Sick chicken

[LalaP]

Hi all,
I need some advice. I have a sick hen. She’s lethargic and her comb is pale. I just finished a course of dewormer on my girls. Not sure if that has anything to do with it. I used Safeguard equine paste and used the measurements that were recommended by many members here although my partner did a few of the doses because I was at work and he may have overdone it because I was surprised that he used a whole tube. He doesn’t listen very well.
This evening I put my finger in her cloaca but didn’t feel anything. She hasn’t laid in a couple of days at least.
She’s not eating but she’s drinking. Her crop feels watery. Her poops are watery too.
Any ideas?
Help is much appreciated!!

 

[LalaP]

I forgot to mention she has watery poops.

 

[gtaus]

Any ideas?

I don't medicate my chickens. So, I really don't know about the Safeguard equine paste you mentioned, and potentially too much given. I hope she gets better soon.

Having said that, I would stop any more medications at this time and just offer fresh water and good feed. Chickens have a short digestive track, so it's possible that the potential overdoes will work itself out pretty fast. But I am willing to listen to others who may have experience with that medication.

Best wishes.

 

[Themellowyellows]

@LaFleche
@WyropRock
@Eggcessive
@azygous

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi all,
I need some advice. I have a sick hen. She’s lethargic and her comb is pale. I just finished a course of dewormer on my girls. Not sure if that has anything to do with it. I used Safeguard equine paste and used the measurements that were recommended by many members here although my partner did a few of the doses because I was at work and he may have overdone it because I was surprised that he used a whole tube. He doesn’t listen very well.
This evening I put my finger in her cloaca but didn’t feel anything. She hasn’t laid in a couple of days at least.
Any ideas?
Help is much appreciated!!

I forgot to mention she has watery poops.

How old is she?
Photos of her and her poop?

What measurements did you give your flock and for how many days?
How did you measure the dose, with a syringe or?

Your partner gave a "few of the doses" - how many and how much did he give - can he tell you the dose he gave?

Did you see a lot of worms expelled in the poop?
You know for sure that worms were a problem, so you dewormed your flock?

How many birds all together were dewormed and for how many days?

The deworming medication is pretty safe to give when given correctly. It could be that too much medication was given, but it would have had to have been a very high dose.
Possible, the hen may be suffering from worm toxicity, this is when a heavily infested bird has a lot of worms die off in the intestines and release toxins before being expelled.
If you think this may have happened, then give her Activated Charcoal tablets. 2 tablets now, then 2 in 4-6hours, finish with 2 more in 12-14 hours.

She's not laid an egg and should have. I'd start her on Extra Calcium for a week. Give 1 calcium citrate with D3 tablet once daily. Just pop the tablet into the beak.

@LaFleche
@WyropRock
@Eggcessive
@azygous

I've seen/ran across where you have attempted to tag me in several threads over the last few days. If you will spell my username correctly, the tag will actually show up in my feed

 

[azygous]

That worming med will not cause adverse effects if overdosed. All it does is to sedate the worms in the intestines, causing them to let go. They are then absorbed as extra protein.

Sometimes there is too many worms to absorb and they can form a plug. When that happens, a chicken can get pretty sick from shock and from starvation. First treat for shock. It's simple and will not hurt anything if we're wrong. Give her one cup of water with one teaspoon of sugar with a pinch of salt and baking soda mixed in.

If that revives her, then you may want to try a flush to move any worms through and out.

 

[LalaP]

How old is she?
Photos of her and her poop?

What measurements did you give your flock and for how many days?
How did you measure the dose, with a syringe or?

Your partner gave a "few of the doses" - how many and how much did he give - can he tell you the dose he gave?

Did you see a lot of worms expelled in the poop?
You know for sure that worms were a problem, so you dewormed your flock?

How many birds all together were dewormed and for how many days?

The deworming medication is pretty safe to give when given correctly. It could be that too much medication was given, but it would have had to have been a very high dose.
Possible, the hen may be suffering from worm toxicity, this is when a heavily infested bird has a lot of worms die off in the intestines and release toxins before being expelled.
If you think this may have happened, then give her Activated Charcoal tablets. 2 tablets now, then 2 in 4-6hours, finish with 2 more in 12-14 hours.

She's not laid an egg and should have. I'd start her on Extra Calcium for a week. Give 1 calcium citrate with D3 tablet once daily. Just pop the tablet into the beak.





I've seen/ran across where you have attempted to tag me in several threads over the last few days. If you will spell my username correctly, the tag will actually show up in my feed

Ok thank you very much.

She’s 4 years old. Black Australorp. It’s too late in the evening for me to get photos at this point. I gave the chickens the dewormer using a syringe. The dosage I used is 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally to each chicken 5 days straight. I have 5 chickens. Unfortunately I don’t know if my partner over dosed them or by how much. He says he did it right but I have my doubts. The reason I dewormed them is that one of them (not the sick one) has a very tight belly and a poopy butt. I thought maybe it was worms and figured it wouldn’t hurt to deworm them and might cure her issue.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Ok thank you very much.

She’s 4 years old. Black Australorp. It’s too late in the evening for me to get photos at this point. I gave the chickens the dewormer using a syringe. The dosage I used is 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally to each chicken 5 days straight. I have 5 chickens. Unfortunately I don’t know if my partner over dosed them or by how much. He says he did it right but I have my doubts. The reason I dewormed them is that one of them (not the sick one) has a very tight belly and a poopy butt. I thought maybe it was worms and figured it wouldn’t hurt to deworm them and might cure her issue.

No, I don't think you overdosed them.
There's not a lot of paste in 1 tube. It's been a few years, can't remember how many tubes I needed to dose my flock at the time, but 1 tube did not go far. I buy the liquid now LOL

Work on hydration as @azygous suggested in Post#6 see if she perks up.

 

[LalaP]

That worming med will not cause adverse effects if overdosed. All it does is to sedate the worms in the intestines, causing them to let go. They are then absorbed as extra protein.

Sometimes there is too many worms to absorb and they can form a plug. When that happens, a chicken can get pretty sick from shock and from starvation. First treat for shock. It's simple and will not hurt anything if we're wrong. Give her one cup of water with one teaspoon of sugar with a pinch of salt and baking soda mixed in.

If that revives her, then you may want to try a flush to move any worms through and out.

Do I force that mixture into her with a syringe or let her drink it?

 

[azygous]

Dip her beak until she discovers it's sweet. But if she's too weak to drink, you will need to tube it or syringe it. Tubing is best since syringing takes forever.