Very sick chicken, need help!

[MissAdelaide]

Hello,
My hen, jet, is sick. She has been a bit sick for the past few weeks and I have been keeping an eye on her. Yesterday we brought her into our old laundry, because she is getting worse. It has towels, food and water, a heater to keep it warm, a steamer/humidifier and the fan is going for air flow.

She is pooping as if she were constipated,in little bits and the poop is very dry. She is vomiting liquid, which has small amounts of brown stuff in it. She has mucus or something in her throat, because of the sound shes making. She is lethargic and closes her eyelids, as well as letting me pick her up, which is unusual for her. Her comb/wattle are shrinking. She is eating happily, but not drinking, so I have had to give her some water by hand. She stopped dust bathing about a week ago.

Jet is 3 years old and a Sussex chicken. Her flock of four of the same age are extremely healthy right now. She is the smallest bird, at 2.1 kilograms.

I’ve given her water with a little apple cider vinegar and olive oil. I also gave her yogurt and bran with some Berocca in it. She was very keen on that last night.

I hope someone can help- Meg.

 

[MissAdelaide]

Here are some images of him, the vomit and the poop. I didn’t know where else to post it (sorry!)

Jet the sick chicken

• MissAdelaide
• Sep 27, 2019
• 2

Sick chicken pic #2

• MissAdelaide
• Sep 27, 2019
• 1

Sick chicken poop

Sick chicken pic 3

• MissAdelaide
• Sep 27, 2019

Sick chicken #1

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have a vet available? Just from looking at her picture, she seems to be standing more upright and with her tail down, as some do when they are suffering from internal laying or egg yolk peritonitis, or other reproductive disorders. Frequently they can suffer from crop disorders and digestive slowdown, which might explain the constipation and vomiting of brown liquid. These symptoms can be common in hens, and unfortunately can be an eventual cause of death. I would make sure that she is getting plenty of water, and adding electrolytes and vitamins would be good. I would feed her some bits of scrambled egg, chicken feed made wet with water, and some tuna or liver, whatever she will eat. Giving her some coconut oil 1 tsp that has been refrigerated for a few minutes to make it easier to cut into small chunks to help with lubricating her digestive tract would be good.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is some reading about reproductive disorders:
http://www.theveterinaryexpert.com/backyard-poultry/egg-yolk-peritonitis/

http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/egg-peritonitis

Here is a picture of a hen with egg yolk peritonitis:

 

[MissAdelaide]

Here is some reading about reproductive disorders:
http://www.theveterinaryexpert.com/backyard-poultry/egg-yolk-peritonitis/

http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/egg-peritonitis

Here is a picture of a hen with egg yolk peritonitis:

View attachment 1919704

Thankyou, I will do that. She hasn’t been laying this year, by the way.

 

[MissAdelaide]

@Eggcessive I fed him what you recommended and added an all-round medicine to his water(all I had access to as today is a public holiday where I am). He is eating all of it and loves it!! He has started pooping runnier poop, as well as not vomiting. I gave him a bath as well to clean his really messy tail area. He is looking a bit better.

Could you please explain what you meant by putting the coconut oil in the fridge?

 

[Eggcessive]

Well, putting the coconut oil in the refrigerator for a bit will make it hard, and easier to chop into small pieces which most chickens will peck at and eat. It is safer to give that way than to give them the oil down their throats, which may cause them to choke.

So glad that she is eating and not constipated now. Hopefully her crop will start emptying overnight.

 

[MissAdelaide]

Update today:
She is vomiting still, the poop situation is better. She is closing her eyes a lot and I have to fluff her feathers to motivate her to eat. I have been giving her water in between food to keep it down- the food isn’t vomited up at all.

(Ps: don’t mind me saying he; sometimes I refer to hens with ‘him’, because of their names.)

Here is an image of her closing her eyes. I think she may be tired.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have any poultry electrolytes with vitamins that you could give her? Are you outside the US? Does she vomit when she is on her own, or has she done this when you were handling her. Normally, unless you accidentally squeeze or push on the crop, or hold them with their head down and forward, they do not vomit. She does look exhausted. Is her crop soft and full or puffy still? Are you other chickens molting at this time?

 

[MissAdelaide]

Do you have any poultry electrolytes with vitamins that you could give her? Are you outside the US? Does she vomit when she is on her own, or has she done this when you were handling her. Normally, unless you accidentally squeeze or push on the crop, or hold them with their head down and forward, they do not vomit. She does look exhausted. Is her crop soft and full or puffy still? Are you other chickens molting at this time?

No I don’t have any vitamins- I’m in Australia, and it’s grand final weekend for football; so vets are closed and so are most shops. I could look for a pet shop that may have some? Her crop is soft and full but I’m not sure if it’s puffy. The chickens aren’t molting, they finished about a month ago.

Should I turn off the lights and let her sleep?