Treating Diarrhea

[Lisa-Lu]

Would I actually have to do the whole tube feeding, could I just put wet feed in a syringe like I did the medicine and feed her that way? She will swallow whatever I get in her mouth.

 

[Eggcessive]

It doesn’t matter which way you feed her. Tube feeding is quicker and easier, but if she will swallow the food, thatbis fine.

 

[Lisa-Lu]

I just went home for lunch and got about three ml's of food in her and 6 mL of water. She is acting about the same

 

[Lisa-Lu]

We've lost her. I am trying to tell myself that I did everything I knew how to do to help her but this is very hard. She is the first loss we've had into our chicken adventures. But we are hoping to expand into farming and homesteading and I am trying to realize this is a part of life and will happen. I've learned so much from her, she was the sweetest thing, I never realized a chicken could have that much personality. Thank you @RhodeIslandRed5 and @Eggcessive for all of your help and advice.

As for the rest of our hens, they seem fine, happy, healthy, with no signs of sickness at all. I am going to empty and scrub down the coop, but are there precautions I need to take to make sure this doesn't spread or would they have it by now if it was something contagious? I dont know if it was coccidiosis or not, she has always been smaller than the others and her feathers were missing and shredded when we got her (assumed it was a rooster). She always laid wonky eggs, shell-less, yolk-less, and most of the time thin broken shells, and I think there was a bigger problem going on with her from the beginning. But nonetheless, I want to take the proper precautions.

 

[Eggcessive]

Oh, I am very sorry for your loss. It is really hard after taking care of them as they are sick. The best way to know what was wrong, is to refrigerate (don’t freeze) the body in double plastic bags, and send it to the state vet for a necropsy. If that seems unlikely, you can open the abdomen and have a look at her organs to see any evidence of disease. Take pictures if you do that, and post them here for comments. Here is a list of state vets and poultry labs:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is a necropsy video that labels the organs for identification:

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

Oh-no, so sorry for your loss. Yes, chickens do have personalities. I know each of my five chicks personalities. My sweet runt is as sweet and spoiled as can be, another is little miss no nonsense, another likes to jump on my arm if I'm holding another chick/she'll eat mealworms from my hand, another is skittish, she'll scream and squawk if I'm trying to catch her(I call her Crybaby) another is fussy when you hug her, but she'll lay down in your lap when you stroke her, she loves to jump up as high as possible and she'll make a whine when she wants something. She likes to escape the dog pen and rush out on the carpet and jump up on my great-grandmothers old rocking chair and as attempted to get on the coffee table. My sweet runt will often follow her.

It would be good to clean your coop area, the feeder, waterer and anything else in there just as a precaution.

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

Yes, I would say you did everything you could to help her. You did do your best. You loved her and took care of her til the end. So sorry.

 

[Lisa-Lu]

Yall aren't going to believe this, but she didn't die! When I checked on her yesterday morning, I thought for sure she was gone, she was laying limp, wouldn't open her eyes, I couldnt see her breathing, but I left her in the coop for my husband to get, because I just couldn't.
Well, I go home for lunch and open the coop door and she is looking at me! So I got her out, gave her more meds, fed her and gave her water with a syringe, and she seemed a bit better.
Get home yesterday evening and she is wide awake, looking around. Went through the routine again, and she drank water on her own. She hasn't done that in 2 days. She felt warm to me like she had a fever, so I gave her a bath in Epsom salt, she cooled down and looked very happy and content. Her poop has more brown in it now, white urine, and not so much yellow water.
This morning she is awake, but seemed really tired, I gave her meds and she drank water again on her own. Fever is still gone. She's resting now.
I just cant believe this!!

 

[Eggcessive]

Wow, that is a surprise! I am sure that you are very happy, especially since she seems to be doing better. Let us know how she is getting along, and good luck.