Sick Chicken

[KristyHall]

Hello,
I'm Kristen. I originally posted this on backyard herds it was suggested I post this here too.

I have a sick hen in my bathtub. She has been there for a few days. She seems alert but I have to hand feed her a mush water mix via tube. She still isn't eating on her own and now her poop is green.
I am about ready to give up and put her out of her misery but I want to see if there is something else I can do.
Anyone know whats going on?
Now on top of it she seems to to be having trouble with a leg.
A couple of other birds acted like they had a cold but quickly recovered, but this hen seems to only stand there or lay there. She accepts the food easily at least.

 

[satsuki23]

Is the poop lime green?

 

[KristyHall]

No it is bright and a little darker than lime, with swirls of white in it.
I can only get a couple of ounces down her before she fights too much and sometime sher crop feels full.

 

[satsuki23]

It sounds like botulism check the forum for cures, I had this with one of my chickens one time and it fully recovered. It is from eating moldy foods.

 

[KristyHall]

Botulism? Oh my!
Can I pick it up from cleaning the bird and such?
Also, someone suggested merecks disease

 

[satsuki23]

No, just wash your hands it could be Merck but it sounds like botulism try flushing it with Epsom salts. Dosage either a teaspoon per gallon or a tablespoon not sure so look it up.

 

[satsuki23]

Here is a good link on botulism in birds. http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index … d=botulism

 

[KristyHall]

Thank you. I read up on botulism in chickens. I was considering putting her down if it was merecks but it looks like she can recover from botulism as long as I continue to feed and water her by hand until she's strong enough to get over it.
I do think I need to move her out of the bathtub for a while and thoroughly clean the tub though to limit her exposure to infected droppings.

 

[KristyHall]

Quick update:
She seems perkier and keeps fighting being given water. Her crop keeps remaining full. It is not nearly as full as when I first brought her in, but full non the less.
Could it started out as impacted or sour crop then it rotted in her crop which caused the botulism poisoning? I watched her for a couple of days when she started exhibiting symptoms after I gave them turnips and greens that I did not chop up very well and when she seemed to get worse that is when I moved her into the bath tub three days ago. i have been giving her sugar water until three days ago when I started feeding her a water feed mash by tube.
I did not think about the turnip greens until I saw the post on sour crop.