Old hen with green poop

[Self sufficient chickens]

Hello, I have a two-year-old black sex-link. Yesterday she started making greenish diarrhea and being hunched over. Here are some pictures:

Any ideas? All of my older hens are in a slow attempt at molting and we just eliminated most of the rooster population a few weeks ago.

Thanks!
EOR Homestead

 

[LaFleche]

Green diarrhea often means that too little food is passing the digestive tract. This could have different reasons, as for example impacted crop, worm infestation, some blockage further down the intestines as egg-binding or tumors.

Did you already feel her crop, is it big and rather hard or bloated and squishy filled with fluids?

When did you last deworm her?

What are you feeding exactly and does she have grit available at all times?

Did you feel below her vent between her legs, is it bloated? Hard? Or rather like fluid filled?


On another note: the green ring on her left leg seems too small, it will damage her tendon and should be removed shortly.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Dirty butt could mean gleet. Watery poop with bright green bits in it could mean she's not eating. Her posture is fine, doesn't appear to be egg bound. Her legs and feet appear dry and scaly, could be scaly leg mites.

Suggest that she takes a nice warm bath for 15 to 20 minutes, clean up those feathers and give you a good starting spot to see if she's still expelling nasty poop that sticks to her feathers. Give her a blow dry on 'cool' setting to be sure she's absolutely dry before returning her to the coop or isolating her in a doggie crate where she's seen and heard by the rest of the flock, but allows you to be certain that she's eating, drinking, laying. Rub down her feet and legs with cooking oil, moisturizes her skin and suffocates mites. How does her crop feel at night before bed? How does it feel first thing in the morning BEFORE she's had food or water? Noticeably different? How does her breath smell?
Keep us posted with your observations please

 

[Self sufficient chickens]

Did you already feel her crop, is it big and rather hard or bloated and squishy filled with fluids?

It is "squishy filled with fluids"

When did you last deworm her?

None of my chickens have ever been dewormed

What are you feeding exactly and does she have grit available at all times?

I just gave her grit, she free ranges daily.

Did you feel below her vent between her legs, is it bloated? Hard? Or rather like fluid filled?

It feels normal to me.

green ring on her left leg seems too small

I took this off, thanks for the recommendation.

gleet

Is this serious?

she's not eating

I have seen her eat some, I don't see them have food very often because the coop they live in is far away. That coop has food in it all of the time.

she takes a nice warm bath for 15 to 20 minutes, clean up those feathers and give you a good starting spot to see if she's still expelling nasty poop that sticks to her feathers. Give her a blow dry on 'cool' setting to be sure she's absolutely dry before returning her to the coop

Planning to do this soon, probably today. I know she is still expelling the nasty poop, she does it very frequently.

Rub down her feet and legs with cooking oil

Thanks for this recommendation.

How does her crop feel at night before bed? How does it feel first thing in the morning BEFORE she's had food or water?

Her crop feels the same in the morning and at night, it is not overly stuffed but feels like it could be stuck. Is this possibly sour crop?

How does her breath smell?

She seems normal.

Keep us posted with your observations please

Here are some more photos:

]

Thanks for your advice @LaFleche @Tycine1 I am very appreciative.

- Self Sufficient Chickens

 

[Ebony Rose]

Looks like gleet, but does it smell to high heaven? (Gleet usually stinks). Women's department at the drug store has over the counter 'yeast infection' medications. Monistat comes to mind, but there's cheaper generics available. Many articles on the forums on how to administer and how much to use.

 

[LaFleche]

It is "squishy filled with fluids"

It would be best to separate her in a cage at night without food or water to be able to assess whether her crop empties properly during the night. It should be complete flat in the morning before eating and drinking again.
In case it is still bloated and squishy she is suffering from impacted crop/sour crop which should be treated immediately to prevent her from starving to death:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

None of my chickens have ever been dewormed

Worms can cause diarrhea and blockage of the digestive system. You could take a sample of her droppings to your vet to have a feacal float examination done.

Did she lose weight?

And when did she last lay an egg?

 

[Self sufficient chickens]

Did she lose weight?

On Saturday, she seemed to lose a significant amount of weight but has not been expelling as much fluid (green poop).

And when did she last lay an egg?

From my seven older hens, I get about two eggs every three days. I am guessing that she has not laid in a while, she is never in the nesting box.

does it smell to high heaven

No

Do these symptoms still line up with gleet? Is there a way to test for worms without a vet (like sending fecal samples into a lab)?


Thanks for all of your help @Tycine1 and @LaFleche I am very appreciative!

 

[Self sufficient chickens]

Also, is there any way that it could be a type of Mareks? I have always been very concerned about that disease.

 

[LaFleche]

Also, is there any way that it could be a type of Mareks? I have always been very concerned about that disease.

Of course Marek's disease can lead to digestive issues and crop paralysis, but first things first:

It would be best to separate her in a cage at night without food or water to be able to assess whether her crop empties properly during the night. It should be complete flat in the morning before eating and drinking again.
In case it is still bloated and squishy she is suffering from impacted crop/sour crop which should be treated immediately to prevent her from starving to death:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[LaFleche]

Is there a way to test for worms without a vet (like sending fecal samples into a lab)?

You could collect samples from 2 days and send them in.