Range of Symptoms That I Can't Figure Out

[hendaddy094]

Hi all,

One of my hens has been sick for about a week or so. We took her to the vet and they couldn't find anything wrong and completely missed I think the biggest symptom. She's very lethargic these days we've isolated her and kept her in her own cage because when shes with the other chickens they immediately come to peck at her because they can sense that she's sick. When shes in the cage she'll sit in the corner and kinda splat and expand. She has trouble walking she takes very small steps and has a hard time making it over the tiny ledge of the cage. She has dark brown diarrhea, she doesn't drink much water or eat much food. I just noticed that she came out of her cage when she saw me and started pecking at the pellets we left out for her except that she couldn't really eat the bigger ones she shakes her head like she's trying to break the pellets apart. She'll go mostly for the little broken pieces and pick from the dust. She has trouble keeping one of her eyes open. Either that or she's reluctant to open her eye. Will post more if I notice any symptoms but this is all I can think of for now. Hopefully y'all can help me more than the vet did.

Edit: Last week when I would give her time in the run because that was the only time she would drink water. But while she would drink I would give her food after and she looked like she wasn't getting a lot of food into her beak as. When I watch the other hens eat they usually have clean beaks but with my sick one, she ate and a lot of it got stuck around her beak. Hopefully this helps as well.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Since she is having trouble eating pellets, the first thing I would do is moisten the feed to make a mash the consistency of oatmeal. This may help her.

Is your vet an avian vet with poultry experience? Did he take a fecal sample or nose/throat swab?
I don't know where you are but if it is cold at all, I'd bring her into the house and give her a space around 80F.
I wouldn't leave her with the flock until she is well.
Be ready to send her to the poultry lab for necropsy in case she passes. What state are you in?

 

[hendaddy094]

Since she is having trouble eating pellets, the first thing I would do is moisten the feed to make a mash the consistency of oatmeal. This may help her.

Is your vet an avian vet with poultry experience? Did he take a fecal sample or nose/throat swab?
I don't know where you are but if it is cold at all, I'd bring her into the house and give her a space around 80F.
I wouldn't leave her with the flock until she is well.
Be ready to send her to the poultry lab for necropsy in case she passes. What state are you in?

They did not, I think they just did an external exam which is the problem because she looks fine for the most part. The combs and wattles are still red colored and look fine. The exception being her eye she looks fine everywhere else. I live in Maryland its currently 32 outside but we've kept her in a cage in the garage with a heat lamp. We're going to transition her inside and see if that helps. If she passes do I need to keep the body cold to make sure decomposition doesn't affect the necropsy report?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yes, keep it cold but not frozen. If you call the lab, they'll tell you how they want it packaged and may send you a FedEx shipping label.
I usually keep a couple freezer packs in the freezer to put in the box.
Maryland and the whole Delmarva peninsula is chicken country so you have 2 labs.
Frederick Animal Health Laboratory
1840 Rosemont Ave
Frederick, Maryland 21702-8218
Phone: 301-600-1548

Maryland Department of Agriculture & Salisbury Animal Health Laboratory
27722 Nanticoke Road
Salisbury, Maryland 21801-1608
Phone: 410-543-6610

 

[hendaddy094]

Yes, keep it cold but not frozen. If you call the lab, they'll tell you how they want it packaged and may send you a FedEx shipping label.
I usually keep a couple freezer packs in the freezer to put in the box.
Maryland and the whole Delmarva peninsula is chicken country so you have 2 labs.
Frederick Animal Health Laboratory
1840 Rosemont Ave
Frederick, Maryland 21702-8218
Phone: 301-600-1548

Maryland Department of Agriculture & Salisbury Animal Health Laboratory
27722 Nanticoke Road
Salisbury, Maryland 21801-1608
Phone: 410-543-6610

She's drinking water and eating food, struggling with both. She spills some water while shes drinking and she sometimes has slight wheezing while breathing but its very very quiet. I'll upload some pictures so hopefully I can shed better light on what she's going through.

 

[hendaddy094]

Some pictures of my hen. Everything from closeup of the face and eyes to full body. If there is anything unusually please let me know.

 

[hendaddy094]

Update, the left eye is swollen shut, her other eye is a little better but for the most part she has a hard time opening her eyes or just doesn't want to. When she does she can keep them open just fine but I have to coax her to open her eye.

 

[Teila]

Hey hendaddy.... I am definitely not an expert when it comes to what ails chickens but I do have some experience with crop issues and wonder if your girl has either sour crop or impacted crop.

What does her crop feel like?

 

[hendaddy094]

Hey hendaddy.... I am definitely not an expert when it comes to what ails chickens but I do have some experience with crop issues and wonder if your girl has either sour crop or impacted crop.

What does her crop feel like?

It's basically non existant. Her chest is really puffed up which makes it look like shes been eating, but her crop is tiny because she eats basically nothing all day. Shes on antibiotics and she'll eat occasionally as well as drink, but she doesn't seem to be able to eat bigger pellets and she won't eat the pastes we make for her. When she drinks water it's really sloppy not like the other hens and sometimes some water comes back up when she lowers her head so it seems like shes not swallowing fully or unable to.

 

[Teila]

Hey hendaddy... Again, I am not an expert but it does not sound like a crop issue but more that nothing is getting to her crop. If she had impacted or sour crop it would be swollen.

Have you had a look in her mouth [beak]? Just thinking she could have something blocking the passage. I have heard of chickens eating something stringy, getting stuck around their tongue and just hanging in the passage.

No signs of canker? This causes sores to develop in the oesophagus and potentially inhibit her ability to swallow.