Sick Barred Rock *Update 9/6/11* She has died.

[Schwartzfarmnc]

I've got 2 girls that are 25 weeks old one SLW and a BR, both are top of the pecking order and for the past 2 days they have had a small sandy feeling crops, not eating much and just not acting like normal. The SLW laid her egg yesterday but not the BR, we have given them both bread soaked with oil and yogurt which they ate up last evening. This morning we tried giving them scambled egg and bread with oil, the SLW ate pretty well but the BR is not eating at all. Can a crop have too much sand or should I be looking at something else? Both birds have always been very active and all other birds are doing just fine, it's just has effected these 2. Could someone please give me some suggestions on what it could be or what else I can try? I watched both girls last evening just muddle through the run, scratching a little and eating a worm or 2 but are very slow reacting otherwise.

Okay, our SLW is doing much better but the BR is just not interested in eating, we did get her to eat a few pieces of canned corn and a piece of bread soaked in wheat germ oil. Her poops are interesting though, mainly dark brown, but some look like mucus with some white and green always runny and this afternoon it had what it looked to be 2 layer pellets and a small blade of grass. We have turned her upside down and moved her crop back and forth to see if she has an abstuction but cannot feel anything, we have corid wazine and ivermectin in case it could be worms or cocci.

Can someone give me an idea of what I'm dealing with or suggestions to look for?

We have her inside and she is walking around talking some but not eating on her own, comb is red no signs of lice or mites but poop are very disgusting and she burps if that helps.

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

Can someone help? Anybody

 

[dawg53]

It sounds like your Barred Rock might be eggbound. I recommend that you soak her in warm water up to her sides. Gently massage her underside front to rear for about 20 minutes. The warm water will help expand her innards and massaging her underside helps move the egg along. Then put on a disposable plastic glove and put olive oil on your finger. Stick the lubed finger inside her vent checking for obstructions, then remove your finger and apply olive oil to her vent area. By inserting your finger into her vent, you help stretch it so that the egg can easily pass and the olive oil will make it easier for her to lay the egg. You might have to repeat as necessary. I dont believe you are dealing with cocci nor worms, but you could take a fecal sample to a vet and have them take a look under a microscope if you wish. It shouldnt cost much at all, my vet charges $14.50.

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

Update 9/1/2011.

Gave her a warm bath last night and felt inside for a broken egg or something to that effect, but nothing. She will eat a few pieces of canned corn but is only interested for a few seconds. Her crop doesn't seem to empty completely, it has about a small hand full of sand in it at all times, but she does poop and it's been dark brown and stinky with some white in it and this morning a little red, could be blood but not much at all. We have her indoors and she slept good last night, she drinks water good but when I massage her crop pretty hard you can hear a gurgle sound and sometimes she burps. We have made her take in some olive oil and will continue.

We have just turned her upside down and tried to make her regurgitate, and she threw up a good tablespoon of brown liquid which of course stinks. I'm thinking now this could be sour crop maybe? Will get ACV in her water prompto and see if it will help, but any other suggestions would be welcomed please!!! Poor bird doesn't feel good at all.

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

*Update* 9.2.11

After a full day of ACV and a probiotic our Barred Rock continues her sickness. I've searched for 2 straight days and being a newby I'm exhausted and need your help please. I think she is suffering from sour crop and maybe something else, her crop has lot's of gas which makes her burp when you massage it, this morning the crop was small and hard I could feel about a couple tablespoons of sand but nothing else, her poops continue to be brown and runny but does have the white included so I think her kidney's are working, but I'm concerned she is not processing the sand out of the crop.

She just stands in her cage, but when you take her out she does walk around a little and seems to be looking around at things, her comb is bright red but very sleepy. We are trying to get a fecal sample to the vet's today. Her sister is now showing some of the same signs, but her comb is pale and she eats but is beginning to stand around too. These girls are the biggest of the bunch and this is just killing us not knowing what we can do for them. I did get the one to eat canned salmon last night and she scarfed it down but this morning she is just very slow with a pale comb.

I've noticed the slightest amount of red in the poops but nothing to scream Cocci or worms, but there was some seed in the poop this morning, could she have been exposed to a rotten veggie?

I have 15 girl total and none of the others are having any issues, they eat like pigs and seem to be acting just fine, but I need Your Help please, I'm at my wits end and need your help today please!!! Please anyone who might have an idea, I need your help I'm desperate!!!

 

[speckledhen]

Did you follow the protocol exactly as I PM'd to you? I'll copy below for other folks:

Same protocol or all sour crop issues. Separate the hen, 24 hours with no food, only water with 1/4 teaspoon of acidified copper sulfate (comes in powder form usually at the feed store) in a gallon in plastic waterer only. If you can't find that, use 2 tablespoons of organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar in the plastic gallon waterer, changed daily. Day 2, add only plain yogurt. Day 3, add plain scrambled egg to the yogurt. Each day, massage the crop, several times each day, pushing toward the back of the crop, not upward. Day 3, maybe some soupy oatmeal added to the eggs and yogurt, but NO grains.

With sour crop, if it doesn't clear up, they won't make it. She can go for maybe two days with no food, but if the sour crop continues, no food is getting through anyway. Sour crop can be caused by eating something moldy, feed out of the bag or something in a compost pile that has gone rotten, etc.

The "sand" you're feeling is probably just grit or feed that is sitting in the crop and not moving. The gassy stuff is the problem. All you can do is keep massaging, keep working it. Sometimes, unfortunately, it doesn't work and they will just pass away. I'm sorry to tell you that. You should not make her throw up anymore. She can choke to death that way.​

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

Quote:
With sour crop, if it doesn't clear up, they won't make it. She can go for maybe two days with no food, but if the sour crop continues, no food is getting through anyway. Sour crop can be caused by eating something moldy, feed out of the bag or something in a compost pile that has gone rotten, etc.

The "sand" you're feeling is probably just grit or feed that is sitting in the crop and not moving. The gassy stuff is the problem. All you can do is keep massaging, keep working it. Sometimes, unfortunately, it doesn't work and they will just pass away. I'm sorry to tell you that. You should not make her throw up anymore. She can choke to death that way.

Speckedhen, I have followed your directions, she only recieved ACV water all day yesterday, today we tried offering her yogurt and she is not interested at all, and we continue to massage her crop. If the feed was the issue wouldn't the other girls be getting sick also? I don't feel anything else in the crop except for the sand. We have not forced her to vomit, but the one time. Should we replace the feed just in case, but it is a brand new bag and I don't see anything that looks moldy, it smells okay? Her sister is tearing up some scratch and she seems to be passing her stool okay, but we have her inside with her sister because she is not normal either. We have found a vet that will see them today for only $14 so we will take at 2pm. We are going to do a full clean out tomorrow to the coop and bedding but if you think I should replace the feed I will do so, it would be worth wasting 10 bucks for the health of the girls.
Thank you so much for your help, it is much appreciated more than you can know. We love our girls and want the best for them.

 

[speckledhen]

I had someone sell me feed that wasn't apparently moldy till many had eaten it. Only the ones in full on molt developed crop stasis (not sour crop, crop just quit functioning entirely). So the ones who may have an issue already are the ones whose bodies may be the most affected by mold. Go ahead and see the vet and see what he says. There may be more than one issue going on. It's hard for us to really diagnose anything over the net without seeing the bird and I'm not a vet, so if you have access to a vet who can do testing, that would be best.

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

Update******

Took both birds to the vet today.

Vet says there is nothing that standsout to him, gave them both a shot of antibiotic and told us to give electolites and sent home some more antibiotics, he checked for egg issues and did not find any, thought it could be toxin but was unsure. Within 1 hour one our Astrid has died

Called the NW Diagnostic Lab and spoke to the doctor there and after speaking with him, he does not recommend a necropsy but recommends worming, he has seen a huge problem in our state with parasites and we will begin giving them Wazine and then Valbazen in recommendation from dawg53. The Dr. had just looked at another Barred Rock with conditions similar and found tons of parasites in that bird also.

This is a huge loss for us and I will keep anyone who may follow this issue the most up to date info as it happens, but this is a very sad day here, my heart is broken.

 

[CapricornFarm]

So sorry your girl died.