Sick lethargic hen! Help please!

Hedera

Songster
13 Years
Jul 17, 2011
742
17
236
BC, Canada
Hello I have recently put my bird into a seperate area because she is acting sick. She is lethargic and not eating very much.


1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Silkie, about a year, light and bony (underweight)

2) What is the behavior, exactly.
She is acting lethargic and has a loss of appetite


3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
4 days.

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No. The rest are perfectly fine

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No, BUT she is molting, not sure if that has to do with anything

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
Im not sure if its because she is molting or not. So possibly molting mightve caused this

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Electrolytes in water, soft foods, a bit of yogurt and cornmeal(cooked)

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Runny and green.[/b%5
 
I had a Buff Orpington just over a year old die in my arms today. She was lethargic for the last three days. I had to clean her bottom because she had a lot of poop on it. She was so friendly! I had her for eggs only, not meat. I did bury her since I have no idea why she died. I cleaned out the coup just in case. As a retired Marine, raising chickens is very peaceful.
 
I saw the pics from your other post. Green poop with yellow diarrhea is possibly an E Coli infection. I had a JG rooster that had the same thing as yours, it was verified by the University of Georgia Veterinary school. He eventually had to be put down even after tube feeding him a slurry of baytril, probiotics and nutri drench several times a day for almost 2 months. I recommend that you take a fecal sample to a vet and find out exactly what you're dealing with. The vet can tell you right away if it's cocci or worm oocysts, if that's what it is...or some type of bacterial infection such as E Coli.
 
I don't know much about e. coli in chickens, but I would treat for coccidiosis (cocci) -quickly, Maybe someone can post whether you can treat for both at the same time?
 
If she's had access to any moldy feed, or been around some moldy bedding she may have eaten, she could have a fungal infection in her digestive tract that is making her feel sick & damaging her guts so she can't digest food well, feels weak, & loses weight. I had three hens slowly starve to death of this after eating moldy corn & having mold in part of their coop. I have since found out about what seems to be a good cure-- Oxine AH.

There is some info on this on the Fungal Conditions page on my PoultryPedia.com website.

Best wishes
hugs.gif
 

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