Sick hen, emaciated, green droppings, full crop

[TooManyChix]

Found this approx. 5 yr old Americauna hen acting listless. I picked her up, and she was extremely thin with green, runny poo. I bathed her bum in warm water & treated with ivermectin drops on skin for mites, bc had previous rooster with mites. I isolated her in my new greenhouse. The next day I did see mites, but I think the ivermectin worked. I also put a bit of coconut oil on the feathers near her vent. She was eating and drinking. Then she seemed to stop, and appeared to have a full crop.
I took her to the vet, and when they took her temperature seemed to think there was some egg found. Vet emptied her crop and tubed electrolytes. She was so thin, vet was unsure about injecting Baytril. Thanks to reading BYC, I suggested injecting the leg. (Hen only weighed 3 lbs.) I doubt that she will live, but I want to try and save her.
Today is the fifth day of oral Baytril at home.
Hen doesn't seem to be eating and is weak, of course. I have offered yoghurt, which she mildly licks.
Her "droppings" are now liquid yellow.

History:
She was previously free-range with about 30 others on acreage. I have dogs, cats, llamas and a couple of horses. Used to have a couple of ducks. One died suddenly with no apparent reason, another disappeared when the electric fence went off temporarily. It has recently been unusually rainy and chilly (central Texas). We live in a wooded area with some pasture.

A couple of years ago she had a problem with being egg bound. She ran up to me making a very strange squawk, and I could see the blue-green tinted egg. I put her in warm Epsom salt bath for a few minutes, and it suddenly popped out. (This happened twice.) I put a piece of oyster shell in her mouth, which she swallowed. I offered less scratch grains, because she was wanting to fill up on that and not eat any layer pellets (offered free choice 24/7).

I have now purchased some avian probiotics (AviBios) and immune system booster. Any suggestions? I haven't administered them yet. I now know how to put the syringe in the correct part of the mouth to avoid the respiratory tract - thanks to reading on BYC thread on peritonitis /internal layer thread.

Thanks in advance,
-Sherry

 

[MrsBrooke]

I am so sorry to hear about your hen.

The symptoms sounds like internal laying to me. There is really nothing you can do other than make her comfortable.

Egg yolk peritonitis/internal laying is caused when E.coli backs up in the reproductive tract and sets up an infection (if what I read is correct). There is no cure, prevention, or treatment. The best thing you can do is purchase the best laying stock you can find from a breeder who cares about the health and longevity of his birds. Chickens that have been hybridized to increase productivity often have these issues.

I am happy she has you to care for her.

MrsB

 

[TooManyChix]

I had a similar situation in a Russian Orloff hen a couple of years ago. She "recovered" and lived less than a year, then died suddenly. I went many years without ever seeing this happen.