Update: she didn't make it. (Near-death hen....what is causing this?)

[SunnysideupDale]

A month or so ago, we noticed that our Silver Wyandotte pullet stopped laying. A couple days ago, we brought her into our house because she was laying down in the chicken run and extremely lethargic. When we brought her in, she immediately took an interest in the food and water we provided her and she perked up. She had quite a bit of poop on her bottom, so we wiped it away. Instantly, she pooped out a yellowish liquid. All of her poop since has been green. My partner did some research and believes it may be egg peritonitis.

By Tuesday morning she seemed to be doing much better. She was interested in her food and the scratch I threw down for her. She was minimally vocal and not nearly as weak as she was when we brought her inside. By Tuesday pm, though, she had grown extremely weak. She was laying on the floor with very minimal movement. This morning, she looks like she is about to expire.

I just gave her another look over. Her bottom is cover with greenish poo and I noticed (for the first time) an orangish-colored swelling near her vent, about the size of a quarter. Its not rock-hard, but it does hold its shape when lightly squeezed. Any ideas? I don't know if this is peritonitis or not.

This is a sad case for us. Faith, as we call her, was our first egg layer, and the first of 2 chicks we brought home to start our backyard coop.

Sad update:

I just checked on her and she has passed away. Poor girl...I wish I knew what this was. This is the third hen (out of 7) that we've lost this year.

 

[danamillette]

Sorry to hear this. Perhaps she is egg bound.

 

[SunnysideupDale]

We just examined her and I can feel no eggs inside her. She hasn't laid for over a month, since she was chased (but not harmed) by a neighbor's dog. However, it was until a couple days ago that her behavior was at all out of the ordinary. And again, directly above her vent is a quarter-sized lump.

I was reading about a similar case by another poster, and someone suggested worms. Faith has never been dewormed, but what would the symptoms be? What kind of worms are we talking about?

 

[SunnysideupDale]

An update from 3 hours ago. She is actually less weak, but still pretty lethargic. We have here wrapped in a towel on top of a heat pad. Her eyes open occassionally and she'll take drinks of water that we spoon feed her. Only 3 hours ago I had to pry open her mouth, so I think this is an improvement. We have antibiotics in her water. Also, feeding her drops of watered-down yogurt (per an earlier suggestion to give her enzymes.)

Does anyone else have any advice? We are without an avian vet around here, so I'm pretty much on my own.

 

[M@M@2four]

Sound like maybe worms??? You may want to treat her with a wormer like Ivermectin...

 

[SunnysideupDale]

How can I tell if its worms? Would their be segments in her stool, like a tapeworm segment in a dog's stool? Also, if one hen has it, would more of them have it?

 

[danamillette]

How is she doing today?

 

[SunnysideupDale]

Sadly, she didn't make it. I went to the feed store to buy some wormer and when I returned she had crashed and died. I feel awful...this is our 3rd hen out of 7 that we've lost this year, albeit to different circumstances. But still, she was our first egg layer and our blue ribbon winner at the county fair last summer.

 

[SpottedCrow]

I'm so sorry!

 

[danamillette]

aww, that sucks. I'm sorry to hear that.