Sick Chicken

[Clucks]

I have a leghorn chicken that is about 8 months old. She has not laid an egg in about 12 days. She was laying very regular prior to that. She is not acting herself. She eats but very minimally. She seems to spend more time than the others just roosting. When we feed them meals worms, which she usually will fight with the others over, she will peck at a few and then walks away and let's the other four eat them. Her legs and beak look paler than normal. She is loosing weight. Brought her in to watch her better. Have not seen her popping yet, so I don't know if there is something wrong there. I have seen a few watery droppings around the yard. Thought she might be binding an egg. Gave her some liquid calcium, and soaked her in water for 20 minutes with no change. We tried to feel for an egg, but could not feel anything. Any ideas? I feel like she is just going to waste away.

 

[Johnn]

Have you checked her crop? Have a feel and see if it is rather empty, soft, fully of liquid and squishy or hard like an over sized golf ball. Also check for lice and mites.

 

[ten chicks]

Yup,check her for an impacted or sour crop. Crop should be full at night(after eating all day)and empty in morning(before eating). Sour crop may have symptoms of feeling squishy or a foul smell coming from mouth.

Look at her vent any whitish discharge,would might indicate vent gleet.

Her not pooping tells me she is not eating. Have you done a cloacal exam to check for egg binding,with egg binding they cannot poop or it is watery as egg binding interferes with the ability to poop.

 

[Johnn]

Yup,check her for an impacted or sour crop. Crop should be full at night(after eating all day)and empty in morning(before eating). Sour crop may have symptoms of feeling squishy or a foul smell coming from mouth.

Look at her vent any whitish discharge,would might indicate vent gleet.

Her not pooping tells me she is not eating. Have you done a cloacal exam to check for egg binding,with egg binding they cannot poop or it is watery as egg binding interferes with the ability to poop.

Whats vent gleet because I think my ill girl may have it!

 

[ten chicks]

Here is a link for vent gleet.

www.backyardchickens.com/a/vent-gleet-aka-nasty-chicken-butt

Another link.

http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/12/vent-gleet-prevention-and-treatment.html

 

[Clucks]

I have checked her crop and it just feels empty. It is not hard and not squishy. Her vent is pale with no discharge at all. We kept her inside and watched her for 24 hours and she only had one poop that small very dark and a little runny. She continues to just pick at her food. We have given her some liquid calcium and soaked her in warm water for 20 minutes to help just I case she is binding, but there has been no change. I am watching her waste away, and feel so helpless.

 

[ten chicks]

I have checked her crop and it just feels empty. It is not hard and not squishy. Her vent is pale with no discharge at all. We kept her inside and watched her for 24 hours and she only had one poop that small very dark and a little runny. She continues to just pick at her food. We have given her some liquid calcium and soaked her in warm water for 20 minutes to help just I case she is binding, but there has been no change. I am watching her waste away, and feel so helpless.

Is she a new addition to your flock,has she ever been wormed? Here is a link for tube feeding,as most birds die from dehydration/starvation before you even get a chance to treat the real issue.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

Has she been checked over from top to bottom for any injuries? Has she been checked for mites/lice? Have you checked inside her mouth for anything unusual? Any discharge from eyes/nostrils? Have you done a cloacal exam to actually check for egg binding or a broken egg internally.

 

[Johnn]

Sounds very similar to my ill girl. Cant really help anymore because I don't know whats up with mine!

 

[Clucks]

OK we gave her a thorough going over. This hen, Little Yellow, is not new to the flock. She has been raised with the other 4 hens in our flock. She does not have lice or mites. I can not actually feel any egg in the cloacal. There is no discharge from her eyes or mouth. Nothing abnormal in her mouth. We are going to figure out tube feeding and get her some food and water while we try and figure things out. We are a little nervous to try this out as we do not want to hurt her, but realize that she really needs the nutrition. If you think of anything else to help, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Sarevan]

Tube feeding is easy thing to do, I have had to do it a few times now. I use a kit I found at feed store for lambs, lamb tube feeding kit 14g 3-4 dollars. Here is a link that helped me. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

I now have on hand Kaytee bird food formula that helps, and an old blender for blending up feed small enough to tube feed. I have even added miconazole for sour crop to it to tube into crop. For vent gleet I have used miconazole on outside of vent and inserted a pea sized amount inside vent smearing it around with finger then massaged it from the outside to get it everywhere internally I could.

Hope your hen recovers.