Strange Black Poop

[josephinefarmsw]

My wellsummer hen, who is about 3 years old, is having odd black pebble like poop over and over again. She is eating and drinking normally. We recently treated our whole flock with Equimax for worms, and while treating them discovered that she had vent gleet. We have been keeping her vent clean and applying Monistat. It was NOT clearing very quickly so we started her on Nystatin powder. It seems to be helping. However during this whole fiasco her poops have looked like this for about a week. She eats scrambled eggs and feed just fine. Drinking just fine like I said. She is not laying, I’m guessing due to isolation and the vent gleet. Any ideas? Could this be due to the de-worming treatment we performed before we knew she had vent gleet?

 

[Eggcessive]

The greenish black poop and yellow urates can be a sign of not eating and liver disease. Liver disease can be caused by reproductive disorders, cancer, fatty liver disease, and heart failure. Is her lower belly enlarged and firm or full of fluid? How does her crop feel first thing in the morning before she has food or water? It should be empty and flat. Can you try to get her eating some scrambled egg and a little watery chicken feed freshly made? Does she have missing feathers around her vent area with scalding of her skin? If not, she may not have vent gleet, but just a messy vent which can be common in reproductive disorders.

 

[josephinefarmsw]

She is eating lots including layer feed and scrambled eggs - she has been eating yogurt too. I’m pretty sure it is Vent Gleet because we have a second chicken with it right now as well who I am treating. Those two hang out together so I think they got into something bad outside. Their vents are looking better every day with the Gleet treatments. No swelling (beyond some vent irritation due to Gleet). No fluid filled back side - crop was a little more empty at night than usual but nothing of consequence. If it’s liver failure or cancer I guess all I can do is keep her comfortable and let her go back out with the others once the gleet has completely cleared (it’s close to being gone).

 

[Eggcessive]

Pictures of her vent would help. Glad that she is eating, but dark green poops usually are from not eating enough. Is she eating a lot of dreens?

 

[josephinefarmsw]

No she isn’t eating greens, she is isolated currently so the other hens don’t bother her. But she is eating layer feed, scrambled eggs and some yogurt. When I found her acting lethargic her vent was completely covered in thick yellow they crust that smelled awful - dead animal awful and another hen (her friend) was the same. I feel pretty positive it’s vent gleet. But they may not be eating much due to isolation or stress, I’ll syringe feed her some food today to make sure she gets some.

 

[josephinefarmsw]

The greenish black poop and yellow urates can be a sign of not eating and liver disease. Liver disease can be caused by reproductive disorders, cancer, fatty liver disease, and heart failure. Is her lower belly enlarged and firm or full of fluid? How does her crop feel first thing in the morning before she has food or water? It should be empty and flat. Can you try to get her eating some scrambled egg and a little watery chicken feed freshly made? Does she have missing feathers around her vent area with scalding of her skin? If not, she may not have vent gleet, but just a messy vent which can be common in reproductive disorders.

Upon examining her more closely this morning - her lower belly does seem to be enlarged and firm - not squishy or fluid filled, not hard as a rock - but not normal. And her crop is flat as of 2:30pm today. Her energy is good, eyes alert - wants to forage and go back with the crew. But clearly there is something going on. I have some left over amoxicillin- adult human dose though- powder capsules. Is it worth trying to dose her as a 7lb chicken?

 

[josephinefarmsw]

PS: I am feeding her a mush of feed and yogurt softened, with a syringe. She 100% has vent gleet as well. I feel totally sure of that as the Monistat is improving the vent everyday - but it seems like there are multiple problems going on. This hen survived fly strike last year on her vent area - I nursed her for weeks and she recovered. But I’m wondering if it weakened her in that area. Or just weakened her in general and perhaps has had an ongoing bacterial issue or reproductive issue that went undiagnosed.

There is an avian vet about an hour away but I know the prices and I just don’t think I can take that expense on right now…plus the drive

 

[josephinefarmsw]

Pictures of her vent would help. Glad that she is eating, but dark green poops usually are from not eating enough. Is she eating a lot of dreens?

The white you see is the Monistat - the yellow crust smells very yeast like and when I first found her was covered her whole bottom so it’s actually cleared quite well. She is wet from an Epsom soak - the bit of blue is hen healer I put on to keep her friend from pecking at her.