Older hen not well..thinking Internal Laying/EYP..also not clearing crop

[webmistress32]

I just had a hen w slimy yellow poop. It's been going on for 4 days. On the first day she was found roosting while everyone else was outside in the evening before dark. Not normal. So I started her on broad spectrum antibiotics as she is old and breathing heavy and I suspected URI.

The next morning I gave her another dose and hydrated her with just water. Put her in an isolation cage in the coop w her friends and food/water. Again that night and noticed her crop felt completely empty. Yesterday same thing. Her comb felt cold since day two, maybe a little purple and I noticed the breathing got heavier.

This morning I took her out of the cat carrier I have put her in to sleep for the past two nights and started to medicate and hydrate her and she passed a lot of running yellow poop then passed away.

My guess is liver problem. My husband had the lawn treated and didn't tell me and they were let out afterwards. That was about 2-3 weeks ago, I would guess the liver problem has been cooking since then. Hoping I don't lose any more birds.

 

[LaFleche]

I just had a hen w slimy yellow poop. It's been going on for 4 days. On the first day she was found roosting while everyone else was outside in the evening before dark. Not normal. So I started her on broad spectrum antibiotics as she is old and breathing heavy and I suspected URI.

The next morning I gave her another dose and hydrated her with just water. Put her in an isolation cage in the coop w her friends and food/water. Again that night and noticed her crop felt completely empty. Yesterday same thing. Her comb felt cold since day two, maybe a little purple and I noticed the breathing got heavier.

This morning I took her out of the cat carrier I have put her in to sleep for the past two nights and started to medicate and hydrate her and she passed a lot of running yellow poop then passed away.

My guess is liver problem. My husband had the lawn treated and didn't tell me and they were let out afterwards. That was about 2-3 weeks ago, I would guess the liver problem has been cooking since then. Hoping I don't lose any more birds.

Get Milk Thistle for them, either in form of tea or powder (capsules). Helps with liver problems and poisoning.

 

[Buffy Brahma Mama]

Vent gleet can be caused by a fungus (including yeast), bacteria, parasites and other stressors that cause an imbalance.

Since there are two things presenting that can be caused by yeast imbalance (crop stasis/sour crop from yeast and what sounds like vent gleet), a yeast imbalance may be your culprit. This is very common. The sounds you hear are likely from crop stasis where the food that was there is fermenting. I suspect the blue comb tips are casued by higher blood pressure due to discomfort.

If it is a yeast imbalance, both these issues can be treated effectively (drain crop, then nystatin for the yeast, and washing/drying and applying antifungal to the cloaca daily). You can also use a motility agent from the vet to help her motility get started again during treatment.

I know there are natural treatments you can use for the yeast as well, but I can't speak to effectiveness.

After and during treatment, I would use all the things I mentioned above in the food/vitamin section of my previous post, including the plain greek yogurt.

 

[webmistress32]

Get Milk Thistle for them, either in form of tea or powder (capsules). Helps with liver problems and poisoning.

Right, so I just bought a quart jug of it (for horses, but I am sure it's the same thing; I had a mare on it years ago) I am wondering how to dose it to them? Add to their water? Is it nasty? will they drink it?

 

[vantain]

washing/drying and applying antifungal to the cloaca daily

Her cloaca itself is not messy..just the feathers beneath it. It's clear.

 

[Buffy Brahma Mama]

Her cloaca itself is not messy..just the feathers beneath it. It's clear.

Given her motility is really slowed down, a vet would likely give the yeast medication orally (which would likely take care of the issues), but they might also use a topical treatment on the cloaca for an added measure. The yellow/smelly stuff you describe really sounds like gleet. Yeast imbalance can be pretty potent. Not to say there isn't more going on there, but yeast imbalance seems to be a high probability.

There are lots of resources out there. Here is one I found quickly from my pet chicken that is based more on home treatment. https://www.mypetchicken.com/backyard-chickens/chicken-help/What-is-vent-gleet-and-how-can-I-treat-my-H491.aspx#:~:text=Vent gleet (a.k.a. cloacitis) occurs,(gross - we know!).

If you can't get the nystatin for whatever reason, there are some other yeast treatment options mentioned here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Good luck!

 

[LaFleche]

Right, so I just bought a quart jug of it (for horses, but I am sure it's the same thing; I had a mare on it years ago) I am wondering how to dose it to them? Add to their water? Is it nasty? will they drink it?

I am only familiar with the herbs/tea and capsules and gave both simultaneously to my youngsters, that all of the sudden decided to poison themselves with crawfoot. They got into a frenzy doing so and a few hours later already showed yellow skin, lethargy etc.
But they all recovered within two days of intense milk thistle therapy. They drank the tea and I mixed the powder into their scrambled eggs with oatmeal and grated carrots 5 times a day.

It is not nasty, but you could add some aniseed and fennel tea to the mix to sweeten it.

I hope all your hens will recover.

 

[Cecisflock]

Given her motility is really slowed down, a vet would likely give the yeast medication orally (which would likely take care of the issues), but they might also use a topical treatment on the cloaca for an added measure. The yellow/smelly stuff you describe really sounds like gleet. Yeast imbalance can be pretty potent. Not to say there isn't more going on there, but yeast imbalance seems to be a high probability.

There are lots of resources out there. Here is one I found quickly from my pet chicken that is based more on home treatment. https://www.mypetchicken.com/backyard-chickens/chicken-help/What-is-vent-gleet-and-how-can-I-treat-my-H491.aspx#:~:text=Vent gleet (a.k.a. cloacitis) occurs,(gross - we know!).

If you can't get the nystatin for whatever reason, there are some other yeast treatment options mentioned here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

not everyone has access to a vet.

 

[Buffy Brahma Mama]

not everyone has access to a vet.

Agree, mine is either 45 min or 2 hrs away. It's rough. There are lots of good treatment alternatives listed at least and options for people who don't have access. It would also be great if there was a non-profit set up to offset costs for those that can't afford treatment, but want to do all they can. I know mypetchicken also has a triage section to help diagnose problems too and I think that is free and online.