Sick chicken

[mar]

So today I went out to bring my chickens a Christmas treat and my buff orppington was sitting in a nest. She acted like she was sleeping. She is only 8 months so I thought it was weird. I recently got a new coop and she struggles getting through the vinyl flaps I put up to protect from drafts. The other day I went out and she was still in the coop because she couldn't squeeze through. So I thought that is what happened yesterday. That she had spent all day in the coop without food. I picked her up and tried to set her down by some food and she wouldn't eat. Her comb was purple. So I brought her inside and put her under a heat lamp. I was checking her out and accidently emptied her crop. It was all liquid and smelled like vomit. I think she also may have vomited in the coop. I believe I emptied her crop. I am giving her some fennel tea to see if it is her crop. Since she's been under the light her comb is not redish/purplish. But when I try to get her to eat or drink she won't. I've tried a syringe and the water just comes right back out. Any help would be welcome.

 

[azygous]

It sounds like sour crop/impacted crop. Feel her crop. Is is squishy and soft? Or does it feel like solid material, lumpy perhaps?

 

[mar]

I accidentally emptied it. So right now there isn't anything in there. I don't know if I should force feed her something. Or keep giving her water with garlic in it. I don't have any apple vinegar. I have to be careful because sometimes when I give her water it just spills out her beak. Before I emptied the crop it felt kind of squishy.

It sounds like sour crop/impacted crop. Feel her crop. Is is squishy and soft? Or does it feel like solid material, lumpy perhaps?

 

[azygous]

All right! Good! We know we are dealing with sour crop and not impacted crop. We're halfway through the battle!

You need some anti-yeast medicine. The easiest to obtain is miconazole from the pharmacy in the section on women's hygiene products. Get a tube of the topical cream for relief of vaginal yeast infections. You may even have some on hand or your neighbor does. The suppositories will work, too.

The treatment is about a quarter to half an inch of the cream placed in your pullet's beak twice a day for seven days. Some of my hens even like the taste and take their doses right off the tip of my finger. If your pullet balks, use this video to assist you in getting her beak open to place the dose inside.

Your pullet will begin to feel much better after you begin this treatment. No other treatment is necessary. Let her have yogurt, boiled chopped egg, and raw grated carrot for now. No ACV for this week.

 

[mar]

Thanks. What do I do if she won't eat or drink. Do I force her?

All right! Good! We know we are dealing with sour crop and not impacted crop. We're halfway through the battle!

You need some anti-yeast medicine. The easiest to obtain is miconazole from the pharmacy in the section on women's hygiene products. Get a tube of the topical cream for relief of vaginal yeast infections. You may even have some on hand or your neighbor does. The suppositories will work, too.

The treatment is about a quarter to half an inch of the cream placed in your pullet's beak twice a day for seven days. Some of my hens even like the taste and take their doses right off the tip of my finger. If your pullet balks, use this video to assist you in getting her beak open to place the dose inside.

Your pullet will begin to feel much better after you begin this treatment. No other treatment is necessary. Let her have yogurt, boiled chopped egg, and raw grated carrot for now. No ACV for this week.

 

[mar]

I just went down to check on her and she had passed away. I'm definitely going to pay more attention to their crops now.

Thanks. What do I do if she won't eat or drink. Do I force her?

 

[azygous]

That's very sad news. I'm sorry we couldn't help her.

Yes, do pay close attention to the state of the crop when you notice any chicken begin to act sick. Most crop issues are easily addressed, and when caught early, the chicken almost always recovers.

 

[mar]

I'm starting to wonder if she had worms that blocked her up. I've had problems with sparrows in my run. THey've been pooping in the water. I think I'm going to go get a dewormer tomorrow and give it to all of my chickens.

That's very sad news. I'm sorry we couldn't help her.

Yes, do pay close attention to the state of the crop when you notice any chicken begin to act sick. Most crop issues are easily addressed, and when caught early, the chicken almost always recovers.

 

[azygous]

Can't hurt to worm them. But there are so many things that can make a chicken sick, and I've been thinking your pullet likely aspirated some of the sour fluid from her crop when she vomited. Usually chickens don't die that quickly from sour crop. They usually starve to death which takes days.

Same with a heavy worm load. A chicken with heavy worm population will be emaciated for quite a while before they starve.

But then, all we have to go on is coincidental occurrences. Your pullet could have died from something we don't know about. If you have the budget for it, a necropsy on this dead pullet will tell you exactly why she died, and it may have implications for your other chickens.

You would need to refrigerate her body, and tomorrow phone your local agricultural extension office and ask them where you can send this chicken for a necropsy.