Sick Hen! Any suggestions?!

[cntrygrl27]

Hi all! I’m new to chicken raising and have had my flock since just before Christmas! I have a Brahma rooster, 2 Brahma hens, and 2 Buff Orpington Hens! Everyone has been doing great until yesterday evening! I got home from work and noticed one of my Brahma hens was missing from the bunch.

I went into the coop to find her perched up on the roost. I had a strong suspicion something was up. It became even stronger when I was actually able to walk over to her and pick her up without her freaking out. I put her outside and she walked around fine and ate a few mealworms. So I left her in the pen for the night thinking maybe I was just overreacting.

Well this morning she came out of the coop fine and seemed to be normal except I was still able to pick her up without her freaking out, and then I noticed her poop from where she has roosted last night (picture attached). I quickly separated her and now have her in a dog kennel with some straw, water, food, and towels draped over. It looks like she has eaten some food and had water but her poop is still the same. After reading so much it seems like it could be a number of things. So if anyone could help me out that would be great!!!

She is roughly a year old, I’ve never noticed her to have laid an egg yet. I keep their coop clean, water clean, area dry, they have a huge place for dust bathing. She’s on regular layer feed from tractor supply. I throw them some scratch grain in the evenings as a treat. All my other chickens appear to be fine right now.

I read about inserting your finger in the vent to see if she may be egg bound, so I did that but couldn’t feel anything.

Please Help!

 

[nchls school]

Just keep her warm, dry, and isolated. Watch the others for problems, clean the area with the runny poo. If the problem persists consider having a vet check her over.

 

[Eggcessive]

Is there a lot of yellow in her poop in the picture? The dark green poo and the white urates can be from not eating or drinking enough, but the yellow sometimes can be from egg material. It is odd that she has never laid. Here comb looks pale like she is not laying.

In the morning, can you feel of her crop before she has had anything to eat or drink to check if it is flat and empty, full, firm or doughy, or puffy? Usually when hens separate themselves or act under the weather, they might be having a crop problem or a reproductive problem. Look her over for mites and lice, and cup your hand between the legs to check for an enlarged lower belly. For the belly and the crop check, it sometimes helps to compare them to the other hens.

Is there any chance that your refular vet would perform a fecal test on some fresh droppings tomorrow to look for worms or coccidiosis? I would call ahead since many will not do it without seeing the chicken.

 

[cntrygrl27]

UPDATE.....

So I have attached pictures from this morning. She is standing on one leg, won’t put the other one down, and this is what she just pooped out. Her crop (if I’m feeling the right thing) seems squishy (that may be considered doughy?). As far as the yellow in her poop yesterday it wasn’t much.

I don’t feel an enlarged belly and I’ve checked for mites and lice and don’t notice any. I added the picture of the bottom of her foot to make sure no one sees anything that I don’t?

 

[Eggcessive]

The limp is a bit worrisome. The foot pad looks okay but is there any bruise or break in the skin where it is dark? A squishy crop can mean sour crop if she has a sour odor from her beak, or a slow to empty crop if she has no beak odor. That dropping is really not a normal dropping. I would try to get a fecal test by your vet for worms and coccidiosis. There could be something else going on with her. She is a pretty hen, but I don’t know is she is ever going to lay eggs for you. Can you exchange her for another pullet with the breeder? Here is a poop chart which in itself is not a diagnostic tool, but interesting to look at what was going on with the chickens whose poop is shown:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/whats-scoop-on-chicken-poop-digestive/

Here is a link about crop problems and treatments:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/