Sick Hen - treated for Worms & Respiratory...still not better...HELP!

[KELDEANE]

I am hoping some fellow backyard chicken people can help me. One of my girls came down ill a few weeks ago. She started staying by herself, then had diarreha, and began doing a head raised opening & shutting of her beak...I thought she may have Gape Worm, since she wasn't coughing or didn't show any indications of discharge from nose or eyes. I treated her with Panacur, five dailey doses...didn't notice any worms at all, so also gave her 2x daily antibotic for 10 days. I brought her in the house & am keeping her in a penned area so I could watch her.
She is doing much better, but still is very unsteady on her feet...like if you would give her a little nudge she would lose balance or if you pick her up, when you put her down she at first falls over,then ends up getting up. I tried putting her outside today after a week in the house in my heated outdoor coop with the other 7 hens. She started out fine, but within a few minutes, two of the hens had her pinned down pecking her vicously. She again could not get her balance...I think the other hens know something is still not right with her.
I'm at a loss what to do know, or what could still be wrong with her? There are no bird vets in my area, and none want or can answer chicken questions. Any help this group can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

O.K.... first.. there is a test you can do for Gapeworm... So.. first, Search here on BYC (top of the page, just under the "tabs").. type in and click search for "the Q-tip test" and / or "testing for gapeworm" (testing for gape worm)... you can do this simple home test and rule it (gapeworm) in or out.

Then... there are very few wormers that kill all worms in chickens.. When did you worm? Use the Search here also to search
"Valbazen", "albendazole", "worming with Valbazen", "giving oral medications", "how much Valbazen", etc. If the flock is infested with tapeworms the treatment you used is not very effective against tapeworms (in chickens) regardless of what it says on the label. So, look for posts about worming by dawg53 for the best info... and look for the more recently, in recent years, posts.

Others in the flock will kill a sick, weak hen.. it is for the survival of the flock.. and, it certainly opened my eyes and changed the way I looked at my other hens when they did it to one of my recovering but still weak young hens... I will always separate them now.
How old is your flock.. how old is this hen? Are any others acting off? How about laying?

You can also use the Search here for "losing balance" and "weak and off balance" and see if there have been other posts with those symptoms. Or, any other symptoms, except lethargic.. that is a waste of time, too general.

Do you have feed stores where you get your chicken feed? Local feed stores often have someone in them that can and will answer questions for you.. if they have experience with Chickens. But, keep in mind that things that are used "off label", like Valbazen are not really for chickens, not a chicken wormer.. so if you go in and ask for a "chicken wormer" you won't get an effective one, there isn't one made for chickens.

Duramycin 10 (which is Tetracycline) is a water soluble antibiotic -- 1 to 1 and 1/2 tsp. per gallon of water, change every 24 hours or when it gets dirty or dark. But, if you have given antibiotics already.. more than one.. then, maybe take a break from that and worm with Valbazen. If and when you have to give another antibiotic, do a search here for "oral antibiotics"... or you can get some injectable Tylan 50, syringes and needles (small) at the feed store as well.. three days of .5 cc/ml (1/2 cc/ml) for a standard chicken, alternating breast muscles, then three days off, then three days on, period. But, there is damage to the breast tissue, breast muscle when you give injections, which is probably only a problem if the chickens go to "freezer camp" eventually.

Her poop does not look bloody at all?

Well.. welcome to BYC.. sorry for the circumstances.. best of luck and if she were mine, I would do the Q-tip gapeworm test and also I would worm her and the flock with Valbazen, repeating in ten days.. just to be sure.. watching the poop and withholding eggs.. do that search for "worming with Valbazen" to get all the info.

Take care.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am hoping some fellow backyard chicken people can help me. One of my girls came down ill a few weeks ago. She started staying by herself, then had diarreha, and began doing a head raised opening & shutting of her beak...I thought she may have Gape Worm, since she wasn't coughing or didn't show any indications of discharge from nose or eyes. I treated her with Panacur, five dailey doses...didn't notice any worms at all, so also gave her 2x daily antibotic for 10 days. I brought her in the house & am keeping her in a penned area so I could watch her.
She is doing much better, but still is very unsteady on her feet...like if you would give her a little nudge she would lose balance or if you pick her up, when you put her down she at first falls over,then ends up getting up. I tried putting her outside today after a week in the house in my heated outdoor coop with the other 7 hens. She started out fine, but within a few minutes, two of the hens had her pinned down pecking her vicously. She again could not get her balance...I think the other hens know something is still not right with her.
I'm at a loss what to do know, or what could still be wrong with her? There are no bird vets in my area, and none want or can answer chicken questions. Any help this group can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thats alot of meds to be taking in such a short time. She is most likely weak form it all. How is her appetite? For the worming and antibiotics i would be feeding her somekind of probiotics, in the form of good quality plain yogurt or butter milk or plain Keifer mixed into her scrambled eggs. I wouldn't put her back outside till she is 100% steady and can hold her own with the others. yes they picked up on her being weak. When your able to put her back out wait till a day when you can be out there with them and maybe if they get to free range in your yard then let her out with everyone. Thats way she can get away better and you can intervene. Most likely after they have all hung out together during the day when it comes time to go into the coop she'll be able to go right in with the rest. Good luck and keep us posted on how she is doing..