It feels like soft play dough maybe, not hard or completely full, but it definitely did not empty all the way over night.

noticing her breathing heavily. She doesn’t open mouth breathe unless I pick her up, but I noticed last night her body moving up and down significantly as she breathed. This morning I didn’t notice it until she just had breakfast, she immediately sat down after she ate and is now breathing heavily again.

I'm glad she's perking up a little.

Crop issues are generally a symptom of an underlying condition. I would treat the symptoms starting with the Coconut oil and massage a couple of times a day. Sour Crop usually only has a bad odor if advanced, so if it's still not emptying and doughy after you treat her for a couple of days, I would consider giving an anti-fungal too.

Open mouth breathing, especially if picked up and after eating. I would suspect she's got a reproductive problem. Maybe some fluid in the abdomen too. When you pick her up, make sure to support her abdomen below the vent between her legs, place a hand there.
The after eating, her crop is full, there's some pressure...makes it difficult to breath.
I've seen this in hens before, treat symptoms as they arise, make her comfortable. If she's up and moving, eating/drinking, not picked on by the other hens...I'd be inclined to put her with the flock at least for periods of time each day.

It can be frustrating and heartbreaking. Sometimes they improve, sometimes they sort of stay the same and sometimes they decline.

What I do is treat symptoms, consider deworming, monitor and access daily. I leave mine with the flock unless they are picked at. They may lounge around more at times. To me, they seem happier, less stressed with the flock than isolated away from them.

Here's the treatments I follow when addressing crop symptoms. You can use more than one "treatment" at a time. For instance, I usually always give coconut oil, my hens love it. If the crop is really doughy and not moving well, I may give 1 stool softener as well. I use Clotrimazole for sour crop, some use Miconazole or Nystatin. I've also dewormed during treatment as well.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Ltilden]

I'm glad she's perking up a little.

Crop issues are generally a symptom of an underlying condition. I would treat the symptoms starting with the Coconut oil and massage a couple of times a day. Sour Crop usually only has a bad odor if advanced, so if it's still not emptying and doughy after you treat her for a couple of days, I would consider giving an anti-fungal too.

Open mouth breathing, especially if picked up and after eating. I would suspect she's got a reproductive problem. Maybe some fluid in the abdomen too. When you pick her up, make sure to support her abdomen below the vent between her legs, place a hand there.
The after eating, her crop is full, there's some pressure...makes it difficult to breath.
I've seen this in hens before, treat symptoms as they arise, make her comfortable. If she's up and moving, eating/drinking, not picked on by the other hens...I'd be inclined to put her with the flock at least for periods of time each day.

It can be frustrating and heartbreaking. Sometimes they improve, sometimes they sort of stay the same and sometimes they decline.

What I do is treat symptoms, consider deworming, monitor and access daily. I leave mine with the flock unless they are picked at. They may lounge around more at times. To me, they seem happier, less stressed with the flock than isolated away from them.

Here's the treatments I follow when addressing crop symptoms. You can use more than one "treatment" at a time. For instance, I usually always give coconut oil, my hens love it. If the crop is really doughy and not moving well, I may give 1 stool softener as well. I use Clotrimazole for sour crop, some use Miconazole or Nystatin. I've also dewormed during treatment as well.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Unfortunately Betty passed away over night last night. I am devastated as I thought she was turning a corner. I treated her crop on Monday and it was completely emptied but Tuesday morning. I let her be out with her flock on Tuesday since it was a beautiful day out, but still kept her in her crate in the run so I could monitor her and she didn’t have access to all their food (I was still feeding her soft food separately). She seemed to be doing really well that night so I let her sleep with her flock overnight, then yesterday when I checked on her first thing her crop was fully empty again so I figured it was safe to let her be with her flock again fully while I still monitored her progress bleach day. She was still moving a little slow but was engaging in all the normal flock activities eating, drinking, scratching around and begging for treats like normal. I gave her vitamins before bed like normal when I closed up the coop and then found her this morning

Im contemplating sending her for an autopsy to see if what affected her is something that I will have to worry about with the rest of my chickens or if it was an issue that was isolated to her. I have to find a place near me that does this though and I’m hoping it’s not outrageously expensive.

Thank you again for all your help, even though she didn’t make it, I think with your advice I was able to keep her somewhat comfortable during her last days

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry to hear that Betty died
I'm glad she was able to be outside on a beautiful day and interacted with her flock.

If you are considering diagnostics/necropsy, double bag the body and refrigerate. Make arrangements to send to your state lab. Depending on your state, the fees may be reasonable, some states are not.

https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

 

[MotherHen999]

Unfortunately Betty passed away over night last night. I am devastated as I thought she was turning a corner. I treated her crop on Monday and it was completely emptied but Tuesday morning. I let her be out with her flock on Tuesday since it was a beautiful day out, but still kept her in her crate in the run so I could monitor her and she didn’t have access to all their food (I was still feeding her soft food separately). She seemed to be doing really well that night so I let her sleep with her flock overnight, then yesterday when I checked on her first thing her crop was fully empty again so I figured it was safe to let her be with her flock again fully while I still monitored her progress bleach day. She was still moving a little slow but was engaging in all the normal flock activities eating, drinking, scratching around and begging for treats like normal. I gave her vitamins before bed like normal when I closed up the coop and then found her this morning

Im contemplating sending her for an autopsy to see if what affected her is something that I will have to worry about with the rest of my chickens or if it was an issue that was isolated to her. I have to find a place near me that does this though and I’m hoping it’s not outrageously expensive.

Thank you again for all your help, even though she didn’t make it, I think with your advice I was able to keep her somewhat comfortable during her last days

I know thisnis an old thread, but did you send her off and find out what was wrong? This is exactly what my girl is doing, and I don't think she will last the day... but I have new chicks in the brooder I don't want to introduce if it was Mareks...