Really ill ex-battery hens, urgent! :(

[ellawilkinson98]

2 weeks ago I rescued 8 hens from a battery farm. They are a little rough around the edges, with little feathers but otherwise happy and healthy.
However when I let them out of the house (a converted shed) this morning, two of the hens didn't come out. I went back up a little later, to find that they were both stood with their neck feathers ruffled up, their tails facing downwards, yellowy/white diarrhoea and they did not react when I picked them up or touched them. The one that is the most ill also has a sort of lump on her chest? It is quite solid, is this normal?? This is unusual as, being ex-battery, they are still quite wary. One hen is worse than the other, and she looks drowsy and keeps closing her eyes, and her breathing sounds a little weezy.
I have separated the two hens from the rest of the hens in two separate make-shift enclosures with plenty of food and water, with shade and grass/hay to nest in if needs be whilst I was at work. I am home now and they seem to not have improved, although the one who was not as bad is a little more active still.
I had a quick google search this morning and I'm wondering if it could be that an egg can't be released (they haven't laid today) or some bacterium in that area?? Although I've had chickens before, they were not ex-battery and never had issues like this.
I am worried that it could be contagious to the other hens, and I don't want to leave it until it is too late. I am very reluctant to call the vet as our vet is very expensive, so if it is something I can solve by myself I am eager to do so ASAP.
Please help!!!

 

[ellawilkinson98]

UPDATE I have inspected the other healthy chickens, they don't have lumps on their chests. The seriously ill hen has a bigger lump than the slightly ill hen, what is this lump?? Is it treatable????

 

[welasharon]

I'm thinking the lump is the crop. They may be having issues getting used to the new stuff they are able to eat. Some times they eat grass and it gets stuck and causes some crop issues. Massage her crop and see if you can get it going again. Take grains away from them. If you can get them to eat yogurt it can help as does scrambled egg. make sure they stay hydrated.

 

[Eggcessive]

Another suggestion I have is to treat them all for possible coccidiosis, since this can cause standing around puffed up, ruffled feathers, diarrhea, and poor appetite. A slow or non-functioning crop can also happen with cocci. Cocci could be very possible in chickens new to soil. Corid or amprollium 2 tsp of the liquid per gallon of water for 5 days is the treatment. If the crop is hard it may be impacted since they may be over eating long grass as Welasharon said.

 

[welasharon]

x2

 

[ellawilkinson98]

Thank you, I found a treatment for impacted crop that said to give her 10ml of cooking oil and massage the crop. I did this last night but this morning I have gotten up and she is much worse. She won't open her eyes unless I pick her up, and she is sat very slumped with her legs flat along the floor, her tail and wings hanging low

 

[ellawilkinson98]

also, what is corid or amprollium?

 

[welasharon]

They are two medicines that treat cocci. It can kill very rapidly so must be treated asap. You can get treatment for cocci at most feed supply stores or tractor supply stores.

 

[Eggcessive]

also, what is corid or amprollium?

Amprollium (Corid, Ampromed, Amprol) is a drug used in animals (cattle and poultry) to control coccidiosis. It works by inhibiting thiamine in the coccidia oocysts. It is not an antibiotic. Here is some info on it: http://www.corid.com/Pages/CoridProducts.aspx

 

[ellawilkinson98]

Thank you all so much for your help, but I afraid that my more severley ill hen didn't make it, and passed away this evening

however on a brighter note, the less severe hen seems to have perked up a little, and even laid an egg earlier today. This is leading me to believe that maybe the two girls had different illnesses? I will reply again if her condition worsens, but again- thank you all so much for trying to help, but I'm afraid she was just too ill.