Starving Hen needs help! Death imminent?

[devora]

We have a 31 week old Leghorn who has almost stopped eating altogether. It's been days and she's to the green poo stage. She's never layed. Very lethargic. Droopy comb and droopy tail. Diana posts these great links but the more I research the more lost I feel.

Did a vent search and warm water bath, nothing that I could find except an odd white hard nodule on the inside of the vent.

Any help would be much appreciated. Have her poo tested? Force feed her?

 

[dlhunicorn]

Have you posted on this problem with this bird before (there is really little info in this post to go on)...There are many things which could cause anorexia (most birds when they feel ill will often stop eating and drinking)
how is her abdomen... soft? hard? She might be an internal layer ... It might be something more ominous but there is no way of guessing at that without testing (Avian TB for instance was referred to as "going light" however this is an off the wall guess at something other than reproductive problems
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/156/tuberculosis
.... I think at this stage a vet is your best bet of getting her help.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Has she been drinking at all? Can you get a little sugar water in her, just to keep her going? At least that might buy you some time to find some help for her.

 

[devora]

Thanx both of you for input. Sorry if I seemed vague; I thought I was giving loads of info! No, I'd never posted about her before. I guess I thought the poo, the egg massage, the droopy tail, the non-laying, and the lethargy would be helpful, but I suppose that might be anything (except egg bound, I'm assuming, b/c of the bath/massage?).

She will eat a little. I'm gonna keep her pampered and see what happens. Any advice about how to get her to drink would help. I've got the dropper, it's getting her beak open that seems a struggle.

 

[nickki99]

I got a hen like that now. Her poop is runny, really just water. She is going to the vet in the morning. Every once in awhile she will peck alittle at food. I haven't seen her drink. So I have been giving her some electrolytes and vitamins. She has lost so much weight. Hope your hen get better. I'll let you know what the vet tells me.

 

[devora]

Oh, yes, please do post! I'm not going the vet route but may consider it if I need meds. Good luck w/ it!

 

[dlhunicorn]

We have a 31 week old Leghorn who has almost stopped eating altogether. It's been days and she's to the green poo stage. She's never layed. Very lethargic. Droopy comb and droopy tail. Diana posts these great links but the more I research the more lost I feel.

Did a vent search and warm water bath, nothing that I could find except an odd white hard nodule on the inside of the vent.

Any help would be much appreciated. Have her poo tested? Force feed her?

Quote:
...the green poo is because she hasn't been eating
... if she has never laid an egg then it is quite possible her first one (you said she has never laid before) might be small or softshelled and stuck up higher so that you would be unable to feel it (might not even be an egg either>has she be tail-bobbing or straining in any way?) She might be an "internal" layer or have some other reproductive problem... hard to tell but yes I can imagine why you are thinking eggbound...

...it sounds as though you are unable to get her to a vet... there is a product the vets give to the birds with eggbinding problems called calcium gluconate however I have read a vet say in emergency situations you can also crush up a TUM and give in beak... first before you do that or anything else you need to address the dehydration issue...
For that you will need to add electrolytes/vit to the water (if you do not have the proper poultry/bird one then unflavored PEDIOLYTE (childrens ORS) or Gatorade (tepid temperature >not cold) will do dribbled alongside of beak (it is not a good idea to squirt in beak as birds lack an eppiglottis to close the opening leading to the airways and it will usually get in there and cause all kinds of problems)...dip beak in waterer regularly also to encourage her to drink.
...once you have gotten her drinking give the TUM or calcium gluconate
FEED: Make sure feed is wet and free of grains... If you possibly can go to a petstore or order online a parrot handfeeding formula (this is for baby parrots and is a powder you add water to ... you can add a bit of feed to this to make a pap as this will concentrate the nutrition to make up for her eating less)

Here is info on reproductive disorders/disease:
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=linksgeneralinfo&action=display&num=1158765194​

 

[nickki99]

Just got back from the vet. He said he thought it was worms. Gave her 2 shots. One wormer the other was antibotics and vitamins. He gave me wormer to do all my chickens. How is yours doing? Mine is in the garage staying close to the heat light.

 

[BlueMoon]

How are the girls?

My Golden Comet Tammy has had similar symptoms, and is hanging on. Emaciated, droopy tail. No diarrhea though and comb/wattles are more purple than pale. She'll eat, ravenously, but only with me sitting with her, handfeeding, which of course I do.

Anyhow, I'd love to know what is happening with them and if anything was determined. Thanks!

 

[nickki99]

Mine is gaining a little bit of weight. I have her in the garage with a heat light. It is so funny, I have a kitten that sleeps in there too. I got out to check on them before I got to bed. Well the hen and the kitty are in the bed under the heat light. I need pics of them. I think she will be fine, it's just going to take some time to get all of her weight back on.
Devora, how is yours?