Sick Hen, Stress or Normal----Help Me Diagnose Problem

[kjorgey]

Had a hen who I thought had sour or impacted crop on Saturday (2 days ago). She vomited and out came a small string along with some beet root leaves she ingested. Kept her only on electrolyte water for 24 hours, messaged crop. Vomit did not smell sour. Crop was empty this morning and her poops looked like shredded black beet greens with grit. Introduced Tbsp of plain yogurt and mashed her feed in water approximately 1/8 cup feed 3 X today which she devoured. Her poop looks like the mash now, but she is passing quite a bit of clear liquid along with the mush feed looking stuff and and 2 cecal stools. I hesitated to treat for sour crop because she showed improvement today. Definitely not impacted either. Crop this evening is a little full, can feel the water in there, but she's been drinking electrolyte water primarily because I think she's hungry. I took out the water through the night. No vet can see her for a week. Fecal sample going into vet tomorrow for float test to r/o worms. Hen is active, not listless. I need help! I'm considering putting her back in the coop with the other 4 hens in case this is a stress response. Will see if crop is empty in morning. I need help and advice how to proceed.

 

[azygous]

Can you give us a progress report?

As long as she's eating and behaving normally, she's likely doing okay. If her poop continues to be watery, try giving probiotics. (acidophillis)

What did the fecal float test reveal?

 

[kjorgey]

Can you give us a progress report?

As long as she's eating and behaving normally, she's likely doing okay. If her poop continues to be watery, try giving probiotics. (acidophillis)

What did the fecal float test reveal?

Fecal test came back negative. She is doing well. She passed a stool 2 days ago that included stones, so gizzard is working. Appetite is not great, but then again its been stressful. I never treated for sour crop other than giving a little yogurt and 1 tsp of applecider vinegar in 16 oz of water (recommend by vet). Crop has been empty each morning. I attempted to put her back with the other 4 hens and as soon as she went for the food, they ambushed her. I didn't think 4 days away would be an issue, but it certainly was. I'm fixing up a smaller pen to isolate her in it next to the chicken run, to help with acclimation. So, today....I operated a chicken clinic which took up most of my day. I brought all 5 hens in for a head to tow inspection. For the most part, all look great, with the exception of an early scaly spider mite infection on their feet. Every girl got a 10 minute soak and scrub of their feet. I sprayed each with Manna Pro Poultry protector (as I had that on hand) and smothered their feet in petroleum jelly. I also identified bumble foot on 3 of the 5 hens. Tomorrow, I will repeat their soaks in Epsom salt solution until the necrotic scab comes off. Will treat with neosporin, duoderm gel and vet bandage. I'm a nurse practitioner and feel this will work better than surgical removal. Next, I think I need to trim their nails., but I'm on the fence for that. What do you think from these pictures of Blondie's feet? The other hens are about the same.

 

[kjorgey]

Fecal test came back negative. She is doing well. She passed a stool 2 days ago that included stones, so gizzard is working. Appetite is not great, but then again its been stressful. I never treated for sour crop other than giving a little yogurt and 1 tsp of applecider vinegar in 16 oz of water (recommend by vet). Crop has been empty each morning. I attempted to put her back with the other 4 hens and as soon as she went for the food, they ambushed her. I didn't think 4 days away would be an issue, but it certainly was. I'm fixing up a smaller pen to isolate her in it next to the chicken run, to help with acclimation. So, today....I operated a chicken clinic which took up most of my day. I brought all 5 hens in for a head to tow inspection. For the most part, all look great, with the exception of an early scaly spider mite infection on their feet. Every girl got a 10 minute soak and scrub of their feet. I sprayed each with Manna Pro Poultry protector (as I had that on hand) and smothered their feet in petroleum jelly. I also identified bumble foot on 3 of the 5 hens. Tomorrow, I will repeat their soaks in Epsom salt solution until the necrotic scab comes off. Will treat with neosporin, duoderm gel and vet bandage. I'm a nurse practitioner and feel this will work better than surgical removal. Next, I think I need to trim their nails., but I'm on the fence for that. What do you think from these pictures of Blondie's feet? The other hens are about the same.

One more thing to add, vet recommended adding some fiber to her diet, canned pumpkin to help with loose stools. Her stools this morning were perfectly normal. I'm attributing the wet, runny stools to stress and isolation. I had frozen pureed pumpkin I grew this summer in my freezer and gave her a bit of that today with yogurt and her feed. She received scrambled egg as a treat and for some extra protein. Any thoughts on the SLM issue? All the hens' feet look the same. They are all the same age also.

 

[azygous]

You've handled the leg mite issue. Smothering them is the best course.

Try grated raw carrots to firm up stools. The chickens go nuts for carrots, and running an eye screw into the top of a carrot and hanging it will provide hours of entertainment.

The nails look fine, but keep an eye on them, especially if the chickens aren't getting out a lot to scratch in the dirt.