Sick hen - lash, shakes head, and won't eat very much HELP!!!

[OliverZoe]

My hen has been very off for about a week now I have her indoors so I can keep an eye on her.

She has been pooping lash which I can tell makes her feel really bad then after she perks up a little bit until the next time.


The head shaking is better but she still does it a little bit, I have checked for mites, lice, ear infections, and anything that may have gotten in there but I see nothing I also do not think it is gape worm.

My main concern is her eating! I have tried what seems like everything!!! but she only eats a little bit here and there.


She had Duramicin for about 10 days.

I have put veggie oil in her ears, and a drop of frontline plus for cats on her just incase it is mites.

I have started making fermented feed to give her but she's not really interested in it : (

Her comb and face is a bit pale also! so I am at a loss as to what to do next!!!!

She also has diarrhea a lot, I haven't seen any signs of worms.


I don't know what to do!!! HELP!!!

Her symptoms are

Shaking head
Sleepy
Diarrhea
Pooping lash
Not eating
Tail down
Pale face
Messy bottom

 

[OliverZoe]

Anyone?

I have also tried soaking her in Epson salts.

I gave her some olive oil.

I have given her ACV in her water.

I have also tried some different herbs and garlic in her food but again she doesn't eat very much.

 

[mithious]

Have you tried treating her for cocci? If you do, use corid, the liquid is 2 tsp per gallon and the powder is 1/2 to 3/4th tsp per gallon for 5-7 days...I mixed some up, tipped some into their food, enough to consume in about 2 hours, they loved it, when off their feed, and gobbled it right up and it got the meds in faster. It's a thiamine blocker, so don't give vitamins or medicated feed with it and only offer the medicated water so she has to drink the meds.

I started mine on 1 tsp per gallon of the powder, as they were very sick, then slowly lowered to 1/2 tsp per gallon, over a 7 day period. All are doing great now! I am going to wait the two weeks and retreat fpor another 7 days, If I need to...will see how they do. We are two days off the meds now and all are doing great!

It can't hurt, but if it is cocci, it could kill her...hope she gets better soon.

edited to correct spelling

 

[mithious]

If you do treat for cocci, do NOT used anything in the water but the meds and give her, her normal feed, stay off the treats too...just the treated water and her regular feed.

 

[OliverZoe]

Thanks mithious!

I never thought it could be cocci because there was never blood in her poop but after reading I guess blood is not always present. I will see if I can't find corid.

She has been sick for about a week and a half do you think it could be cocci? I thought it might just be the lash making her sick.

I might try that milk flush too???

 

[OliverZoe]

Also should I treat my other ducks and chickens with corid? they all seem perfectly healthy.

 

[OliverZoe]

Update!

I did a bit of a gamble and decided not to treat with corid.
It has been one week now since I posted this question and she has recovered

I still don't know what was causing the head shaking but it seems to have resolved itself. She is eating and her poop looks a lot better and more normal now, she is also back outside with her girls and is of coarse at the bottom of the pecking order but she is doing great.

Her face color is slowly getting redder too so I could not be more happy

Thanks everyone!

 

[OliverZoe]

***UPDATE***

My poor little chicken is now sick again

she had a good run for awhile but whatever she had before seems to be back again. I am at a loss as to what to do this time!!! I guess she is just going to be a sickly hen the rest of her life however long that might be

 

[Fancychooklady]

I would treat her for cocci. The lethargy and general ill thrift are symptoms. Don't wait to see blood, it isn't always present. Yes treat them all. Amprolium is a thiamine blocker, not an antibiotic so there is no withholding period. I had a goat die of coccidiosis , it's not pretty.
Cocci is everywhere and some animals tolerate it but once they get an overload they need treatment . Treat her for the full 7 days and then back it off to half dose and treat another 7 days.

 

[OliverZoe]

I would treat her for cocci. The lethargy and general ill thrift are symptoms. Don't wait to see blood, it isn't always present. Yes treat them all. Amprolium is a thiamine blocker, not an antibiotic so there is no withholding period. I had a goat die of coccidiosis , it's not pretty.
Cocci is everywhere and some animals tolerate it but once they get an overload they need treatment . Treat her for the full 7 days and then back it off to half dose and treat another 7 days.

Okay! I will do that this time!!! I figured it wasn't Cocci because my other birds have never been sick but I think this is one of my last resorts as I can't think of anything else to do so hopefully it works.

Thank you!