Chicky Chicky Boom Boom
In the Brooder
- Aug 2, 2022
- 4
- 5
- 11
Hey everyone,
Long time reader, first time poster..
I'm posting here because I have a sick hen named Mabel who has been ill for approximately 5 weeks now. She is isolated in our house. We have been trying to figure out her diagnosis and have tried a number of things, as well as reading and researching every possible illness. She has been having symptoms of cloacitis, sour crop, and possible mycoplasmosis (the last we're unsure of as we have another sick hen with such a possible diagnosis, more on that later).
More about Mabel. She is 15 months old, is a Lavender Orpington hen and weighs 4.4 lbs. Her symptoms include lethargy, lack of appetite, diarrhea, soft and bloated crop, occasional water leaking out of beak, shrunken and discolored comb, and lack of egg production. We have treated for Sour Crop by using the proper copper sulfate treatment process as outlined in Gail Damerow's Chicken Health Handbook. We are mixing her water daily with apple cider vinegar and electrolytes, daily syringe feeding of Nutridrench mixed with yogurt and blended regular chicken food. She ate the most yesterday topping out at about 30 mL. We have also been treating for Cloacitis by daily cleansing the cloaca with saline wash injected with a sterile plastic syringe, followed by rubbing Iodine on the vent. We sent a fecal sample to the local vet to be cultured only to find that the bacterias present were E. Coli and Proteus Mirabilis (both of which the vet considered to be normal). While her crop has improved over the weeks(especially with her new crop bra), she is still experiencing all the other symptoms. She stopped eating altogether for about 10 days, only taking dropper feedings. Then she finally started eating again (a little bit, now and then) 10 days ago but her appetite has been very small and hasn't been consistent. She looks at the food, then turns away like she just can't do it. She is more willing to eat from the dropper at this point, but it's clearly not sustainable. The diarrhea is the worst of it - sometimes milky, but more often with scant green flaky chunks and lots of clear fluid. Occasionally there have been phases where it has smelled extremely putrid, but lately it's more of a normal stinky. She sleeps a lot.
Now, we've had another recently ill hen named Indigo from the same flock, who is experiencing symptoms of Mycoplasmosis. She presented with one swollen eye, sudden onset, 10 days ago, but isn't experiencing the other symptoms of Mycoplasmosis such as the runny nose, sneezing, nasal discharge, gasping, reduced egg production etc. She has sneezed a few times, but not abnormally. She did have a few bubbles in her swollen eye at first, then they came back 3 days ago. We had been treating her solely with Vetericyn Ophthalmic Gel for over a week and that was helping, but the swelling came back full force 3 days ago. We just started injecting Tylan 50, 1mL per day, 2 days ago, and are continuing the eye drops daily. Her eye swelling has started to go down again.
What we are thinking was that Mabel might be experiencing Mycoplasmosis as well, just with different symptoms? Or that the mycoplasmosis might be complicating whatever is causing Mabel's diarrhea. Could this be the case? Would it be safe to inject Mabel with Tylan 50 as well, just to see if it helps? By now, we're discussing doing this, since we have it on hand and we're unsure of what else we can do for Mabel. She used to be quite burly and now is getting frighteningly skinny and bony, poor girl. We are also wondering if it's okay to inject her in her half-starved state. Hopefully this treatment works out for Indigo, but that can be another thread entirely, and we're crossing our fingers.
We would truly appreciate any insight, advice, or feedback on Mabel. We love her so much as a pet, she is the sweetest little snuggle bug. We're worried about her, and unsure of what to do at this point but to continue the things we've been doing. I just want to see Mabel eat and poop normally again!
Let me know if you need any more info...
Thank you in advance for any advice! <3
Long time reader, first time poster..
I'm posting here because I have a sick hen named Mabel who has been ill for approximately 5 weeks now. She is isolated in our house. We have been trying to figure out her diagnosis and have tried a number of things, as well as reading and researching every possible illness. She has been having symptoms of cloacitis, sour crop, and possible mycoplasmosis (the last we're unsure of as we have another sick hen with such a possible diagnosis, more on that later).
More about Mabel. She is 15 months old, is a Lavender Orpington hen and weighs 4.4 lbs. Her symptoms include lethargy, lack of appetite, diarrhea, soft and bloated crop, occasional water leaking out of beak, shrunken and discolored comb, and lack of egg production. We have treated for Sour Crop by using the proper copper sulfate treatment process as outlined in Gail Damerow's Chicken Health Handbook. We are mixing her water daily with apple cider vinegar and electrolytes, daily syringe feeding of Nutridrench mixed with yogurt and blended regular chicken food. She ate the most yesterday topping out at about 30 mL. We have also been treating for Cloacitis by daily cleansing the cloaca with saline wash injected with a sterile plastic syringe, followed by rubbing Iodine on the vent. We sent a fecal sample to the local vet to be cultured only to find that the bacterias present were E. Coli and Proteus Mirabilis (both of which the vet considered to be normal). While her crop has improved over the weeks(especially with her new crop bra), she is still experiencing all the other symptoms. She stopped eating altogether for about 10 days, only taking dropper feedings. Then she finally started eating again (a little bit, now and then) 10 days ago but her appetite has been very small and hasn't been consistent. She looks at the food, then turns away like she just can't do it. She is more willing to eat from the dropper at this point, but it's clearly not sustainable. The diarrhea is the worst of it - sometimes milky, but more often with scant green flaky chunks and lots of clear fluid. Occasionally there have been phases where it has smelled extremely putrid, but lately it's more of a normal stinky. She sleeps a lot.
Now, we've had another recently ill hen named Indigo from the same flock, who is experiencing symptoms of Mycoplasmosis. She presented with one swollen eye, sudden onset, 10 days ago, but isn't experiencing the other symptoms of Mycoplasmosis such as the runny nose, sneezing, nasal discharge, gasping, reduced egg production etc. She has sneezed a few times, but not abnormally. She did have a few bubbles in her swollen eye at first, then they came back 3 days ago. We had been treating her solely with Vetericyn Ophthalmic Gel for over a week and that was helping, but the swelling came back full force 3 days ago. We just started injecting Tylan 50, 1mL per day, 2 days ago, and are continuing the eye drops daily. Her eye swelling has started to go down again.
What we are thinking was that Mabel might be experiencing Mycoplasmosis as well, just with different symptoms? Or that the mycoplasmosis might be complicating whatever is causing Mabel's diarrhea. Could this be the case? Would it be safe to inject Mabel with Tylan 50 as well, just to see if it helps? By now, we're discussing doing this, since we have it on hand and we're unsure of what else we can do for Mabel. She used to be quite burly and now is getting frighteningly skinny and bony, poor girl. We are also wondering if it's okay to inject her in her half-starved state. Hopefully this treatment works out for Indigo, but that can be another thread entirely, and we're crossing our fingers.
We would truly appreciate any insight, advice, or feedback on Mabel. We love her so much as a pet, she is the sweetest little snuggle bug. We're worried about her, and unsure of what to do at this point but to continue the things we've been doing. I just want to see Mabel eat and poop normally again!
Let me know if you need any more info...
Thank you in advance for any advice! <3
