sick bard

[leedyfeathers]

I had a good run of luck after winter set in. I had 30 chickens down to 19.. unless this goes bad then 18!
My bard rock had emerged one day with a poop sickle looked creamy colored.. to me thats strange and she seemed to have pasty butt. I went back out to grab her up after fixing breakfast but she had or someone else helped her remove the poop almost could not tell it had been her. Three days only showed better. On the third I happened to see an excessive poopy butt and it was same bird however I was unable to care fore her because of a death in my family and I had to leave for three days two nights. Got back first morning shes acting off.. I bring her in feed with yogurt and water with vitamin and electrolyte mix. She perks up very investigative and no standing alone. Put her out all is good for a few hours as im checking her I find her separated and puffed up. Now with some experience with this .. first bad sign no intrest food now hanging out alone and puffed granted its been COLD that day had not got up past 19 degrees. I figured id see if she just need warming up brought her in put In box.. not happy with me and has no problems with appearing well. put her out but went back to being alone and not interested in food or to beat others to it. Oh and forgot to mention its also strange to be able to pluck her up with no fight. She is now in house confined to the box two days now. She showes slight ruffling on the back half feathers pulls neck in and naps some. I put food.. neatrly anything and she eats. I give water and she drinks excessively.
I had started her on Pig Swig dewormer and giving 1/4 teaspoon garlic cyann pepper cinnamon molasses and apple mixed with birdseed egg and bread bits. yesterday I noticed a dark emerald green poo with little bit of the white and was formed no other issues besides a little sleepy and ruffled feathers on back.shes talkative and growls on occasion at my had specially if theres food in front of her.
Today she started off slowly looked pail and kept laying down Yet perked up when fed and watered but noticed an excessive head flip like having something on beak and trying to flick off not horrible but noticed. Same things given today in food and added spinach that she gobbled down. I then placed her in tub to monitor more poop and she what was in box. The box looked like this.. the seed was her tossing food

Her butt is clogged with poop.. forgot to mention I cleaned her shooter up when deciding to keep her in. And she still had this this morning. .

She looked pail this morning see the flap close to ears..

Comb looks and feels a bit dry.
She has no problem standing or walking. Found much more watery poop like what you see in box minis the seeds. And almost no other stuff though that can be what you see on her butt. Its rank ill let you know but only at her butt like inches away smelled while taking picture. ..yuck!
I looked her over for mites and seen nothing. I did see an softball size crop feeling very tight but mushy. She did eat plenty ill check that first thing in morning. Still easy to move no fight.
Ive concluded E-coli, cocci, bacterial infection and worms. .possibly liver..but doubt
Anyone think im close have other suggestions does donts so on would like to see what ya think..

 

[shebbles123]

You are doing great! It is important to keep her separated in case her illness is contagious. I would keep her it a dog crate, puppy pin with a towel over it, or other such inclosure. The reason I say this is that if she is not interested in moving around, she will feel more secure in a smaller and more secluded area. Try feeding her raw oats or cornmeal to clear up her diarrhea. Put garlic and apple cider vinegar in her water. You could also add honey or a LITTLE sugar to perk her up a bit. Keep going with the vitamins and electrolytes, cayenne, cinnamon & molasses as well as a small amount of eggs. I would look into purchasing a probiotic supplement for her. Here is a link to a very high quality one: http://www.amazon.com/Probios-68300...e=UTF8&qid=1424234696&sr=8-1&keywords=probios
I would cut out the birdseed egg bread bits till she gets better. For info on a natural antibiotic, click here: http://fresheggsdaily.com/2013/04/oregano-as-natural-antibiotic.html Here is a quick health mash that can help flush her intestines (it may increase diarrhea, but in this case, it's a good thing because that means she is being cleansed and the toxins are being flushed out of her system):

1 Jar unsweetened apple sauce (8-10 oz.) or several cored apples pureed in a food processor, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses, 1/4 Cup plain yogurt.​

For more on handling contagious illnesses, click here:​

http://fresheggsdaily.com/2013/10/handling-contagious-illness-in-your.html
Some possible causes of your chickens high death-rate: A dirty coop and run can harbor harmful bacteria. Be sure to keep your coop as clean and dry as possible. You mentioned very cold weather. Maybe put a headlamp in your coop at night. Moldy food. Old and stale food scraps are fine but make sure you don't feed your chickens anything rotten or moldy. This can be harmful to your chickens health. Make sure your coop has proper ventilation and your chickens are being fed layer feed as the base of their diet (unless they are too young/old to lay).

Here are a few things that I suspect your chicken may have:​

1. Sour Crop (There is a good chance you hen has this in addition to worms, etc.)​

-Causes:​

Prevention of sour crop includes limiting access to long or tough plant fibers, adequate fresh water with apple cider vinegar added several times a week (in a ratio of 1Tbsp/gallon of water) to keep the body alkaline versus acidic, and plain yogurt or probiotics on a weekly basis, as well as providing plenty of grit to aid in digestion.
Sour crop can also be a side effect of any illness that causes dehydration. Unfortunately crops swollen with food will draw even more water from the bloodstream, leading to further dehydration and more food backup. Therefore liquids are extremely important in treating sour crop and clean, fresh water is a necessity in the run at all times.
-

Symptoms:​

Sour crop is best identified in the morning. If the crop is extended and feels squishy, not hard, then the crop has not emptied as it normally should. You also will notice a ‘sour’ smell coming from the beak of the chicken and in some cases a foul-smelling liquid may also leak out of the chickens mouth. Your chicken may show signs of being lethargic. She may isolate herself – not eating or ‘scratching around’ as normal chicken behavior. She may vomit and her skin may appear red instead of pink.

-Treatment:​

If you suspect sour crop, isolating your chicken in a warm,quiet area, massaging the crop in the direction of the head or carefully trying to induce vomiting, encouraging yogurt, olive oil and water with apple cider vinegar is a great way to start. Apple cider vinegar is an anti-fungal and often avian vets will recommend for cases of sour crop IS an antifungal to know down what is basically a yeast infection. If after several days of home remedies the crop still seems abnormal, it is probably time for a visit to your vet. There are several options that can be considered for treatment, including fluid injections and/or antibiotics, however it’s best to seek direct advice from an Avian Veterinarian.

2. Worms
I do not recommend any commercial deworming products. In my opinion, you should stop using They can be harmful to your hen and can make the eggs she lays semi-toxic. Here is a link to an all natural alternative worming process: http://fresheggsdaily.com/2012/04/pumpkin-soup-nasturtiums-natural.html I would stop using pig swig right away. It is pretty toxic and, according to some, not all that effective.

3. Salmonella
Symptoms in chickens include weak and lethargic birds, loose yellow or green droppings, purplish combs and wattles, a drop in egg production, increased thirst, decreased feed consumption and weight loss. It can be deadly in hens if not treated. Here is a link with more detailed info about symptoms, treatment, and prevention: http://fresheggsdaily.com/2012/11/s-is-for-salmonella_13.html

4. Vent Gleet (I really think your bard has this)
Vent gleet, which is a fungal yeast infection, often shows itself in the form of a dirty, foul-smelling vent due to whitish discharge and diarrhea. Missing or pasted feathers around the vent, redness and swelling are also signs that you are dealing with vent gleet. Vent gleet is not exactly an illness in itself, but instead manifests itself due to increased ph levels and an imbalance of bad bacteria in a chicken's digestive tract. Although not normally fatal if treated quickly, it can spread to the reproductive system quite easily and also result in sour crop and becomes more difficult to treat the longer it goes on. Not contagious, it often shows up in multiple flock members since logically they have all been subjected to the same stressors that caused the vent gleet in one.
Vent gleet should never be treated with antibiotics; antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria. Instead, concentrating on restoring a healthy bacterial balance in the intestinal tract by boosting the good bacteria with probiotics is the goal of a natural course of treatment. Treatment should continue until you see clear signs of improvement (it should only take a few days if you catch it fast enough and start treatment immediately). Your entire flock can be treated with this natural remedy which reintroduces good bacteria into the digestive tract. For more info on symptoms, causes, prevention and treatment, visit: http://fresheggsdaily.com/2013/09/vent-gleet-symptoms-causes-and-natural.html

5. Cocci
You called it! Your chicken has the symptoms of cocci. For great instructions on treating it naturally, visit: http://fresheggsdaily.com/2013/11/coccidia-coccidiosis-natural-prevention.html

For now, your bard's diet should consist of: her normal layer feed, raw oats, cooked oatmeal, raw cornmeal, cooked eggs, small amounts of plain yogurt, molasses, cayenne, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, garlic, probiotic, electrolytes, vitamins, honey, pumpkin puree and pumpkin seeds, oregano + other herbs, unlimited leafy greens (but few/no starchy veggies), unlimited eggshell or oyster shell (for calcium) and anything recommended in the articles that the links I posted lead to. Good luck! You have many herbal remedies and special treatments ahead of you! You may also have to change the living situation of your other chickens to prevent similar cases like this in the future. A great website for you to check out is http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/p/chicken-care-index.html This website is all about natural chicken care and health. Hope this helped!

 

[seminolewind]

I think you should worm her. I like Safeguard for goats or Valbazen. Then I toss the eggs out for 10 days. You may want to treat her for coccidiosis. I like Corid or Sulfadimethoxine, 1 tsp per gallon for 5 days. Those are the 2 most common reasons. If things didn't look better yet, I would treat for enteritis using Tylan. Enteritis can be caused by bacteria, cocci or worms. That would be my plan.

If she's eating that's good. If her crop empties appropriately it's good. Why did your other chickens die?

 

[leedyfeathers]

Love the natural way! But have been driven by inexperience and LACK of knowledge.
The first two were just chicks a few months old and after they had been introduced to the new coop. A closed flock and the first in years.. over 20. The coop is 12x4

I had 30 chickens (chicks) including two roos. I use pine chips sprinkled with DE. Nothing died until around 20 weeks and older. With what I learned it was either worms cocci botulism and A vet called one conjunctivitis, two crop infection. I think they was eating chips because looked like the treat bread I used to feed on occasion. There are other ideas like I found mold under coop. I live around walnut trees and they free range one of the favorite things to do is eat the worms(maggots) out of the walnut halls and my hens who had been digging in coop around in chips I had been putting feed in there when I found out thats not the best to do. We are too shaded thats going to be fixed soon.

At one time I had the hens before laying with a calf and goats in a 50x40 pen full of grass and weeds.. bad idea in all kinds of ways. But the weeds did shelter from the heat and hawk that hangs around. I know I cant rule out mareks for some of the illnesses but and the biggest reason for that is we are covered in starlings and other birds, using chips im inviting darkling beetles that the book im reading said either they cause mareks or like symptoms have to reread that.
Then hens are kept in pen till 1200 then free range untill they. cOme to roost.cats nor dogs bother them they all leave them alone. I caught a possum trying to get in one night. And just before winter fought a rat making tunnels under coop. So I have plenty to be causing issues lol
Here is update on barrd she has not been shaking head the poo has improved. . More formed balls white capped not stinky and more green brown.

She was spry and awake waiting on water.

 

[Urban Flock]

Wishing you the best of luck. It really sounds like your trying everything. I wouldn't recommend DE in the coop. It is an irritant to the lungs and chicks have a really sensitive upper breathing system. It's not worth the few bugs it may or may not work on.
On the label there is a caution to humans to not breathe in the dust and to wear protection when using. Chickens are way more susceptible to breathing issues then we are. Kind Regards

 

[leedyfeathers]

I think you should worm her.  I like Safeguard for goats or Valbazen.  Then I toss the eggs out for 10 days.  You may want to treat her for coccidiosis.  I like Corid or Sulfadimethoxine, 1 tsp per gallon for 5 days.  Those are the 2 most common reasons.  If things didn't look better yet, I would treat for enteritis using Tylan.  Enteritis can be caused by bacteria, cocci or worms.  That would be my plan.

If she's eating that's good.  If her crop empties appropriately it's good.  Why did your other chickens die?

What is Enteritis? I have corid.. sulfadimethoxine And the powder form cord dont have that name handy. I have safe-guard for goats as well. Tylan I dont have nor handy to get travel is at a stand still here in the mountains. her crop emptied at around 2-ish so guess thats ok one less thing. I give probiotics unfortunately my sister in law said use the plain no sugar added yogurt again not handy as of now so using probiotc powder the kind I feed goats and calf. The sugar breaks immune system down more so its counter productive.

Thanks for the reply

 

[seminolewind]

Wishing you the best of luck. It really sounds like your trying everything. I wouldn't recommend DE in the coop. It is an irritant to the lungs and chicks have a really sensitive upper breathing system. It's not worth the few bugs it may or may not work on.
On the label there is a caution to humans to not breathe in the dust and to wear protection when using. Chickens are way more susceptible to breathing issues then we are. Kind Regards

X2

 

[leedyfeathers]

shebbles123
You have left me with a lot to read and stuff to try if at all I want to keep from over using antibiotics especially if I happen to wNt to eat one of the chickens.. proven to be a ((unlees im dien of hunger)) ~ and keeping them healthy. I need the knowledge and experience to deal faster and effective to keep my girls happy.ill use other stuff if it became more evident nothing else is working though. I want to raise chicks but I want more control of the situation if things arise.
My sisterinlaw suggested possible ear mites for her head shaking.. so another thing I need to look into. She is clear of mucus no eye drain nothing visible the eye anyway funny thing I thought id try and look at ear holes myself so cradled head loose almost not touching her and used thumb nail to move ear feathers and it made them ruffle.. she closed eyes and stood still for it even to be done on other side. She has been very calm and easy to handle still I cant tell but maybe she likes the attention. Lol
I thought the head tossing had gone but had come back as day wore on.

 

[leedyfeathers]

X2

Ive seen a wide discussion on using or not using DE. My dad use to use it on his garden when i was young even 7dust. Ive read some on that also. I used the DE relatively deep in my coop floor when chicks were young never read about use till much later. However non of my chickens other than the roo I had that a vet claimed had conjunctivitis.. now im not sure if theres a link to the injesting it or not I know people who claim to use it in the feed some mix as a dewormer with molasses. So theres much to read up on again.

 

[enola]

I agree with starting her treatment by worming with Safeguard. Please don't try to go the 'natural route'. Safeguard is in no way hard on a chicken's system. It ONLY poisons the worms!