UPDATE: I PUT HER DOWN THIS AFTERNOON: Sick Silver Laced Wyandotte.

[festivefeet]

Okay, well apparently the guy at TSC was a moron. I was just doing what he told me to do. I explained what was going on and that was one of the things he suggested.

 

[festivefeet]

Are there any thoughts on the red bumps that have covered the skin on her body? Are there photos anywhere that suggest this is what happens with Mites? I have dusted her. She still looks horrible. She hasn't eaten in two days. She drinks when I assist. There are antibiotics in her water. I give her a syringe of vitamins daily.

 

[festivefeet]

She was always one of my prettiest hens. Now she seems very close to passing away.

Could this be Marek's disease? She does not show signs of both legs extended out (like some of the photos on the web show). However, she is not standing, one wing lays limp when she sits. She is not walking. Her eyes remain closed most of the time. She has red raised bumps on her body and some place very concentrated. Even on her neck. She bobs her head from side to side when she sits. She is not eating or drinking (I have to dip her beak to get her to drink).

 

[seminolewind]

I guess at this point, IMO, I would stop the medicated feed, and treat her for coccidiosis, and probably sepsis.
Medicated feed is not a treatment

 

[CTChickenMom]

Quote:
If you aren't seeing bloody poo, I wouldn't treat for that. If she has one wing that is continuously limp, she may have had a minor stroke. I've read some posts on other sites and this is what it sounds like. If she had a stroke, it may have impared her ability to walk. On one site, a woman's roo was put on an anti-inflamatory because a stroke causes swelling of the brain. At the last post, he was somewhat improved but was whobbly when he walked. If you have a Cooperative Extension agent near you or an agricultural college, I would call them and let them know what is going on. If you don't, I can get you the phone number to the Cooperative Extension agent here in Connecticut at UCONN. They are an ag college.

I've also read that a stroke is fairly common in birds. The limp wing sounds like the paralisis (sp?) that can occur in people where one side of their body is limp (i.e. one side of face droops, unable to stand, one arm not functioning).

 

[chookchick]

I'm so sorry! It does not look good for her. If she had mites or lice, you would have seen one by now. I think the vent issues are indicative of some kind of internal problem. Doesn't sound like Mareks to me. You have worked really hard to try and save her....

 

[festivefeet]

I am pretty sure it won't be long before she passes away. She is resting face done, beak on the shavings. Breathing slowly.

I am not convinced that stroke was the cause. A stroke would not cause red bumps covering the body. There has been no sign of mites or lice. I guess not going into the hen house on her own last week, was not a good sign. Some of them do that from time to time though...so I just thought she was being like the others.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
If you aren't seeing bloody poo, I wouldn't treat for that. If she has one wing that is continuously limp, she may have had a minor stroke. I've read some posts on other sites and this is what it sounds like. If she had a stroke, it may have impared her ability to walk. On one site, a woman's roo was put on an anti-inflamatory because a stroke causes swelling of the brain. At the last post, he was somewhat improved but was whobbly when he walked. If you have a Cooperative Extension agent near you or an agricultural college, I would call them and let them know what is going on. If you don't, I can get you the phone number to the Cooperative Extension agent here in Connecticut at UCONN. They are an ag college.

I've also read that a stroke is fairly common in birds. The limp wing sounds like the paralisis (sp?) that can occur in people where one side of their body is limp (i.e. one side of face droops, unable to stand, one arm not functioning).

There are more strains of coccidiosis that do not have blood in the stool as a symptom.

I'm sorry your hen is not doing well.

 

[CTChickenMom]

If you have coccidiosis or Marek's, I think you'd have more hens with the same symptoms. I found a good article on coccidiosis that may help you. Here are some sections of it and the link to the whole thing: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/coccidiosis.pdf

Outward signs of coccidiosis in chickens include droopiness and listlessness, loss of appetite, loss of yellow color in shanks, pale combs and wattles, ruffled, unthrifty feathers, huddling or acting chilled, blood or mucus in the feces, diarrhea, dehydration, and even death. Other signs include poor feed digestion, poor weight gain, and poor feed efficiency. Some symptoms can be confused with other diseases. For example, necrotic enteritis is a gut disease that also causes bloody diarrhea.

If signs of the disease appear, use drugs that are appropriate for coccidia’s late life cycle—only sulfonamides and amprolium. (Reid, 1990) When birds are getting sick, they lose their appetite. Therefore, soluble medication should be provided in the drinking water.

Amprolium is an anticoccidial drug. It has also been used for many years and needs no withdrawal time to guard against residue in the meat. It is given in the drinking water and interferes with metabolism of the vitamin thiamin (vitamin B1) in coccidia. Amprolium treats both intestinal and cecal coccidia.

Small-scale producers can control coccidiosis with a good understanding of its life cycle and conditions for transmission, by management strategies such as good litter and pasture rotation, and by using drugs only for rescue, if needed. Large-scale producers, especially organic producers, increasingly rely on vaccines.

 

[festivefeet]

Are these meds that I can get at the feed store? Also, do you think it's to late. All those signs sound like her, aside from the red bumps everywhere on her body????