Sick chicken - help!

[betsycam]

So, as if an egg-bound duck weren't enough on my plate, I discovered I have a sick chicken today! I have a box the girls lay eggs in in our shop, and today I noticed this girl sitting in the box later in the afternoon, not a good sign When I've had girls stay in the box all day and night I've found them dead the next day.

She has a poop butt, white diarrhea on her butt feathers. Not egg-bound that I can feel. I'll bring her in the house and have her in a dog crate for the night.

I know they hide illness until it is almost too late so what should I do? Antibiotics? I do have Biomycin, LA200, Tylan50, and Nuflor

 

[betsycam]

Just treated for cocci with Baycox in the event that is it. Should I treat with antibiotics, too? I hear a slight wheeze. Haven't heard back from anyone so I guess I will go ahead and give Biomycin and tube feed.

 

[betsycam]

Bump! So, this morning I didn't think she had eaten so tube fed her some but discovered that her crop was mushy so hadn't emptied from last night's feed! I'm new to this so forgot that I should have checked her crop before feeding! I left her with food and water since I was gone for the day. When I got home her crop was still soft and she had spilled the food around so I don't know if she has eaten any of it or just spilled it. It does seem she like she drank much of the water.

She has slight respiratory sounds, not sure if all chickens make a little breathing sound or whether it is a symptom. I gave her the Bio-Mycin and Baycox last night, and read that they should have a Baycox treatment two days in a row, but I am now left with the question of whether I should empty her crop (but not if she has respiratory symptoms?) and then go ahead and give her another Baycox dose and tube water with electrolytes!

When I brought her in yesterday, her crop was empty so she hadn't eaten all day. So, this development is from the tube feeding and/or food I left with her but I don't think she's eating because she left the freeze-dried mealworms scattered in the crate and my other chickens would have had those cleaned up first and foremost!

So, hoping someone can advise what I should do tonight! I took food and water away to see if the crop would start to clear, but I think I'll put the water back since it sounds like it is ok for them to drink when they have a slow crop (?).

 

[Eggcessive]

How old is she? She may have a slow down of her crop if she is sick or has coccidiosis. Listen to her breathing for locating the breathing noise. A sour or slow crop may cause fluid to back up into the throat and sound rattly. But a respiratory disease can cause rattly breathing from mucus in the airway, and there can also be wheezing. Do you hear any sneezing, cough, or see any nasal drainage or watery/foamy eyes?

 

[betsycam]

I think she is about 2 years old. No rattling or discharges of nose/eyes. Wheezing, maybe, only noticed when holding her trying to doctor her. Just checked and massaged her crop and it is smaller, soft, golf-ball sized?

 

[Eggcessive]

Has she eaten today? the crop should fill empty or nonexistent in early morning, and fill up during the day as they eat and drink. Impacted crop feels like a firm or doughy ball of food, while sour crop may feel full and puffy, and have a sour or foul odor. You can massage the crop and only feed liquids to try and get the crop working again. Sometimes the chicken may require emptying of the crop and then giving water and anti fungal drugs to help treat any infection. Google impacted and sour crops in chickens for more info. Others may chime in with info.

 

[betsycam]

No, the crop did not empty overnight. I kept food from her overnight to see if it would empty. She did drink water. I put food in with her, flockraiser mash, and she spilled it so I wasn't sure if she ate any. So, I offered her some pieces of lasagna noodle, bits of whole wheat bread and lettuce, and she was interested and pecked at the noodles and lettuce. So, I've left her alone to see what she'll do. Her tail is up and she has been standing when I checked on her. Poops are green blobs in liquid white.

 

[betsycam]

Success! The crop emptied overnight and her poops are back to firmer mounds! Looks like it was cocci and the toltrazuril did the trick! So glad I had that on hand! I got mine here: https://horseprerace.com/toltrazuril-5-200ml/

100 ml available here: https://www.allthingsbunnies.com/Toltrazuril-5-Suspension-for-Coccidiosis-p/med132.htm

Looks like you normally need a script for Baycox but these sites didn't require one or at least the first one didn't!

I had to do a dilution to get the dosage right, 1:10 or 1 ml ini 9 ml water for a 25 mg/ml solution, then gaver her 0.7 ml.