Not eating or drinking, trouble walking

[Baileysmom0423]

My Black Australorp, Heidi, that is almost 1 started acting very lethargic about 1 week ago. We took her to the vet and he thinks that she may have a bacterial infection of some kind (she loves the compost pile). She is not egg bound, does not have mites or worms and none of the other girls in her coop are showing any symptoms.

Her symptoms include not eating or drinking (we are tube feeding her currently), not wanting to stand up and when she does, she is very unsteady, droopy wing (only one) and very watery/clear with dark green specs stool.

Along with tube feeding her (yogurt and wet cat food slurry) we are also giving her amoxicillin and will start Tylan tonight per his recommendations (it can't really hurt her at this point).

Does anyone have any experience with this? We lost a hen in November with almost the same symptoms after she went broody for quite awhile but this hen isn't displaying the normal broody signs (sitting on eggs, picking feathers off of her abdomen and chest etc.).

Vitamin deficiency?

I just can't tell if she is suffering and if she is, I don't want to prolong it. My chickens are my pets and I love them dearly.

 

[rebrascora]

It could be Marek's disease which is very common and unfortunately there is no recognised treatment. Can you post a video of how she walks.... it needs to be uploaded to You Tube or the like and then post a link to it here. The fact that you had another similarly ailing chicken a few months ago makes it more likely to be Marek's.... it tends to exhibit like that, often just one here and there. I've had some that have recovered from an attack of it but they will always be prone to other and usually more severe attacks in the future and will carry the virus for life. That said, they can enjoy a pretty good if not normal quality of life in between times. Unfortunately the fact that she is not eating of her own accord is not good and I usually euthanize them at that point. For your information, the Marek's virus supresses the immune system as well as impacting the neurological system and eventually causing tumours, so the vet may be correct that she is battling a bacterial infection but it may be due to the immune suppressant nature of Marek's. It is a very difficult disease to understand.

If you intend to continue tube feeding her, you may find Kaytee Baby bird formula is a better option than the yoghurt/cat food mix. A good quality poultry supplement like Poultry Cell or Rooster Booster can be beneficial to support the immune system with such birds. Keeping them happy and stress free (not easy when you are having to tube feed) is important and I find sunshine and grass and the sight of other chickens helps to stimulate them if they are going to make a recovery.

Good luck with her. I would recommend that you get a necropsy done on her if she doesn't make it. Your state agricultural diagnostics lab should be able to provide that service often at a subsidised rate.... private veterinary practices are expensive for such services and many do not have much knowledge of chickens. The body needs to be refrigerated (not frozen) and sent off asap.

Good luck with her and I hope it doesn't come to that last suggestion.