Newbie looking for help with Green and Yellow Poop.

[Michael Propst]

I have 7 hens that where hatched March 13, 2017 that I inherited from my neighbors when they moved in July and could not move the chickens with them. Since I have been doing everything I can to learn how to care and take care of my small flock. I originally had 8 but lost one about 6 weeks ago to multiple issues that I just did not understand what was going on, now that I have read a lot more I believe she either had a respiratory infection or gape worm because of way she acted, then she ended up getting a prolapse vent and had a bad case of vent gleet. I tried hard to treat her myself but ended up losing her and I was crushed. Well now I have another hen that is having some issues.

I first noticed symptoms on Monday 10/23, my hen Sadie a 7 month old Buff Orpington. Of my 7 hens she is the one that always played the rooster role, she was always the first out of the hen house in the morning and on Monday she wasn't, when I opened the run to let them out into the yard to free range she really did not move much and did not display any interest. I kept an eye on her during the day and noticed she was not running around like normal she was just laying or standing in a single spot for hours and not eating much. I called the vet then isolated her is a small coop in my garage. I dropped off a poop sample at the vets Monday evening and had an appointment yesterday. I had noticed also that the hen had some beak gaping. I did some research and thought may she had Coccidiosis, the symptoms seemed to match. I had an appointment at the vets yesterday 10/24 and the float test showed negative for worms or cocidiosis. The only thing she could really notice with the exam that gave her any concern at the time was the beak gaping that I had already noticed a bit. She asked if I dewormed the chickens which I had not, again I am very new to this and wasn't sure that was necessary. With the beak gaping she was concerned even though no clear signs of possible gape worm.

She did eat and drink really well Monday evening after I got her isolated but did not eat hardly anything yesterday and only peck a little today so far. Her poop has not been normal, I am including a picture I took this morning.

What I have done so far is added some DURVET Poultry Vitamins & Electrolytes to her water, also added Sav-A-Chick Probiotic to her food. I am feeding Scratch and Peck NATURALLY FREE ORGANIC LAYER Feed, and she has both some dry and fermented to choose from. She also has some sprouted peas, wheat, barley, and oats to choose from along with some plain greek yogurt. She seems a little more alert today but I am still concerned and would like some feedback.

 

[azygous]

Is your vet a general vet or an avian vet? Generally vets know less about chickens than the people who are bringing the sick chicken to them. My local vet knows oodles about cats, dogs and horses and cows, even llamas, but has confessed to knowing zero about poultry.

One of the things folks miss when trying to diagnose a chicken who's not feeling well is their crop. A chicken who becomes suddenly ill often has crop issues. The way to tell is to monitor the crop during the day, seeing if it fills as the chicken eats, and then checking the crop again in the morning before the chicken gets off the roost. It should be empty.

Feel her crop now. Is it soft and spongy? Or is it mostly empty? Is it full but hard? Is it mostly empty but with a small rock hard lump? How does her crop look from the outside as you look at her sideways? Does it conform to her chest with only a slight bulge or does it sag like a balloon full of water?

There is a possibility the hen has gotten hold of something with bacteria in it and she is suffering from an infection now. If your vet performed more than a fecal float test, bacteria would have showed up in the lab test. It costs more, but could tell you if this hen has a gut infection needing an antibiotic. In the absence of crop issues, an antibiotic can both help diagnose as well as cure, so I will often place my patient on a round even if I don't know for sure what's making them sick.

You are well on your way to becoming your own chicken vet with your powers of observation. Keep it up and you will learn a lot.

 

[Michael Propst]

Is your vet a general vet or an avian vet? Generally vets know less about chickens than the people who are bringing the sick chicken to them. My local vet knows oodles about cats, dogs and horses and cows, even llamas, but has confessed to knowing zero about poultry.

One of the things folks miss when trying to diagnose a chicken who's not feeling well is their crop. A chicken who becomes suddenly ill often has crop issues. The way to tell is to monitor the crop during the day, seeing if it fills as the chicken eats, and then checking the crop again in the morning before the chicken gets off the roost. It should be empty.

Feel her crop now. Is it soft and spongy? Or is it mostly empty? Is it full but hard? Is it mostly empty but with a small rock hard lump? How does her crop look from the outside as you look at her sideways? Does it conform to her chest with only a slight bulge or does it sag like a balloon full of water?

There is a possibility the hen has gotten hold of something with bacteria in it and she is suffering from an infection now. If your vet performed more than a fecal float test, bacteria would have showed up in the lab test. It costs more, but could tell you if this hen has a gut infection needing an antibiotic. In the absence of crop issues, an antibiotic can both help diagnose as well as cure, so I will often place my patient on a round even if I don't know for sure what's making them sick.

You are well on your way to becoming your own chicken vet with your powers of observation. Keep it up and you will learn a lot.

Thanks for the information and she is a avian vet and specializes in birds and exotics. And yes she did also do a fecal direct smear test as well and no bacteria was found.

When I first found my hen in this state one of the first things I did is check her crop this was Monday early afternoon and the crop was mostly empty and felt like a soft bean bag. She did finally eat and drink well Monday evening and I checked her crop before she went into the hen house and it was full and a bit hard. She has not eaten much since Monday evening and her crop has felt mostly empty.

Do you have a recommended antibiotic? I have tried as much as possible to find holistic treatments for all of my animals but will resort to other meds if it really comes to it.
Thanks

 

[azygous]

Whatever broad spectrum antibiotic you can get hold of will work. Your vet should be able to provide that.

If it makes her feel better and start eating again, you'll know it was bacterial. You should see almost immediate results after starting the antibiotic if bacteria is the culprit.

 

[Eggcessive]

The dark green poop looks like a chicken who is not eating much, but the yellow coating on top looks like it could be egg yolk matter, possibly from internal laying or egg yolk peritonitis. It is very common in hens, especially when they are a couple of years old. They lose weight through the breast, have poor appetites, and may have swelling in the lower belly, but symptoms can vary. Here is a little reading about that if it is what is bothering her:
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/egg-peritonitis
http://www.theveterinaryexpert.com/backyard-poultry/egg-yolk-peritonitis/

 

[Michael Propst]

Thanks for all of the information so far. I think she is making a turn for the better. Yesterday there were 3 droppings in the run and all appeared to be normal and this morning on the tray in the hen house there was just a slight yellow urates on it. I do have an additional question. If everything continues to be clear for the next day or so how soon can I reintegrate her with the others?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Since your fecal floats showed no signs of coccidiosis or worms and she is improving, it's best to get her back with the flock when you can, as long as she is strong enough to eat/drink on her own and no one picks on her.

One thing I didn't see you mention in any of your posts was if she is laying eggs. Is she laying eggs fairly consistently and normally?

 

[Michael Propst]

Since your fecal floats showed no signs of coccidiosis or worms and she is improving, it's best to get her back with the flock when you can, as long as she is strong enough to eat/drink on her own and no one picks on her.

One thing I didn't see you mention in any of your posts was if she is laying eggs. Is she laying eggs fairly consistently and normally?

She did lay an egg on Monday after I isolated her and she also laid one on Wednesday. I am very new still to raising chickens and have 7 hens, I really don't know which egg belongs to which hen on a daily basis. On average I get 5-7 eggs a day from the 7 so I know a few are not consistently laying daily. But simple answer is yes she has laid twice in 4 days.

As long as her dropping stay normal I had planned on integrating her back in on Sunday afternoon since I have nothing going on I can keep an eye on all of them. I am curious to see how this plays out as she was the alpha.

I just checked on her and she did have another dropping still looking good, picture attached.

 

[azygous]

It's great news she's returned to normal. She may have had a slight crop issue and it managed to resolve itself. Or if it was a pathogen, her immune system was strong enough to combat it.

That image is of a supremely normal and healthy poop. You should be very proud.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Laying twice in 4days is good. Buff Orpingtons are not extremely "prolific" layers like a production hen would be. I had one that averaged 5 eggs a week for the first year, while another only averaged 3.

I would let her back with the others and see how it goes