Older hen with sudden issues please help

[Snakebiteholloway]

I have a rescue hen, very small leghorn, about 4 years old (?) She was already laying large white eggs when we got her, and in terrible shape. Lived her entire life in a small cat kennel ankle deep in feces. So thick were the feces, so small the kennel, she couldn't stand up. We took her in and cleaned her up and gave her the run of the place. She lost 4 toes for compacted feces.
She rewarded us with affection, often 2 eggs a day (wow) and a lovely friendly perky disposition.
She's been an exceptional pet over the last two years. But I'm very worried.
In the last week, she's deteriorated so rapidly I'm heartbroken. Her bottom needs constant cleaning from feces and pus. She's lethargic to the extreme, barely eating and drinking even her faves. Her once lovely sail-like erect tail is drooped and filthy. Her glamour girl flopped-over-one-eye vibrant comb is pale, almost white, completely limp. She has a swollen, hard abdomen. She's standing oddly, like she's stretched upon tiptoes. Head and breast up, tail down and dragging.
Her feathers are dull and dirty and have an odd clipped appearance at each end.
No fever, no vomiting, no swollen crop.
I know heavy layers, esp given her background, don't have long lives. But she's not lost weight or behaved like she's aging until this week!
I've researched, but nothing fits all these symptoms.

Also, she hasn't laid in over 2 months, tho she was her usual self, if a tad less perky, so i figured she was just getting on in years and anticipated her calm retirement.
(We doing eat any fowl or eggs. Not vegan by any stretch, just don't care for either.)

Any advice appreciated, we are very sad about her. If i have to put her out of her misery i will. But i'd rather save her if it's not too late.
I've started her a few days ago on garlic and ginger water and appropriate topical meds.

Please help.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Pictures of the posture?

Sounds like a reproductive disorder.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You mention her bottom has feces and pus.
What is the pus like - is it more like urates, vent gleet (smells yeasty) or infection like pus (salpingitis)?

Having a hard abdomen, I too would suspect some type of reproductive disorder. Sadly, production hens often have these issues and sometimes all that can be done is offer supportive care and make them comfortable until it's time to let them go.

Do check her for lice/mites, consider getting a fecal float to see if worms are part of the problem. Antibiotics may help with inflammation and infection, but sometimes the improvement is short lived. See that her crop is emptying and that she's staying hydrated and eating.

I'm very sorry that you face this. You took her in, she thrived and got to feel love. She sounds like a great hen.

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

You mention her bottom has feces and pus.
What is the pus like - is it more like urates, vent gleet (smells yeasty) or infection like pus (salpingitis)?

Having a hard abdomen, I too would suspect some type of reproductive disorder. Sadly, production hens often have these issues and sometimes all that can be done is offer supportive care and make them comfortable until it's time to let them go.

Do check her for lice/mites, consider getting a fecal float to see if worms are part of the problem. Antibiotics may help with inflammation and infection, but sometimes the improvement is short lived. See that her crop is emptying and that she's staying hydrated and eating.

I'm very sorry that you face this. You took her in, she thrived and got to feel love. She sounds like a great hen.

Thank you for your response. We've no poultry veterinarian anywhere close to us - weird but true. There's one who comes once a month. Sometimes. So I'll take your advice about the float and the antibiotic by calling the regular vet to see if this is something they can or will, do. They've refused us even in trauma injuries.
Some folks just don't appreciate birds, i reckon.
No mites or other external parasites. I'm fanatical about that for their health and comfort.
The pus seems to be coming from the vent, in any case, and is thick and yellow and sticky. The odor is rather worse than either you've described. It's like something dead. I can find no obvious infection site (i.e. cut or scratch or blister) to account for surface infection. The area around the vent is red and irritated consistent with the exudates present but not excessive.
Thank you for understanding. My daughter and i truly appreciate all our girls, and it's disheartening to have no medical help available.
Penny was the first chicken i ever owned, and her quirky, hilarious personality hooked me on chickens. I now have 18, assorted "cool" breeds and regular ones. Their eggs - usually 12 a day - go to a local church.
But no matter how many fancy feet and vivid colors i have, she's always been my favorite and the start of this wondrous hobby.
So I'm very sad.
Thank you. I'll start pestering the vet in the a.m.

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

As an aside, i was new to this area, live (by choice) a very solitary life. Penny became a bright spot in my days in mere hours. Hard labor setting up a small homestead and long solo days became a lot brighter with her tagging along behind me, sailtail and floppy comb bouncing around.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The pus seems to be coming from the vent, in any case, and is thick and yellow and sticky. The odor is rather worse than either you've described. It's like something dead.

The area around the vent is red and irritated consistent with the exudates present but not excessive.

It sounds like she has infection of the reproductive system, but hard to know.
If the vet is not an option, then you could try treating her yourself.
Treating may extend life and make her more comfortable, but these measures can be short lived. Not trying to be bleak, just realistic. I've had hens "recover" or "feel better" but at some point they begin to decline again. This is when you make a decision to try again or if they have had enough, only the keeper that knows and loves them can really make that call.
If eating any eggs that she may lay are not important, then Baytril would be a very good choice for treating infection. Amoxicillin is another option. Depending on where you live you may be able to find Fish Antibiotics (Amoxicillin/Fish Mox) at TSC or similar feed store, otherwise, you'll need to order it.
https://allbirdproducts.com/products/baytril-10
https://fishmoxfishflex.com/collections/amoxicillin-fish-antibiotics

For red skin due to being damp - you can apply Hen Healer, Nu Stock or even a thin coating of vaseline if that's what you have on hand. Something to help protect the skin from the exudes.

Probiotics may also be helpful...these can be purchased or you can give yogurt or buttermilk. About 1 tablespoon. My hens love "buttermilk mash" which is just buttermilk, water and their feed (I let it soak overnight). They gobble it up.

Penny sounds just lovely. Chickens have a way of warming the heart. I had a little White Leghorn several years ago, she was always so busy and talkative. I lost her around the age of 4 to reproductive problems, it is sad losing them, but I also remember her with great fondness. Her name was Krissy.

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

Sorry for the delay. Blizzard. Thank you for your kind and informative words. I am putting hen healer on her skin, and I'm going right now to order that medicine. Our TSC doesn't have that. I looked yesterday for ANYTHING to help. Even if she dies, i'd like for her to at least be more comfortable beforehand, you understand. She's inside, stinking up my house at the moment, but idm that much.
Tomorrow when it's warmer she'll get another bath. (The wind is blowing so hard it's even cold inside my house) The pus smells horrible. But ... Candle, beeswax. Yup. She's warm and comfortable in deep soft hay with healthy treats and ginger\rosemary water close at beak.
I'm going to get her more yogurt tomorrow too, and I'll mix her feed in. I didn't think of that. I'll try the buttermilk as well - good bacteria!
Thank you!
It's so sad when they get old. Thank you for sharing Krissy's story.

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

Update on perky penny

She's inside my house still, keeping her hay spotless, medications, ginger and rosemary and garlic water, and except for the spraddle legged walking (what little she does move) she's fine?
The bottom area is still nasty and requires cleaning.
But she seems to feel ok.
She's eating like a plowhorse, drinking plenty, bright eyed and engaged.
What gives?
I'm glad she's not suffering by my heart!
But idk how to help her. I thought she'd either got a dead egg or some infection in there.
Nothing has happened with massages or hot water bathes.
It's it possible that simply old age related issues (i.e. tumor) can make their abdomen swell and cause them to waddle and be sedentary?
Advice?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Abdomen swelling can be from Salpingitis, EYP, tumors, cancer, Internal Laying. Fluid can also accumulate in the abdomen as well. Having a bad odor, I would suspect infection - whether it's Salpingitis or some other cause, it would be hard to know.
Often we cannot determine what is going on until they die and necropsy is performed. Not for everyone, but doing your own at home to take a look can be informative. You can also have a professional necropsy performed by your state lab.

If she's eating/drinking and relatively active, then putting her back with the flock and tending to her daily needs, giving medication and clean ups may be the way to go. I rarely separate out a hen from her flock unless she's getting picked at. I do check on them daily or more often depending on what's going on with them. Even if they don't move about a lot, they usually find a reasonably comfy place and settle in. I observe. I do notice a buddy may come sit with them quietly for a while during the day.

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

Thanks for the response. I'm just so unsure how to handle this.
Normally i wouldn't separate her out, but i noticed her not getting around very well and the other girls were rather shoving her away from food and water.
Not mean to her at all, just oblivious as chickens are.
Plus, i was her first "flock" lol and it was just us two for a year or more. I think she kinda likes being back inside.
She's talkative and alert.
Eating and drinking very well.
I'm not understanding what to do except keep her comfy.
At the risk of sounding heartless, I'm doing everything i humanly can do, meds, cleaning, etc.
I just don't understand how she can be so perky with a belly like a football?
Oh and there's nothing inside her that i can feel.

Well. I guess she'll either get better or pass on. Until then i just plan to keep her comfy.

Thank you to everyone who's given so much excellent advice.
I really value this site and you all.