Sick Chicken - Crippled - Not Egg Bound

[tomhoogstra]

So I have an Isa Brown hen who has been pretty sick over the last 2 weeks and I have had to intervene.
She is 4 years old (almost average age for the I/B's) and noticed that she wasn't eating and spent more time standing still and sleeping.
She still chirps all happy when I pay her a visit (I have her isolated now) and does eat a small amount of pellets soaked in water, bread, or even vegetables.
She used to have diarrhoea which consisted of white water, but now I've started to feed her enough its more a solid brown normal looking colour. Though one of the main concerns is now, is since she lost a lot of weight over these 2 weeks, its really started to take toll on her muscles, making it very hard for her to move around.
She will sit still all day in the small enclosure, and might take 1 or 2 old man steps before collapsing again.

This hen used to be very active, friendly and excited but now, her quality of life has deteriorated a load.

I have also noticed that when I give her food / water, it sound like her stomach is grumbling, like the food isnt working for her.
Is this related to anything?

About a week ago she wasnt very very crippled, but was still walking like she was egg bound, but I checked multiple times and she wasn't, I also gave her the spa treatment and put some Epsom salts in her water to flush her system.


Any suggestions, treatments, cures?

Anything is appreciated!

 

[tomhoogstra]

I still need answers if anybody has them?

 

[pwand]

You should tube feed her. Search here on how to do it. She could have egg yolk peritonitis,/ internal lay. They can look like they are walking like a penguin or egg bound look. When you do an internal exam, can you feel lumps. She might have cancer too. Shes an older hen. Check her crop as well for impacted or sour. Has she been dewormed with safeguard and treated for mites/lice?

 

[tomhoogstra]

You should tube feed her. Search here on how to do it. She could have egg yolk peritonitis,/ internal lay. They can look like they are walking like a penguin or egg bound look. When you do an internal exam, can you feel lumps. She might have cancer too. Shes an older hen. Check her crop as well for impacted or sour. Has she been dewormed with safeguard and treated for mites/lice?

She eats grapes and softened pellets as mentioned.

I dont think she internal laying as her abdomen feels empty.

She can only take 1 or 2 steps now as her muscles may have decayed

Cancer is a posibility,

Her crop also empties every night, so I don't think thats the problem.

I haven't dewormed her, but her droppings show no signs of worms (her droppings are solid now)

She had lice, but I put vegetable powder on her back and that seemed to clear them up.

Should I worm her anyway?

Thanks for the response

 

[Eleisha]

I would worm her to rule it out. I never imagined mine had worms until one was acting weak. I wormed her & omg she had lots of them. I've heard worms don't really affect them until they're stressed. Worms rob them of their nutrients so if she's acting weak they may sure be the cause. I used what I could find the fastest which was wazine. It was $8.50 at my local feed store. You just mix it in water. It only treats round worms but I'm sure it gave mine some relief. Then I ordered worminator online from twin city poultry supply. It may take a week to get here but it's the best stuff I've heard of for the money its $11.95 it treats all worms except tape worms. I plan on using it for a follow up worming in 2 weeks. As far as building her nutrients back up I bought poly vi sol vitamin drops without iron from the drug store for $11.00 its by the baby formula maker enfamil. It has 9 good vitamins in it. I also have been feeding mine scrambled eggs. They have protein and many nutrients. Along with the wormer i'm waiting on I ordered E-7-4 Poultry Vitamins, Electrolytes & Probiotics because it was only $4 & I'm sure all that stuff will help her get back to health faster. I hope it helps!

 

[tomhoogstra]

I would worm her to rule it out. I never imagined mine had worms until one was acting weak. I wormed her & omg she had lots of them. I've heard worms don't really affect them until they're stressed. Worms rob them of their nutrients so if she's acting weak they may sure be the cause. I used what I could find the fastest which was wazine. It was $8.50 at my local feed store. You just mix it in water. It only treats round worms but I'm sure it gave mine some relief. Then I ordered worminator online from twin city poultry supply. It may take a week to get here but it's the best stuff I've heard of for the money its $11.95 it treats all worms except tape worms. I plan on using it for a follow up worming in 2 weeks. As far as building her nutrients back up I bought poly vi sol vitamin drops without iron from the drug store for $11.00 its by the baby formula maker enfamil. It has 9 good vitamins in it. I also have been feeding mine scrambled eggs. They have protein and many nutrients. Along with the wormer i'm waiting on I ordered E-7-4 Poultry Vitamins, Electrolytes & Probiotics because it was only $4 & I'm sure all that stuff will help her get back to health faster. I hope it helps!

Thanks for the suggestions, Ill see if the stores are open tomorrow, might get unlucky since its the weekend here.

 

[Eleisha]

You're welcome. Keep us updated on how she's doing please.

 

[tomhoogstra]

She seems a little better now, I was unable to get worm treatment, but I will try again later this week.
She seems to have an appetite back, though walking is still a struggle (she seems to be getting stronger, thats for sure)

Maybe she will pull through!

 

[Chickenwingo]

I still need answers if anybody has them?

get womens 1 Vitamin break it half stick it down her mouth works great even for muscle strain or muscle pull.

 

[tomhoogstra]

So in the past week it seems she is getting stronger, though such timing has brought upon what seems to be a moult, every time I go out and check her there is feathers around her that just fall off, it doesn't seem to severe though.

Gave her another scrambled egg yesterday and she took that down rather well but there is still time where she refuses to eat or drink for an hour or two.

I give her a pellet mash every morning before I leave and when I arrive home it is usually 90% empty, I then refill it for the rest of the night which seems to get eaten as well.

This morning I found her downstairs (Her isolation is an old chicken house, has upstair nesting box, roosts, etc. In which I took the roosts away for safety) which was a suprise since she usually sits at the very back corner right away from the stairs.

I am yet to worm her, but I am 99% sure worms aren't the problem, I check her poo multiple times a day and there havent been a single trace, and she doesn't have swollen eyes or breathing problems either which removes gape worms and eye worm as a threat.

We've has a couple of hot days in the last week (30 Celsius and above) but that doesn't affect her in the slightest, a drink and she is good to go.


No sure what else to try, its more or less a waiting game to see if she pulls through or eventually is beaten by an illness.