Preface: I've been having a rough week at work and I'm sick and haven't been sleeping well. I have that "not thinking clearly" feeling and could use some feedback/advice.
A few weeks ago, I was perplexed by some of my hens (but not all) being in a cycle of having diarrhea, then it would clear up, then they'd get it again. I took them to the vet who was concerned about e coli. That wasn't it, but based on the symptoms she decided it was probably an environmental bacteria and that these hens (all Delawares) were perhaps more vulnerable to it. They've been on Oxytetracycline since last Monday (so today is day 11 of treatment). They are also all at the end of a molt, and it was a hard molt for many of them.
I found one of the hens in the nesting box one morning and gave her a feel over. She had a big lump in her crop. After some advice here, a few days of coconut oil and crop massage, her crop was back to normal. But she has not gotten stronger, she's gotten weaker. Today I could tell that she's distinctly lost some weight since two days ago, approaching that sharp keelbone stage. I gave her some mash (she ate a few bites), half a vitamin B tablet, and a vitamin E gel capsule.
A few days ago I found a roundworm in one of their poops. The vet wanted to wait a few days to let them get through the molt. But I was so alarmed by the one hen's condition that I drove out to the vet to pick up the dewormer, which is Albenzadole. I dewormed only the girl who is in bad shape.
I can tell I'm veering into "kitchen sink mode", which is what happens when I get stressed about an animal being sick.
I would love some advice/perspective on what interventions to take at this point.
My thought was to have her in a large dog cage that I have in the run so that she can still be around her flock but I can tell if she's eating. Maybe offer her some scrambled egg and yogurt along with some mash.
Should I repeat the vitamins? Anything else I should be doing?
A few weeks ago, I was perplexed by some of my hens (but not all) being in a cycle of having diarrhea, then it would clear up, then they'd get it again. I took them to the vet who was concerned about e coli. That wasn't it, but based on the symptoms she decided it was probably an environmental bacteria and that these hens (all Delawares) were perhaps more vulnerable to it. They've been on Oxytetracycline since last Monday (so today is day 11 of treatment). They are also all at the end of a molt, and it was a hard molt for many of them.
I found one of the hens in the nesting box one morning and gave her a feel over. She had a big lump in her crop. After some advice here, a few days of coconut oil and crop massage, her crop was back to normal. But she has not gotten stronger, she's gotten weaker. Today I could tell that she's distinctly lost some weight since two days ago, approaching that sharp keelbone stage. I gave her some mash (she ate a few bites), half a vitamin B tablet, and a vitamin E gel capsule.
A few days ago I found a roundworm in one of their poops. The vet wanted to wait a few days to let them get through the molt. But I was so alarmed by the one hen's condition that I drove out to the vet to pick up the dewormer, which is Albenzadole. I dewormed only the girl who is in bad shape.
I can tell I'm veering into "kitchen sink mode", which is what happens when I get stressed about an animal being sick.
I would love some advice/perspective on what interventions to take at this point.
My thought was to have her in a large dog cage that I have in the run so that she can still be around her flock but I can tell if she's eating. Maybe offer her some scrambled egg and yogurt along with some mash.
Should I repeat the vitamins? Anything else I should be doing?
