Sick hen...vomiting, diarrhea - please help

[Roo Boy]

Golden Comet
11 months old
Currently in a flock of 8

Symptons:
Almost two weeks ago we started to notice her having diarrhea. The poop has been very watery with small white particles. She isolates her self from the rest of the flock. She drinks water regularly (just started adding ACV about one week ago - not helping her though). She hardly peck at her feed (Layena). She will however attack watermelon, spaghetti noodles, and rice. She was not laying for the last several days, but we feel she did produce two eggs the last two days for us. We are also noticing phases of tiredness/weakness. A couple of days ago she did vomit. It was mostly clear with some food particles in it. We have NOT noticed any blood in the stool or vomit.

What we have done so far:
ACV in water. Suspected sour crop/impaction from larger than normal crop, so we gave her gentian violet and nystatin. We have tried yogurt, rice, spaghetti noodles, and fruits since she seems to like them. I have also tried bread soaked in oil incase she was compacted.


Today is acting ill, but yesterday she had a good day. She was socializing and running with her flock. Today she is isolating herself again. Since the gentian violet/nystatin we have seen some progress. It appears that she can only digest softer foods. My wife is also noticing less pooping. Any ideas??? Could it be worms or some type of infection?

 

[Haunted55]

Golden Comet
11 months old
Currently in a flock of 8

Symptons:
Almost two weeks ago we started to notice her having diarrhea. The poop has been very watery with small white particles. She isolates her self from the rest of the flock. She drinks water regularly (just started adding ACV about one week ago - not helping her though). She hardly peck at her feed (Layena). She will however attack watermelon, spaghetti noodles, and rice. She was not laying for the last several days, but we feel she did produce two eggs the last two days for us. We are also noticing phases of tiredness/weakness. A couple of days ago she did vomit. It was mostly clear with some food particles in it. We have NOT noticed any blood in the stool or vomit.

Have you checked her binding? Sometimes just because an egg or two are laid, there can still be problems. Please check.

What we have done so far:
ACV in water. Suspected sour crop/impaction from larger than normal crop, so we gave her gentian violet and nystatin. We have tried yogurt, rice, spaghetti noodles, and fruits since she seems to like them. I have also tried bread soaked in oil incase she was compacted.

When you say you gave her gentian violet, did you give her the food grade stuff or the topical?


Today is acting ill, but yesterday she had a good day. She was socializing and running with her flock. Today she is isolating herself again. Since the gentian violet/nystatin we have seen some progress. It appears that she can only digest softer foods. My wife is also noticing less pooping. Any ideas??? Could it be worms or some type of infection?

I have questions I hope you can answer..do you give grit besides what they can find outside? Can you do pics? have you tried to give any type of calcium supplement?

 

[Roo Boy]

I have questions I hope you can answer..do you give grit besides what they can find outside? Can you do pics? have you tried to give any type of calcium supplement?

Thanks for replying. She is on crushed oyster shells. She free ranges all day. I do not give a grit supplement. I have sand in our kids' sand box though. Could I mix that in with her food? I will get a pic ASAP.

 

[Haunted55]

Thanks for replying. She is on crushed oyster shells. She free ranges all day. I do not give a grit supplement. I have sand in our kids' sand box though. Could I mix that in with her food? I will get a pic ASAP.

Oyster shell doesn't cut it if there is a laying problem. I have used a human calcium tablet 500mg with vitamin D 400iu, crushed and added to a small amount of water. You can also add it to a small amount of 'mash' or wet feed. Just be sure it gets into her.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/738201/goose-what-is-this-how-did-it-happen-what-do-i-do-about-it pg. 5

Sand isn't really large enough and if your birds can't find small stones in the yard where they range, you should add some grit. Small container mounted on the wall or where ever and let them take as they need.

 

[Roo Boy]

I have questions I hope you can answer..do you give grit besides what they can find outside? Can you do pics? have you tried to give any type of calcium supplement?

Thanks for replying. She is on crushed oyster shells. She free ranges all day. I do not give a grit supplement. I have sand in our kids' sand box though. Could I mix that in with her food? The gentian violet was topical (.3 ml mixed with nystatin). We used a syringe to feed it to her. I'm not sure about binding. I do not know how to check for that. I also have not noticed any signs of mites, etc...

 

[Roo Boy]

Oyster shell doesn't cut it if there is a laying problem. I have used a human calcium tablet 500mg with vitamin D 400iu, crushed and added to a small amount of water. You can also add it to a small amount of 'mash' or wet feed. Just be sure it gets into her.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/738201/goose-what-is-this-how-did-it-happen-what-do-i-do-about-it pg. 5

Sand isn't really large enough and if your birds can't find small stones in the yard where they range, you should add some grit. Small container mounted on the wall or where ever and let them take as they need.

I check out the thread, and she does not have that issue.

 

[Haunted55]

I check out the thread, and she does not have that issue.

She may not have prolapse, but if she is bound she does, my bird had both. Now to check your hen for binding, you can gently rub from the front of her belly back to the vent. See if you can feel any hard lumps or lumps that may be egg shaped or not. Very gently, you do not want to risk breaking one inside her. Has she had any 'rubber' eggs? Ones that do not have hard shells?

Please make sure the gentian violet has ethyl alcohol and not isopropyl. Ethyl is fine, the isopropyl is poison. You actually do not need both. In my opinion, the gentian violet will kill any yeast a lot faster than the nystatin.

If you do feel a lump in yourhen, give her the human calcium and stop the layer feed for her. All she will need is a regular 15% for the time she is getting the pill. The human calcium should help her pass any eggs that may or may not still be inside her. If you do not find any lumps, please post back. Also, pics of poop, if you can.

 

[Roo Boy]

She may not have prolapse, but if she is bound she does, my bird had both. Now to check your hen for binding, you can gently rub from the front of her belly back to the vent. See if you can feel any hard lumps or lumps that may be egg shaped or not. Very gently, you do not want to risk breaking one inside her. Has she had any 'rubber' eggs? Ones that do not have hard shells?

Please make sure the gentian violet has ethyl alcohol and not isopropyl. Ethyl is fine, the isopropyl is poison. You actually do not need both. In my opinion, the gentian violet will kill any yeast a lot faster than the nystatin.

If you do feel a lump in yourhen, give her the human calcium and stop the layer feed for her. All she will need is a regular 15% for the time she is getting the pill. The human calcium should help her pass any eggs that may or may not still be inside her. If you do not find any lumps, please post back. Also, pics of poop, if you can.

Ok, we rubbed her belly and it feels normal. We also checked her vent and it looks normal. No rubber eggs that we know of. Thanks for the info on the alcohol in the GV. It is ethyl. My wife has been sitting with her for a while now and she is eating ground meat! She has not pooped recently. If she does, I will get a pic. Thanks for your help.

 

[Roo Boy]

here are what I suspect is her excrement from last night, not liquidy anymore, but, there seems to be red tissue and membrane in it. It's not a rich blood red, more of a rosy/orange tone. Seems kind of sticky/gooey. I was considering it could be taco sauce (wasn't drenched on the ground meat we gave her), but I doubt it, might be worth mentioning though...

 

[casportpony]

Weigh her, dust her for mites and lice even if you cannot see them with a poultry dust or 5% Sevin and de-worm her with Fenbendazole 10% (Safeguard or Panacur, liquid or paste) 50mg/kg by mouth and repeat in ten days.

-Kathy