Rookie Move: Brought home sick chickens

[Gizabelle]

Update:

Everyone is looking pretty good. Day two of second round of dewormer (exact dose, given in a Tbsp of baby oatmeal) I'm starting to wonder if that first round really did anything at all. After dosing like this the water method really doesn't make any sense... 3ml/gal for two chickens who barely drink a 1/4 of that, plus the settling... Direct dose for Nay is 1.2ml, there is just no way she would have gotten enough with the water method. Would another round 10 days after this one be advisable?

One thing is for sure, I'm learning a lot from this experience! Thank you both, @Wyorp Rock and @Cragg Klefor for all your help and shared knowledge!

Did not start antibiotics. Still trying to decide how to proceed. Nay is looking fantastic (well, compared to how she looked when she arrived) comb color is looking better by the day, she's eating well, upright posture and good energy... only problem is the poops. Still runny and unusually foul smelling. I did not vent check her today, but will tomorrow. She hasn't had an out of control messy bottom for a while now, and no longer strains to poop.
I will opt for the fish mox if antibiotics are still advisable, thanks @Wyorp Rock for the tip.

So I guess my question at this point is, would I be seeing this much outward improvement if its salpingitis? Some articles I've read mention a similar build up of "fermented material" in the cloaca associated with advanced gleet.
My local chicken mentor says "be patient, leave her alone and let her heal," but the big runny splats I'm finding under her roost every morning are troubling.
If she were your bird what would you do?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Update:

Everyone is looking pretty good. Day two of second round of dewormer (exact dose, given in a Tbsp of baby oatmeal) I'm starting to wonder if that first round really did anything at all. After dosing like this the water method really doesn't make any sense... 3ml/gal for two chickens who barely drink a 1/4 of that, plus the settling... Direct dose for Nay is 1.2ml, there is just no way she would have gotten enough with the water method. Would another round 10 days after this one be advisable?

One thing is for sure, I'm learning a lot from this experience! Thank you both, @Wyorp Rock and @Cragg Klefor for all your help and shared knowledge!

Did not start antibiotics. Still trying to decide how to proceed. Nay is looking fantastic (well, compared to how she looked when she arrived) comb color is looking better by the day, she's eating well, upright posture and good energy... only problem is the poops. Still runny and unusually foul smelling. I did not vent check her today, but will tomorrow. She hasn't had an out of control messy bottom for a while now, and no longer strains to poop.
I will opt for the fish mox if antibiotics are still advisable, thanks @Wyorp Rock for the tip.

So I guess my question at this point is, would I be seeing this much outward improvement if its salpingitis? Some articles I've read mention a similar build up of "fermented material" in the cloaca associated with advanced gleet.
My local chicken mentor says "be patient, leave her alone and let her heal," but the big runny splats I'm finding under her roost every morning are troubling.
If she were your bird what would you do?

You are using Safeguard?
I would just give it for 5 days in a row and that's it.

Since you are in FL, you may need to worm more often - some people do. Maybe 2X a year and see how it goes.

That's an interesting concept about the fermented material due to Vent Gleet, I can see that - she had that yellow buildup around the vent...very well could be from that. It has also crossed my mind that those layers could have been pieces of Cecal core as well.
You may want to take a softer approach and see how it goes. Give her a few weeks to see if the wormer makes a difference.

Both of them have come from less than idea circumstances, but you have seen improvement. It takes time, so...for me, I would probably wait to see if she (both) continues to improve. If she starts going down, then treat with the antibiotics. If she has Vent Gleet, those are no going to be helping the situation any either.
I might add some probiotics to the routine a couple of times a week. 1 tablespoon yogurt per chicken or you can use something like Probios.

 

[Cragg Klefor]

So I guess my question at this point is, would I be seeing this much outward improvement if its salpingitis?

Just to give you as much information as I can I will tell you that yes, you could be seeing this improvement if its Salpingitis. When a chicken with Salpingitis passes lash material it can be hugely relieving for them and you can see that in them. But this is only short term, as there will be more where that came from.

However, I do see where you are coming from with wanting to hold off in case that was just build up from the gleet, and indeed I could see myself doing the same if there was any doubt in my mind with one of my own girls.

You already have become skilled in reading these girls, so I would be confident you will know if she starts deteriorating and you will get her on an antibiotic (IF it is salpingitis)! Do what you feel is right here, you are the person in charge of these little girls and you are doing an amazing job of it.

I know I will be eagerly awaiting any updates you have going forward and I truly hope you get to sit back, enjoy, and reap the rewards of all your hard work. You all certainly deserve it!

 

[Gizabelle]

Update and Antibiotic advice

The ladies are all looking pretty good! They had their first free range time today for a couple of hours and loved it. They both came right back to the coop for me at dusk. I guess they have decided this place isn't so bad and they will stay.

Nay had to have another soak a few days ago, and I removed some more mysterious lining, but today I saw her drop an (almost) normal poop!
She's definitely feeling better, and quite the sassy little hen now that she's more comfortable. I think she may be getting ready to start laying though, and really hope she's healed enough for that. I'll be keeping a close eye on her, and keeping my fingers crossed that I'm not back here in a few days asking if I handled an egg-bound situation correctly.

And on to Daisy: She is improving but not quickly, and she is STILL sneezing. No other symptoms of respiratory distress, just sneezing and no significant weight gain. She's eating, but usually not with zeal, and her poops are still quite small. Because I have seen no signs of these problems in the other girls I'm leaning towards bacterial infection.
I'd like to start her on antibiotics and see if that helps her turn a corner.
Is there a preferred antibiotic for respiratory issues? I have been researching tetracycline, but most of what I have read is more "water dosing" for an entire flock... I'd like to treat her alone. And I suppose at this point it goes without saying, but I'll have to get whichever antibiotic I use from the feed store or the fish isle at the pet store.

Thanks again for all the help and for following along on the journey!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

And on to Daisy: She is improving but not quickly, and she is STILL sneezing. No other symptoms of respiratory distress, just sneezing and no significant weight gain. She's eating, but usually not with zeal, and her poops are still quite small. Because I have seen no signs of these problems in the other girls I'm leaning towards bacterial infection.
I'd like to start her on antibiotics and see if that helps her turn a corner.
Is there a preferred antibiotic for respiratory issues? I have been researching tetracycline, but most of what I have read is more "water dosing" for an entire flock... I'd like to treat her alone. And I suppose at this point it goes without saying, but I'll have to get whichever antibiotic I use from the feed store or the fish isle at the pet store.

Glad to hear Nay is doing well! I hope she has no problems when she comes into lay.
When you find more of that mysterious material, if you can snap photos of that, it would be good.

I'm sorry Daisy has not done quite so well. It does sound like she has respiratory illness. Sneezing could be Infectious Bronchitis or Mycoplasma - those 2 are very common.
Infectious Bronchitis is virus - antibiotics may help secondary infection if she has something going on there. Mycoplasma is bacterial and responds fairly well to antibiotic treatment.

You can use Injectable Tylan50 to treat her. See if it helps. Dosage is .25ml per pound of weight given orally 3 times a day for 5 days in a row.

Tetracycline (powder) is by prescription only now. All water soluble antibiotics were taken from the shelves at the beginning of 2017, but you should be able to get the Tylan50 at Tractor Supply.

Thank you for the update, please keep us posted on their progress.

 

[Gizabelle]

Glad to hear Nay is doing well! I hope she has no problems when she comes into lay.
When you find more of that mysterious material, if you can snap photos of that, it would be good.

I gave Nay Nay another soak today and got a little more "material" out (gross images to follow). This stuff is really strange, it's like it's a coating on top of her skin inside and just around the edge of the vent. The thick tarry poop sticks to it, builds up, and when the hardened poop is gently pulled away in the bath after a soak, a little of this stuff comes away with it.
I'm almost certain she's getting ready to start laying. In fact, I was worried that she was trying today and not having any success. She was making nests and doing the laying squawk, but eventually settled down and was walking normally, no abdominal swelling, etc. I checked her vent and gave her the soak after observing this behavior.

I'm at a bit of a loss. The routine 20 minute soaks and depoopings just aren't sustainable long term. I need her to get well, and outwardly she's shown tremendous progress, but my optimism in starting to wane.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It is a bit strange. Salpingitis and Cecal cores are the only thing I can think of.
Since it's building up right inside the vent, I still lean toward Salpingitis since it does not look like the poop completely surrounds it(?) It's almost like that "material" is being "picked up" by the poop then being passed. This makes me think that the material is coming from the oviduct where it's lingering/building up in the vagina then finally getting pushed out with waste. Does that seem correct?

 

[Gizabelle]

It is a bit strange. Salpingitis and Cecal cores are the only thing I can think of.
Since it's building up right inside the vent, I still lean toward Salpingitis since it does not look like the poop completely surrounds it(?) It's almost like that "material" is being "picked up" by the poop then being passed. This makes me think that the material is coming from the oviduct where it's lingering/building up in the vagina then finally getting pushed out with waste. Does that seem correct?

Kind of. But it's never mixed in with the poop. It's always on the outside, between the skin and any waste buildup. It seems more like some kind of buildup in the cloaca itself (why I've been holding out hope)
Also, the skin underneath is usually VERY raw. Could this be actual skin or diseased tissue I'm taking off inadvertently?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

But it's inside her right?
What I'm trying to say, is that material is not coming from the intestines - it's coming from the reproductive system.
The Cloaca is really where the intestines and the reproductive system sort of "meet". Digestive waste and urates are "mixed in the Cloaca, then exit the vent. When an egg is laid, the Vagina folds over inside the Cloaca (like a flap), this keeps waste from coming into contact with the egg while it's laid.
It's all very close quarters in there.

No, I don't think you are taking out skin - I think this is some type of exude from the reproductive system.

 

[Gizabelle]

Gotcha.
Well, that sucks.