Suddenly lethargic hen with strange bumps and clear saliva

[Intentfire280]

I don't see any lesions inside the beak, so I'm not sure if it's Wet Form of Fowl Pox or not, could be she's at the beginning stages of it showing as lesions in the beak, so I'd check that every day.

As for the external lesions, you can paint those with Iodine to help dry them up.

Is she molting? Sometimes they go off their feed during molt.

I mean I don't think she's molting. Some of the feathers around the base of her tail do look just slightly ruffled. I figured that could just be from this very small silkie cockerel that I let walk around trying an attempt with her before one of the larger sisters chased them off or just normal wear and tear. If it's a molt then it would be a really light one and I still have no idea why that spit is there. I don't mind having her in isolation and treating her gently with iodine. I guess at this point I'm concerned the spit is going to keep her from continuing to eat or drink. Like I said before I guess I'll just have to see tomorrow. It's late now and I figure keeping her from sleeping probably won't do her any good right now.

 

[Intentfire280]

I don't see any lesions inside the beak, so I'm not sure if it's Wet Form of Fowl Pox or not, could be she's at the beginning stages of it showing as lesions in the beak, so I'd check that every day.

As for the external lesions, you can paint those with Iodine to help dry them up.

Is she molting? Sometimes they go off their feed during molt.

Finally had some real success this morning. I woke up this morning kind of disappointed that she not touched her feed or the water based on how empty her crop felt. After that a couple minutes later I found a pretty bad looking poop with the kind of green that I'm pretty sure denotes an empty crop. I don't know why I hadn't done it earlier but I went ahead and scrambled an egg for her and she finally started eating good for a little bit. Didn't finish the whole thing yet but it's not like I want to be standing around her making her nervous. She also even took a couple of little swigs of water. The only thing I didn't like was that after the poop she was standing in a way reminiscent of the penguin stance sort of but not all the way. Might just be bunched up from discomfort and she quit the stance when she started eating and I gave her an Epsom bath just in case yesterday so I don't really know. Might let her get some walking around in the sun before it gets too hot.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Finally had some real success this morning. I woke up this morning kind of disappointed that she not touched her feed or the water based on how empty her crop felt. After that a couple minutes later I found a pretty bad looking poop with the kind of green that I'm pretty sure denotes an empty crop. I don't know why I hadn't done it earlier but I went ahead and scrambled an egg for her and she finally started eating good for a little bit. Didn't finish the whole thing yet but it's not like I want to be standing around her making her nervous. She also even took a couple of little swigs of water. The only thing I didn't like was that after the poop she was standing in a way reminiscent of the penguin stance sort of but not all the way. Might just be bunched up from discomfort and she quit the stance when she started eating and I gave her an Epsom bath just in case yesterday so I don't really know. Might let her get some walking around in the sun before it gets too hot.

How is she now?

If she's even hinting at hunching up, I'd get the calcium into her.

Has she been dewormed?

 

[Intentfire280]

How is she now?

If she's even hinting at hunching up, I'd get the calcium into her.

Has she been dewormed?

Ah hell I knew I forgot something. I forgot to get that calcium and I even went to Walmart today.

Well after the last update she was mostly fine for the entire day. She didn't really want to eat too much more apart from the egg but spilled some dry feed so I figure she had some interest in it. I checked a few more times, without help now, and there was no immediate spit in the edge of her mouth. I think there maybe might have been some in the very back at the end of her throat but definitely a lot less if it was still there. I also saw her explore as normal with no sleepy lethargy at all. However when she stood at rest either roosting or back under the shed she did sometimes hunch up not all of the way but sort of like that stance if you've ever seen a chicken crouching under some cover away from water after getting a little wet from unwanted rain. At night she tried to sleep with the rest of the girls as usual and assumed that stance not constantly but a couple of times after she would try to move back away from my prodding. I set her back into the isolated cage and it didn't take long for her to get into a normal sleeping position and she's been about that way just fine. Comb has been as red as in the last photo all day. Also while it wasn't a lot I definitely could feel a bit inside her crop tonight. Definitely not as much as she should be eating though.

I'll get on the calcium for sure tomorrow. I feel a bit better about her health but I really know I should have taken care of the calcium too. Maybe it's worth it to give her another Epsom bath. Also they have never been dewormed. I don't think I've ever dewormed any of my chicken ever period, unless the extreme spice in a lot of our leftovers would ever count.

Editing real quick to add a current photo a general appearance and kind of the stance I'm talking about. More upright but not the stereotypical penguin stance at least. It honestly could be nothing and I only really made her do the stance while taking the last photo since I put her on a separate metal shelf so I could paint her scabs again so you can maybe say that photo is manipulated to get the result. Figured I'd take it because it shows as an example of what I was seeing at times.

 

[Intentfire280]

I forgot to post this morning wow. Well she was fine all day today. No spit and no lethargy this morning. Still standing weird sometimes when I had her cooped up but when I got a chance to come back home midday I let her free to hang with the others. Foraged a bit but then mostly just roosted and stayed under the shed since we got some evening rain. She ate and drank some but still not a lot. This morning she had most of an egg and I'm fairly sure she ate some 30% turkey starter I keep for our quail. It's dumb but I even tried to offer her oatmeal since she loved some I've given before. Honestly I'd be willing to say that based on the article this issue has been dry fowl pox due to the lack of mouth mucus or lesions and the presence of the scabs on the feet and face. Even the lack of appetite is mentioned. However the spit before is still unexplained and she made a strange poop overnight and in the morning after I freed her before leaving home. Don't know if egg can come out like that or if it's a sign of poor digestion or God forbid a reproductive issue.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I forgot to post this morning wow. Well she was fine all day today. No spit and no lethargy this morning. Still standing weird sometimes when I had her cooped up but when I got a chance to come back home midday I let her free to hang with the others. Foraged a bit but then mostly just roosted and stayed under the shed since we got some evening rain. She ate and drank some but still not a lot. This morning she had most of an egg and I'm fairly sure she ate some 30% turkey starter I keep for our quail. It's dumb but I even tried to offer her oatmeal since she loved some I've given before. Honestly I'd be willing to say that based on the article this issue has been dry fowl pox due to the lack of mouth mucus or lesions and the presence of the scabs on the feet and face. Even the lack of appetite is mentioned. However the spit before is still unexplained and she made a strange poop overnight and in the morning after I freed her before leaving home. Don't know if egg can come out like that or if it's a sign of poor digestion or God forbid a reproductive issue.

I'd still give her the Calcium, but in one of the photos it looks like there's a Roundworm in the poop (see the photo I marked below) unless you know for sure that's a piece of something else(?). Other poop photos, there's mucous and perhaps a little blood. I'd deworm her.
To treat most worms that poultry can have except for Tapeworm you can use Safeguard (Fenbendazole) or Valbazen (Albendazole). Both are given orally by weight; they do not mix well with water.

Safeguard dose is 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days in a row.
---OR---
Valbazen dose is 0.08ml per pound of weight given orally once, then repeated in 10 days

Here's how to give oral medications:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[Intentfire280]

I'd still give her the Calcium, but in one of the photos it looks like there's a Roundworm in the poop (see the photo I marked below) unless you know for sure that's a piece of something else(?). Other poop photos, there's mucous and perhaps a little blood. I'd deworm her.
To treat most worms that poultry can have except for Tapeworm you can use Safeguard (Fenbendazole) or Valbazen (Albendazole). Both are given orally by weight; they do not mix well with water.

Safeguard dose is 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days in a row.
---OR---
Valbazen dose is 0.08ml per pound of weight given orally once, then repeated in 10 days

Here's how to give oral medications:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/



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I hadn't even noticed that weird long part. I was more just looking at the weird egg looking yellow poop. Now I wish I had taken more photos to be absolutely sure, but I don't think it could be a part of anything else. How would she even get that? Maybe I can be absolutely sure with tomorrow's poop but I'm looking to getting some dewormer then. Honestly with some of the other issues I've had to deal with in the past few months such as bumblefoot and vent gleet, I've really been building up the little chicken first aid kit I should have honestly already had.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I hadn't even noticed that weird long part. I was more just looking at the weird egg looking yellow poop. Now I wish I had taken more photos to be absolutely sure, but I don't think it could be a part of anything else. How would she even get that? Maybe I can be absolutely sure with tomorrow's poop but I'm looking to getting some dewormer then. Honestly with some of the other issues I've had to deal with in the past few months such as bumblefoot and vent gleet, I've really been building up the little chicken first aid kit I should have honestly already had.

Then I'd deworm her. With roundworms, it's probably a good idea to deworm all the flock.

Chickens can get roundworms from eating bugs, snails, worms, etc. So it's fairly common for chickens to have roundworms.

You will not always see worms in the poop, they don't leave their host (the chicken) unless the infestation is heavy and there's "no room".

 

[Intentfire280]

Then I'd deworm her. With roundworms, it's probably a good idea to deworm all the flock.

Chickens can get roundworms from eating bugs, snails, worms, etc. So it's fairly common for chickens to have roundworms.

You will not always see worms in the poop, they don't leave their host (the chicken) unless the infestation is heavy and there's "no room".

Well I guess I shouldn't be too surprised with all of the exploring she was doing up until recently. Likely my last post of the night, but any ideas what's up with that mucus? Like I guess I'm not surprised it's in the poop since it had been probably mixed in with the spit the day before and even more so the day before that. However I took another look at her and beak with help and got a good looking there with a light. Not really any spit buildup or any sort of lesions. Like I wonder if maybe whatever gave her the worms also gave her body some sort of reaction with mucus/spit?

Also I know I've said it a lot but seriously thank you. I'm sure I've taken some of your advice ain random other threads I've opened before. Hopefully it's obvious but it really is appreciated.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Well I guess I shouldn't be too surprised with all of the exploring she was doing up until recently. Likely my last post of the night, but any ideas what's up with that mucus? Like I guess I'm not surprised it's in the poop since it had been probably mixed in with the spit the day before and even more so the day before that. However I took another look at her and beak with help and got a good looking there with a light. Not really any spit buildup or any sort of lesions. Like I wonder if maybe whatever gave her the worms also gave her body some sort of reaction with mucus/spit?

Also I know I've said it a lot but seriously thank you. I'm sure I've taken some of your advice ain random other threads I've opened before. Hopefully it's obvious but it really is appreciated.

The mucous in the poop is likely due to the worms, I'm not sure what was going on with the mucous in the beak.

You're welcome!
Keep me posted on how she's doing.