RIR enlarged abdomen, lost appetite, & lethargic

[kathyinmo]

For worming, I only do it 2 times a year .... once in the fall and once in the spring. Valbazen is superior to Ivermectin, and is given orally.

You could always take a poop sample to the vet and have them check it, if you think it is worms. Any vet can run that test.

 

[Willie647]

Thank you,Kathy. I appreciate the time and effort it takes to post replies to questions like this. As of today the hens are about the same,sick and weak but alive and surviving for now. Just wish I knew what to do for them next. Tears me up not to be able to take action in some way. Thier poo is yellow and runny,looks like worm poo according to pictures seen here. except no worms in poo. One of the hens has always been so loving,sits with me and just cuddles and sleeps in my arms,ever since she was a chick. And she had to get sick.Sigh. How does a tough as nails grown man get so attached to a bird.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
No one understands like we do here at BYC. Wish we could fix this for you.

 

[Willie647]

The good news is that both hens were eating a little tonite,wife says. They both are going in and out of the coop where last week they could not jump the foot or so to go and were just laying around not walking at all. It would appear they are getting better,slowly. I am going to leave it alone for now and just watch.

 

[kathyinmo]

Best wishes and all the luck to you! I sure hope they make it for ya!

Darn chickens sure do grow on ya, don't they? If only they could tell us what was wrong!

Anyway, I sure hope they are on the mend!

 

[DaughterOfEve]

Please keep posting updates on these two, I am following along, because my Isa Brown, Princess, (yes, she acts like a princess) has a distended abdomen with yellow running poo all over her back side. I thought egg bound but after three days of her acting funny, like not roosting at night and today she could barely walk and kept crouching like she wanted to lay or poop. Her tail is tucked under and she would not even touch the scratch I threw out for everyone. After doing my chores, I noticed she was hunkered down in a corner of the run and the other hens were pecking at her. So, even though I am a let nature take its course kinda gal, I intervened and brought her in for a butt soak, some olive oil soaked seeds and fruit. She is in a kennel in the basement where is is fairly dark and quiet with just the peeps of the duckling brooder next to her. I checked a little bit ago and she was eating and drinking but no egg. She is 3 years old and is the faithful layer of very large eggs. Not so these past few days.

So anyway, I will be watching this thread closely, best wishes.

 

[Willie647]

If you read all the other posts here you will see that I suspect worms but don't really know. The feed store guy said so many times it is just worms and the animal will be just full of them. I have seen no evidence and have not done the fecal test at a vet. The only treatment so far has been the Ivermectin shot I gave each bird. I had one a month ago or so that had the same symtoms and she died after 3 days or so. I should have cut her to see but "chickened" out. Then 2 more got sick! I do know that hen # 1 was so weak she just sat and would not walk. Now she is almost normal and Blue(second sick one) is a little behind in the sequence but seems to be getting stronger also. No eggs of course but I don't care about that. AND they have stayed alive for 2 weeks or so when the untreated hen just died. So maybe I am on the right track. I was told that as you kill worms the chicken will just absorb them as protien so maybe you do not see them in poo. Sorta makes sense. When my girls got sick they quit eating almost completly. Seems good that yours is eating at least. I would think of a worm treatment. Good luck!

 

[DaughterOfEve]

FYI, ivermectin does not work on tapeworms. If indeed that is what you suspect. I am trying another wormer which does work on tape worms, but now my hen will not eat so I will be force feeding it to her tonight.

 

[Willie647]

Update. Hen # 1 is getting better. Last nite as I went to close up the coop,both sick girls were in the regular coop trying to get on the roost. Neither one could make it and I kept hearing these thumps as I approached. Looking in I saw them trying and failing to get on the roost. I put hen 1 on the roost and she was fine,stood there preening and in her normal place,happy as can be. Her poop looks almost normal now and she is eating. Blue (hen 2) could not balance on the roost so I had to put her in solitary again. She is still bloated and sluggish,but still alive and eating a little. She got sick a bit after hen 1 so maybe she is just earlier in the cycle. She got some cooked salmon skin this am and liked that enough to eat some. All other girls are normal. I am getting my other coopp and run ready so I can transfer them to get them away from the poor drainage that let nasty water sit in the run last time it rained for a week. I think that made them sick. As far as meds,still just the ivermectin shot,just once. At least it stopped the dying after a day or two,like the hen I did lose.

 

[Willie647]

Quote:
So, how is she doing? I know about the tapeworm thing but don't know if that is the problem. I still have not seen any worms at all in poo or on hens. Hope your hen is better.