We have had sick chicken for about 3 weeks. It started with her not eating and just standing in one spot. When offered food/water and she would take one bite or drink. We brought her in the house where we could watch her closer. We placed her in a small bathroom where we could keep the temperature warmer (80). We offered her water (Hydro-hen), yogurt and soft cooked eggs. Mostly she would drink. Her poop was more watery and yellow with a very small (dime or less size) amount of very dark poop. Her comb was also getting slightly discolored more dark purple on the tips. In the morning her crop felt spongy/boggy so my wife got her to expel the contents. It was very foul smelling. She would not eat the rest of the day and only occasionally took a drink. Two days later her normally red comb went 3/4 blue and she couldn't stand, hold her head up and only occasionally opened her eyes. We finally found a vet that would see her. He irrigated and suctioned out her crop. He told us to repeat that every few hours for 6 hours and then start trying to give food back like yogurt and eggs. He also had us give her Tylan antibiotics twice daily for 5 days (He thought she was getting septic) and Nystatin 4 times daily for 7 days (sour crop). No surprise she would still not eat after irrigating (very sick and a long day for her) so we bought Kaytee exact to start tube feeding. We re-constituted the Kaytee with Hydro-hen and have tube fed her every 4 hours except at night for about 5-6 days. She held her head down so we propped it on rolled towels so she didn't aspirate. Her crop then and now remains boggy unless we massage it before the next feeding. After feeding and periodically during crop massage she expels air. Burps. Even then it remains lightly boggy. It feels like fat on your belly or a water balloon.
Today is last day for Nystatin. She looks better. Her comb is now bright red mostly with only the edges blue. She was originally 3 lb. 9 oz. when we noticed her not eating. The lowest was 2 lb. 11 oz. Today she is 3 lb. 2 oz. Her poop is still watery and yellow but the dark is now larger, more formed and more brown. She can hold her head and she can stand to poop but then sits back down in it. (It's a struggle to keep her clean!) She doesn't walk at all without being slightly pushed then takes 1-3 steps then lays down again. Instead of tube feeding my wife feeds it to her with a syringe by placing a little on her tongue trying to get her back to swallowing.
That sounds good, but she still refuses to eat or drink unless its placed in her mouth. She only stands up if she has to poop and then she immediately sits back down. She sleeps all days unless being fed or pooping.
In case you don't know what Hydro-hen is it contains probiotics, electrolytes, and acidifiers.
She is 3 years old. She came from McMurry Hatchery. She had all her immunizations they offered. She has already been wormed this year with her flock of around 50. No other chickens are sick.
The entire flocks water has ACV and electrolytes added occasionally.
Any suggestions on what to do next?
Today is last day for Nystatin. She looks better. Her comb is now bright red mostly with only the edges blue. She was originally 3 lb. 9 oz. when we noticed her not eating. The lowest was 2 lb. 11 oz. Today she is 3 lb. 2 oz. Her poop is still watery and yellow but the dark is now larger, more formed and more brown. She can hold her head and she can stand to poop but then sits back down in it. (It's a struggle to keep her clean!) She doesn't walk at all without being slightly pushed then takes 1-3 steps then lays down again. Instead of tube feeding my wife feeds it to her with a syringe by placing a little on her tongue trying to get her back to swallowing.
That sounds good, but she still refuses to eat or drink unless its placed in her mouth. She only stands up if she has to poop and then she immediately sits back down. She sleeps all days unless being fed or pooping.
In case you don't know what Hydro-hen is it contains probiotics, electrolytes, and acidifiers.
She is 3 years old. She came from McMurry Hatchery. She had all her immunizations they offered. She has already been wormed this year with her flock of around 50. No other chickens are sick.
The entire flocks water has ACV and electrolytes added occasionally.
Any suggestions on what to do next?
