Update-jaundiced comb, pecking at her own toenails, lethargic, IDEAS?

[b'hamPeeps]

Nearly 2 year old SLW hen is lethargic--huddled on her own today. She isn't moving around much but does pick up her feet and peck at her own toenails (from the bottom). Her comb and wattles have been pale, she's just about regrown from a hard molt and hasn't been laying for a couple of months, but today her comb and wattles are looking jaundiced, kind of a pale orange color. She's a little dull in the eye too.

She was wormed with fenbendazole and her treatment for that ended four days ago. (all the girls were wormed because I saw roundworms in one hen's droppings). She has been wormed before with this same safeguard once about a year ago and had no ill effects.

Chickens eat organic layer pellets and organic cracked corn (as a treat) plus fresh veggies as treats. They use pine shavings for bedding and free range in our fenced yard during the day--not many things for chickens to eat there right now except some bugs and lawn. Water includes electrolytes and acv.

No signs of mites or other pests. Vent looks good. No sores anywhere on her body. Her crop was in normal condition today although it was obvious that she had eaten very little except the corn I was feeding when I noticed her problem. Not sure if she was drinking. Her feet look totally normal, but she definately is acting like something about them is bothering her, both feet, btw.

I brought her inside and she ate a whole egg scrambled with a little water in it. She wouldn't take any water, and only had two little pecks of layer pellets. She pooped twice since I brought her in. The liquid part of her poop is kindof Green. but the darker part of the poop looked pretty normal although it was a small amount and looser than I like.

Anyone have any idea? I hope it is just a reaction to the wormer. My other hens are all acting very normally.

I've looked at about a million posts, but haven't really seen those two primary symptoms. Tried googling too..."chicken pecking own feet" and "jaundiced chicken" but didn't find much except a few strange recipes and the idea for a really cool name for a punk band. ("Have you heard Jaundiced Chicken? They will blow your mind!")

Thanks!

 

[GraceAK]

I hope she ends up okay! I can't help you, but i hope some other person can! bump!

 

[b'hamPeeps]

Update-

Her condition is mostly unchanged this morning. Yesterday afternoon/evening her poop turned the shavings pretty much neon green, bile right? This morning's poop looked a little more normal, some formed greenish black solids with watery white ureates and some watery liquid (clear not green now).

She ate just a little egg this morning and I mixed some water with electrolytes in with the egg, because she won't drink. She is preening and standing around when I come in the room. Still pecking at her toenails and the front of her ankles. Where she has pecked her ankles, a couple of scales are slightly raised, so I'm going to go ahead and put some vaseline on there, although in general the scales on her feet and legs look really good. I'm wondering if those two or 3 scales are a little raised because she has been pecking so hard on them.

I'm getting worried about the lack of water/nutrients. I'm going to get some polyvisol, but can anyone give me advice about how to force water or polyvisol without danger of her aspirating it?

Thanks for your help!

 

[GraceAK]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=283957

this thread might help. the dominique looks to have the same thing your girl does. :C It's so sad that she's sick!
Have you tried to get her to eat yoghurt or cheese? Mine are crazy about farmhouse cheddar, but I think any cheese would be fine; maybe a softer cheese. It would get some energy into her..... I hope she recovers.

 

[b'hamPeeps]

Thanks, GraceAK!

I posted and subscribed to that other thread in hopes of seeing some good advice. Things are still about the same, but her crop is not as hard as it was yesterday or this morning, and she is still alive!

Trying to think positively. I'm still nervous to force liquids with a dropper, any advice from anyone would be great.

 

[Terri O]

If you use a syringe or a dropper and put the liquid at the side of her mouth you can dribble it there and she will probably open her mouth and drink it. You could also tube feed her if you have a tube. It is pretty easy to do with birds. (I might be going that route myself if Charlie doesnt start eating!)Terri O

 

[mendygnl]

Could it be frost bite that caused the yellowish comb? If so, it could also cause tingling in her toes that she is trying to remove by pecking them. IDK about the water issue.

 

[Jenski]

OP, I sent you a private message.

 

[b'hamPeeps]

Just thought I would give an update.

Our hen is still alive. We took her to the vet yesterday. They gave her fluids, a shot of antibiotics, and checked her out thoroughly. We had blood tests done too. Her color has been getting better and better since Monday. She came back clear on all her tests except she is quite anemic. She seems to be starting to recover from the anemia. She also has some indication that she was bleeding internally although there has been no injuries and no symbtoms of that.

So now we are pilling her with antibiotics twice a day, that's a new skill. She is still inside and eating better every day. Still not interested in drinking though.

Weird. but I'm happy she seems to be getting stronger. Her comb and wattles are much brighter. Turns out the vet thinks the "jaundice" was just because she was so pale from the anemia that her yellow coloration was showing through.

 

[seminolewind]

Poor thing. I am so glad you got her to the vet. It really shaves alot of time off worrying, wondering, trying to figure out what's wrong.
Do you think she has mites? They will make a chicken anemic. I think that between molting and the cold, maybe worms and mites might have just worn her down to where she couldn't help herself get better.

I hope she's on the road to recovery.