rooster droopy w/greenish diarrhea -- UPDATE: looking better

[patandchickens]

My speckled sussex rooster Pants has been just a tad droopy the past 2-3 days, the points of his comb possibly just a little darker than usual, and someone (dunno who, but possibly him) left a couple droppings under the roost taht were slightly yellowish in the white part. I've also seen him sitting in a nestbox a couple times during the past week, dunno whether that's related

Today he is definitely not himself, sitting on the roost literally 'drooping' and with wet greenish diarrhoea (I know it's him, as it's under his part of the roost and you can see it on his bottom feathers).

No other visible or audible symptoms.

A quick skim through the Chicken Health Handbook suggests several likely possibilities, all of them Bad from a flock health and breeding standpoint

-- what do you think? And what if anything would you do at this point, aside from see what happens?

Thanks,

Pat

 

[Renee]

Hi Pat,

I have the same situation right now with a hen.

She's not droopy, really, but has the runny poop and the yellow in the urates. I fear she may have eaten something bad and affected her kidneys or liver.

My hen has been like this for several weeks.

I have decided to just wait and see. I'm giving her vitamins and keeping her on a strict layer pellet diet with no treats.

With no other symptoms, I just don't know what else to do.

Good luck with your rooster.

 

[sammi]

patandchickens..how old is the roo?
what color is the comb? is it hot or cold?

check the crop and make sure it isn't impacted or have sour smell..
green sometimes means he isn't eating and undiluted bile is getting thru..or could have got to something bad or moldy..
post back with what you find..how the crop feels..lump or grainy feeling, etc..
if the crop is clear probiotic might help..(plain active culture yogurt) with a little cooked egg yolk and baby cereal oatmeal.
if he is eating..make sure he has layer feed nearby also.
and try and get him some vitamins and electrolytes for diarrhea and stress..very important.
drops on beak if necessary to keep him hydrated and replace lost electrolytes.

what bedding do you use?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Renee...she might have picked up E-coli or salmonella type bacteria.

firststatevetsupply.com/store/

has meds if you opt to treat.

maybe a little probiotic might help..

hope both birds do ok.

 

[threehorses]

For renee, yellow in the urates indicates liver involvement. Have you considered giving her any liver-cleansing herbs?

For both of you, boosting their health overall - their nutrition, hydration, immune system - is needed right now minimum.

I'd agree with Sammi. Also consider your worming program. If the droppings are at all frothy/bubbled, you might have a worm issue. Green diarrhea can also sometimes indicate a bacterial issue. I'd agree on probiotics for sure in any case as Sammi says.

If his comb turns more black and the droppings more yellow, this might indicate a need for treatment with medicines. Agreed with Sammi on vitamins and especially electrolytes because of the diarrhea (which is exactly why you also need probiotics).

Start please with answering more of her questions, including the type of feed exactly you're using, last worming, whether or not you see any parasites on him, whether or not there's any crop backing up or bad smells - holding food, etc. And we'll all go from there.

 

[dlhunicorn]

He sounds very poorly and probably not eating sufficiently (cause of the green coloration) ... I would separate , worm if you have not done so in a while, put electrolytes in his water for four days, and offer a good quality live culture yogurt ...
what have you been feeding him? Has he had access to a non-layer feed (there is too much calcium in layer for roosters )

 

[patandchickens]

Thanks here is more information:

He is one year old. Bedded on shavings. Comb maybe a bit cooler than normal, or normal (despite being a horse person, I am *terrible* at telling temperature differences, sorry). Never been wormed. All the hens seem fine.

They get grower crumbles (hens have oystershell in a separate container) plus table scraps that are mostly vegetables, and garden weedings tossed into run. I'm pretty careful about what weedings they get, and it's hard for me to think how he could have gotten into anything unsavory to eat (tho nothing's impossible).

Crop is currently mostly empty, although it seemed more or less normal last night. (I *have* seen him eating, although I have no way of knowing how much).

He is one very unhappy camper this morning

-- has not crowed at all, won't get off roost (just sits there), didn't try to get away from me when I was checking him over, more green diarrhea, tail pointed down towards ground.

(edited to update: he is now separated from the others, with electrolytes in his waterer and a little bowl of live-culture yogurt as well as a dish of regular feed. Wormed with ivermectin. He is really not in good shape though - apparently cannot stand up properly, all the walking he can do is to sort of shuffle forwards while still mostly sitting. Please cross your fingers.)

I'm really worried about him. And he is a very cool rooster, I *especially* don't want anything to happen to him. Plus which his symptoms kind of match those listed for lymphoid leukosis, which would not be a good thing either.

Aaargh,

Pat

 

[Renee]

Keep us posted, ok?
I hope he is recovering by now...

 

[sammi]

recheck the crop..feel for any lump or grainy feeling...or any sour smell..

JMHO..but I don't give my chickens pulled grass or weeds...not good for the crop.

are you sure he is actually eating, and not just pecking and looks like he's eating?
is he drinking water?
has he gotten vits and electrolytes?
yogurt?

can you take a fecal sample to a vet for testing?(worms and cocci..sometimes called a "fecal float"..)

he sounds in bad shape.

 

[sammi]

make sure you keep his vent clean and checked
check for mites, or flies.
messy vents attracts flies..leading to maggots.

 

[Joy Irwin]

Sounds like Fowl Cholera to me. I have had it in my flock before, I don't know where they get it , out of the soil maybe or maybe it is airborne i have never researched where it came from. It will, unfortunately run through your whole flock if left untreated, it will also kill your chickens. The fix ix easy though I got Sulmet it's a drinking water solution, at the co-op. Fort Dodge makes it. You will have to pen up your flock so they can't get water anywhere else, treat them according to directions on the bottle and in a week or so you should be OK. You will of course have to clean everything they have been in contact with.
I found a really good chicken disease chart at the Welp Hatchery website. You may want to look at that. Hope I helped.
Joy