Sick Chicken

[chochie]

Birds of a Feather haha you sound exactly like us! We are the same way with all of our animals, chickens, dogs and cats alike. Thank you so much for the kind words neighbor ;-) I appreciate it, Well I've spent most of the day working on my coop and discovered I have another sick chicken, I believe it is definitely sour crop, My beautiful brown hen Berthie was acting exactly like Covie was so I immediately picked her up and started massaging her crop and sure enough it was full of yuck, I have done that about 6 times today each time was productive but her crop is still full it's like a water balloon but it will only empty so much and then it stops, I can set her back down for a bit and then do it again about an hour or half hour later and she will spit out more. I read to give them a bit of olive oil which I did and I also gave her some vit e which i read was good for any hen that ailing. The only thing I can figure that's causing this is I bought different feed this time, I stopped at the Southern State in my hometown (in Ky) and purchased my feed there this time just b/c I like the people and don't get home as much as I want to, I guess the change in feed may have caused this, or at least that's the only thing I've done differently. So we put that feed in buckets and my sweetheart made a trip to Milton today to get our regular feed and fresh straw. So I my plan is to spend tonight investigating sour crop further but I would defiantly appreciate any ones experiences with it. I hope everyone has a good night and hope all is well in your coop.

 

[delisha]

Sour crop can be nasty business, glad you found out what is going on. Do some research and if that is what is going on your girls will be good to go in a few days.

 

[cowcreekgeek]

Birds of a Feather haha you sound exactly like us! We are the same way with all of our animals, chickens, dogs and cats alike. Thank you so much for the kind words neighbor ;-) I appreciate it, Well I've spent most of the day working on my coop and discovered I have another sick chicken, I believe it is definitely sour crop, My beautiful brown hen Berthie was acting exactly like Covie was so I immediately picked her up and started massaging her crop and sure enough it was full of yuck, I have done that about 6 times today each time was productive but her crop is still full it's like a water balloon but it will only empty so much and then it stops, I can set her back down for a bit and then do it again about an hour or half hour later and she will spit out more. I read to give them a bit of olive oil which I did and I also gave her some vit e which i read was good for any hen that ailing. The only thing I can figure that's causing this is I bought different feed this time, I stopped at the Southern State in my hometown (in Ky) and purchased my feed there this time just b/c I like the people and don't get home as much as I want to, I guess the change in feed may have caused this, or at least that's the only thing I've done differently. So we put that feed in buckets and my sweetheart made a trip to Milton today to get our regular feed and fresh straw. So I my plan is to spend tonight investigating sour crop further but I would defiantly appreciate any ones experiences with it. I hope everyone has a good night and hope all is well in your coop.

Answered in response to your message, but an edited version for discussion's sake ...

Also, you made no mention of any foul odor ... wondering if you'd take a closer look to see if there is any coating w/in her mouth, and check her for any additional symptoms ... more specifically, I'd like to know if her legs appear to be scaly.

Clean your equipment -- scrub those feeders/waterers 'til there's no film or deposits on 'em. And, change the water at least once a day (don't just refill). If you're not already putting Apple Cider Vinegar in thier water, then I strongly urge you to do so, beginning at the rate of four teaspoons to the gallon (but not in galvanized metal containers).

Now, this seems to have been met w/ some resistance on BYC, which I can only guess is due to the fact that it's both painfully simple and ridiculously cheap to do.

Nobody should do blindly what others suggest, but only after confirming the advice is sound. My research is well documented, and the facts stand as irrefutable evidence that ACV is absolutely beneficial to your birds, and simply can't do any harm whatsover. Do see for yourself ...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...k-one-by-one-tried-everything/40#post_9869825

... if indeed this is sour crop, or any number of the other infections associated w/ it, this will help by reducing the viscosity of any mucus in their systems, and help to remove any coatings that have accumulated in the mouth, throat and intestines. It will also reduce the levels of botulism in their mouths, and help to remove the toxins this bacteria may produce. Further, it creates a more formidable environment for parasites. And, further still, improve the uptake of nutrients, vitamins and any medicines given. And, they actually like it, which increases the overall amount of water they drink (I also remove the chlorine, for that reason alone ~'-)

Try not to ever let yourself run out of the components of any diet, so that you can slowly transition anything new by mixing it in w/ what they're used to, so as to avoid abrupt changes -- true of just about any living creature (i.e. my dog's food is a mixture that is changed w/ availability, and adjusted based upon conditions). Check any food for spoilage or infestation, and never let rodents get into it, but you can feed just about anything they can safely consume by mixing it into the container you feed from, so as to transition to it alone, or to whichever percentage you prefer. In my case? I've several bags of feed 'n seed, conditioners, and grit that I draw specific amounts from each time I refill the containers I draw their rations directly from. Most needn't be so anal-retentive about the whole things as I, but most everything I do becomes a variety of experiments. To progressively increase or decrease percentages of concentration most easily? Simply incorporate into your feed bin the same amount you've taken out.

I'm assuming you've been giving them some form of grit, so as to grind their food as it goes through? Many offer it free choice, while others mix it directly into the food. I think doing both makes the most sense. And, that they're stayin' dry (esp. if they're not all that warm). I believe that sun and fresh air are next in importance to clean water and food, for general good health -- the air for my own exchanges a minimum of once every two hours when closed, and mirrors are positioned so as to redirect sunlight through the window (gotta pipe in the sun, 'round here ~'-)


Here's the best report I've seen, for your further research ...

Improved Aviculture Management May Prevent Candidiasis in Birds, by Gary D. Butcher and Richard D. Miles
URL to original report: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vm031

Candida albicans, the causative fungus of candidiasis, is normally present in small numbers in the upper digestive tract of birds, and is considered harmless. During periods of stress, however, the fungus can grow rapidly causing a sometimes deadly disease. Besides candidiasis, this disease is also referred to as crop mycosis, moniliasis, thrush, and oidiomycosis.

Affected birds lose weight, regurgitate frequently, and act listless. Other signs include reduced growth rate in young birds, diarrhea, and delayed emptying and enlargement of the crop. Cheesy white mouth lesions are another common sign. These lesions resemble those of vitamin A deficiency and proliferative lesions observed in the wet form of avian pox. Severe oral lesions may become obstructive and interfere with normal respiration and feeding, resulting in debilitation and unthriftiness. The prognosis in these cases is poor.

Aside from mechanical impairment of food passage, involvement of the crop results in a specific condition termed sour crop. A grayish white layer or pseudomembrane will commonly cover the crop lining, which may be ulcerated and inflamed. The crop wall will be thickened and opaque and birds will regurgitate food because of a loss of crop wall tone. Regurgitated food may be seen on the face or feathers of the head and neck.

Candidiasis results when the candida fungus grows uncontrollably. Factors that have been implicated as playing a role in predisposing birds to the disease include parasitism, malnutrition, vitamin A deficiency, infectious diseases, and consumption of moldy feed. The disease appears particularly to be associated with prolonged antibiotic therapy and poor sanitation. The microflora of a bird's digestive tract is altered by these factors. The normal intestinal bacteria that keep the yeast population suppressed are gone, allowing rapid fungal growth and invasion of the mucosal lining by the organism.

Diagnosis is based on a history of predisposing factors, clinical signs, gross lesions and cultivation of C. albicans on laboratory media. Because the fungus can be isolated from healthy birds, an original heavy growth is essential for diagnosis.

Drugs that have been effective in treating candidiasis include Mycostatin (nystatin), Ancoban (flucytosine), and Nizoral (ketoconazole). Nolvasan (chlorhexidine) is sometimes added to the birds' drinking water for treatment (1 ml/pint of H 2 O).

Mycosis of the digestive tract is often related to unhygienic and overcrowded conditions. Efforts should be made to provide a clean, sanitized environment for the birds. Parasites and infectious diseases should be controlled, and a complete nutritional diet provided. Whenever new birds are acquired, they should be isolated from other birds for enough time to be reasonably certain the new stock is healthy. If prolonged antibiotic therapy is anticipated, such as for prevention of Psittacosis (Parrot Fever), preventive treatment with an antimycotic drug should also be considered. Lactobacillus acidophilus (Lactinex) may be added to the diet when long-term antibiotic therapy is used.

About this report, and it's authors:


This document is VM73, one of a series of the Veterinary Medicine-Large Animal Clinical Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date December 1991. Reviewed March 2011. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

Gary D. Butcher, avian veterinarian and Richard D. Miles, avian nutritionist, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.