Sickly hen. Impacted Crop? eggbound? Behavoir is totally different.

[babychickfarmer]

One of my hens hasn't been acting herself and I know for a fact there is something wrong with her because all the other hens are sunbathing and eating cherrys and she is in the coop laying in the corner (Cherrys are her FAVORITE!) I picked her up felt he bum and noticed there is some runny poo stuck to her feathers right below her vent but I didn't feel any egg like she is eggbound. I blew on her vent and it reacted just like normal. I felt her crop and it felt really hard so I gave her a couple drops of olive oil and massaged it for about 20 min. It went down well and I gave her a couple droplets full of water. I have seen the whole crop surgery thing but i can't do it. I don't have a strong enought stomach. PLEASE HELP does anyone have any ideas on what could be wrong with her and what to do???

 

[jjthink]

Poor hen - so sorry she is not well.
A few questions to help folks help you.

About how old is she?
What is her diet?
Do you know when she last laid an egg?
Does she have oyster shell or other calcium source available all the time?
Have you wormed her, and if so, how long ago?
When did she begin acting sick?
How is her comb color?
Do you give any vitamins?

Anything else of import that comes to your mind?

JJ

 

[babychickfarmer]

she is about 2 yrs
organic greens/free range/cracked corn/layer pellets (greens such as-salad greens, spinach, kales,chards things in that sort of matter
unsure about the last time she layed an eggmore then a few days.
oyster shell available at all times
never wormed her
she started acting sick beginning of today
comb color is normal
don't give her vitamins (thought maybe she got them out of the greens that i give her)


Free access to fresh water all day
she has shade available at all times of the day
it has been sunny the last few days.

Yesterday we did give them sprouted grain bread...maybe that has anything to do with it?

 

[peaceful]

When you checked her in the morning was the lump in the crop smaller or the same as the day before? Also was the bread possibly mouldy at all?

 

[debjack]

Hi. So sorry to hear about your bird. I am new to this site, but in desperate need of advise. I have 4 chickens that are 3-4 years old. One has this "pasty butt" look. I have numerous books and have looked at numerous websites to see what is going on. The feathers are messy, but she can still go. In most cases of things I have read, the bird gets sickly looking, loses weight, etc. This chicken looks healthy from all angles but the back, and looks hefty and large. She eats and drinks. Don't know about the egg laying, since they are free rangers by day. They eat egg layer food. This has happened to another chicken in the past 6 months, and one day it just died. I went to the feed store and was given terramycin, but after looking up what it was for, am not sure that will work. There doesn't seem to be any visible worms. I'm just not sure if I'm dealing with a bacterial issue, worm issue, or what? The rest of the birds are fine. I know they are old, but hate to see something that I don't know how to deal with. Any ideas? I live in tropical SW Fla where it is always warm.
Thanks
Deb

 

[CUDA]

You can find out more about this problem HERE . Hope it helps.

 

[dlhunicorn]

giving cracked corn when you suspect a crop problem is unwise. stop all scratch grains immediately. The "runny poo" you described can be indicative of several things (impossible even to guess) >>>more than likely it is a combination of several things and might even possibly be that an egg has cracked inside her ...like I said impossible to guess. More than likely it is a combination of several things...
If you have never wormed her I suggest you begin there.... personally I would go with a broad spectrum wormer such as ivomec Eprinex (see link below) ....
http://shilala.homestead.com/ivomec.html
Secondly you can add a bit of Apple Cider Vinegar to their waterer and offer a good quality live culture yogurt daily (free choice >plain and unflavored) both of which will help deal with any E.coli or salmonella which altho often present to some degree in all poultry , can and will become pathogenic causing illness in times of stress or weakness.
I would not be giving spinach or too much of any of the greens you mentioned ... if the bird has access to grass this is more than sufficient "green" food.
Find a good poultry supplement (AviaCharge 2000 >available online from McMurray or Strombergs is a very good one) and give that regular to ensure against any severe deficiency issues .

 

[sammi]

debjack..it's always best to start your own thread so you get help quicker.

the best way to know if there is a worm issue..
is to have a fecal float done at a vet..for worms and protozoa (cocci) (which could be a possibility)
a bacterial test can be done too..

since hot weather is an issue..
could she have eaten any spilled or moldy feed?
any standing or stagnant water?

I would confine her and feed her only fresh layer feed and clean water..see if the droppings clear up..
but consider having that test done.

if she has cocci..it needs to be treated quick.

 

[babychickfarmer]

Well I'm sorry to say Maggi passed away Friday afternoon, we held her and kept her out in the shade the whole day untill she passed. We buried her in a lil box with some corn and weeds for her

I'm going to really miss her, man I have been having bad luck, i've lost 3 hens in the last 3 weeks (two to racoons) and 4 all together, my heart aches so bad everytime one of them dies, I don't know how people can do this and even kill thier own, it's just SOOOO hard on me. I LOVE Them so much

there is a chance the bread had mold on it...is this what killed her?

I'm going to see if any other hens get sick, if it is cocci, how can I get the other live hens tested or is there any way to do that?

 

[dlhunicorn]