Very thin young chicken, green runny poop

Apr 14, 2018
254
442
166
Massachusetts
ugh....please help me.
I have 5 chickens. I am very new at keeping chickens ....they are 30 weeks old.
One chicken, Dixie, a gold colored chicken that I believe is a micxed breed,...was always a big fat happy girl. Her crop was always big and full...all the time. Soft and mushy, less volume in the AM, but I’d say , it still had food inside.
I thought maybe it was sour. ...? I massaged it a lot , and it seems to go down a lot. I tried to make her vomit..nothing came up. But I kept massaging her crop and I thought things were going well.

The last few days I have notice that her vent was dirty. I washed her gently today, but it was dirty again soon after. When I picked her up...she was all bones. I also noticed her poo was runny and green. I think she is dying. She eats, she drinks...but she is walking one slow step at a time. I hadnt picked her up, or seen her walking so slow, over the past few days because it has been raining forever here, and they have been in their run a lot....and I was letting them out for short periods between downpours...not staying out and watching them for an hour or so like I usually do daily.
I live in the city....we don’t have any farm vets around here. I’ve read a lot of forums and question and answers here and it “sounds” to my novice ears, like Enteritis.
I read to give her an injection. Of biomycin or gentamicin. These are prescription drug where I live, and I wouldn’t be able to get it. ...and I’m not comfortable about doing this, even if I could because I don’t know if this is the issue at hand.
Any idea other than what I think this is, or what I can do? She’s a sweet bird, but I’m afraid I realized too late that she was so sick, so very thin .
Please advise, and I apologize for being stupid.
 
If she's eating/drinking well and keeps losing weight, it's probably an internal parasite; I'm not sure what kind, though. I'll see if someone else on BYC can help to determine what kind and how to treat it. Until then, I hope she pulls through. Good luck!
 
If her crop is slow, you should probably try to figure out why. However, FIRST I would tend to the crop itself. What does she eat and drink? I would immediately swap out her water with apple cider vinegar water (1 tablespoon per gallon) and get her off starchy foods (like layer feed) while you figure it out. She can eat egg, greens, meat, and a little yogurt. If she his still laying, you will need to supply oyster shell for calcium. I would keep her away from anything that is hard to digest and might clog her crop.

I would get your flock on acidified copper sulfate. It must be poultry safe. You may need to order it online if your local feed store does not have it. Unfortunately, my flock did not drink the copper water very well, and now I using other measures. @TwoCrows shared a recipe that I think is helping my hen. It's 1 tsp lemon juice with 1/16 tsp each cinnamon, ginger and cayenne (though I am out of ginger and forgot to pick it up today!:he

FYI, there are great articles on crop problems in the learning section.

Many things can cause a slow crop from worms to laying disorders to being sensitive to new feed. Their digestive systems are in a delicate balance that can easily be thrown off.

Good luck with her and please keep us posted.
 
Thank you micstrachan,
My plan today is to remove her from the the flock, and place her in a large dog crate with lots of pine shavings. Also, I’m going to give her something for cocci (advised from a friend who raises chickens form 30 years). I’ll cook her some scrambled eggs and try adding your recipe from Twocrows to a small portion in a separate dish.
I’ve read up on crop problems Hours and hours, and haven’t come to a solid conclusion because it’s still doughy, no nasal discharge, no ‘fowl’ breath(jk), and she won’t vomit when I hold her like a football upside down.
So I’ll try the medication and hope she starts getting better. Being Sunday when I realized how bad things were, I gave her some yogurt, then added electrolytes, and probiotics to all of their water.
ACV in the water....(can this go in the metal type waterer?)
The rest of my flock had starting getting fermented feed this week. Just a a cup each morning, fermented 3 days for the 5 of them. It swells in size, they love it. Her problem started before this. They also have free access the dry layer feed at all times, and get out of their very nice run, for at least an hour every day, supervised. We have lots of coyotes, foxes and tons of hawks.
Thanks for the tips.
 
Her crop was always big and full...all the time. Soft and mushy, less volume in the AM, but I’d say , it still had food inside.
30 weeks old.
She eats, she drinks...but she is walking one slow step at a time. I hadnt picked her up, or seen her walking so slow, over the past few days
here and it “sounds” to my novice ears, like Enteritis.

Also, I’m going to give her something for cocci
If at all possible, seek vet care - some vets do see poultry or birds.
Can you post some photos of her and the poop?
What are you using to treat for Coccidiosis - dosage too?

It would be hard to know if she has Enteritis - that can go hand in hand with Coccidiosis so....if you think the has Enteritis and no vet can help. You may want to start antibiotic treatment. Tylan50 and Oxytetracycline can be both be used for treatment.

Crop issues can be a symptom of an underlying illness, but you will still need to work on that the best you can.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

There's always a possibility that she may be suffering from another illness or disease. Getting some testing from you state lab is a good idea if you happen to lose her.
 
If at all possible, seek vet care - some vets do see poultry or birds.
Can you post some photos of her and the poop?
What are you using to treat for Coccidiosis - dosage too?

It would be hard to know if she has Enteritis - that can go hand in hand with Coccidiosis so....if you think the has Enteritis and no vet can help. You may want to start antibiotic treatment. Tylan50 and Oxytetracycline can be both be used for treatment.

Crop issues can be a symptom of an underlying illness, but you will still need to work on that the best you can.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

There's always a possibility that she may be suffering from another illness or disease. Getting some testing from you state lab is a good idea if you happen to lose her.
I am heading to the grainstore for the cocci drug. They open in an hour.
 
I don’t know if it’s a Massachusetts law, or just this store...but the grain store owner told me they no longer carry medications ‘for chickens” in Ma. . The people that run this store are turds. He told me he has never medicated or wormed a chicken in his 40 years of farming. Ok..sure...
I went to Tractor supply and bought Corid 9.6% oral solution coccidiostat. It’s for mammals. I’ll try adding this to her water. The dosing was a little hard for my math skills....10 mg for 2.2 lbs of body weight...but she is using just a 6 oz., cup For water ....but I did my best. Secluded her after an Epson salt soak, her butt was a mess. Trimmed her vent feathers.. a teeny bit, and put her in a big plastic type, Dog crate, placed in the run. It’s chilly here. I dont know if I should lock her in the coop with the others for the night. I dont know what her problem is..runny green poop, not laying eggs, walking slow, but not not like a penguin, she seems thin (the guy at the grain store told me it’s impossible to know that by feeling her!)

....and not many people who can help.
Doing my best.
 
I don’t know if it’s a Massachusetts law, or just this store...but the grain store owner told me they no longer carry medications ‘for chickens” in Ma. . The people that run this store are turds. He told me he has never medicated or wormed a chicken in his 40 years of farming. Ok..sure...
I went to Tractor supply and bought Corid 9.6% oral solution coccidiostat. It’s for mammals. I’ll try adding this to her water. The dosing was a little hard for my math skills....10 mg for 2.2 lbs of body weight...but she is using just a 6 oz., cup For water ....but I did my best. Secluded her after an Epson salt soak, her butt was a mess. Trimmed her vent feathers.. a teeny bit, and put her in a big plastic type, Dog crate, placed in the run. It’s chilly here. I dont know if I should lock her in the coop with the others for the night. I dont know what her problem is..runny green poop, not laying eggs, walking slow, but not not like a penguin, she seems thin (the guy at the grain store told me it’s impossible to know that by feeling her!)

....and not many people who can help.
Doing my best.
You bought the right stuff to treat Coccidiosis. Keep in mind the Corid is just a Coccidiostat, it is not an antibiotic.
Corid dosage is 1 1/2 teaspoons Corid powder or 2 teaspoons of 9.6% Corid liquid per gallon of water.
Give for 5-7 days - make sure this is the ONLY water available during that time period. Mix a fresh batch at least once a day.

At 30wks old I would still check to make sure she is not having trouble with an egg. Can you insert a lubricated finger in the vent to see if you feel anything?

I'm sorry you had a bad experience at the grain store:hugs Do you have something like a Tractor Supply or Southern States in your area?
 
Oh thank you.
You bought the right stuff to treat Coccidiosis. Keep in mind the Corid is just a Coccidiostat, it is not an antibiotic.
Corid dosage is 1 1/2 teaspoons Corid powder or 2 teaspoons of 9.6% Corid liquid per gallon of water.
Give for 5-7 days - make sure this is the ONLY water available during that time period. Mix a fresh batch at least once a day.

At 30wks old I would still check to make sure she is not having trouble with an egg. Can you insert a lubricated finger in the vent to see if you feel anything?

I'm sorry you had a bad experience at the grain store:hugs Do you have something like a Tractor Supply or Southern States in your area?
Thank you thank you. ..and a bigger thank you for th e much needed hug.

I love this chicken. She sat in my kitchen sink...ya, she was dirty, but I didnt care, After she soaked, I washed it with bleach later..,,but, she didn’t flinch while inside. She let me wash her, soak her, trim her bum, and blow dry her, without a problem. She was quiet in the crate today, and asleep at 5 PM. I carried her to the coop and placed her on the roost with her sisters. They saved her spot for her.
I agree with you, it might be egg bound. After thinking about this for days on end...I do remember , that, the last few eggs she laid were dirty. I didn’t know it was her, BUT now that those eggs aren’t being laid,..I know they were hers. I will “try “ to insert my finger tomorrow. I seriously don’t know what is what back there....but I will google and YouTube it before I try. I don’t want to hurt her.
I truly appreciate your help tonight. When you are new to something as important as raising animals , it’s important and very meaningful to get any kindness and support from more knowledgeable friends.
Thank you.
 
ugh....please help me.
I have 5 chickens. I am very new at keeping chickens ....they are 30 weeks old.
One chicken, Dixie, a gold colored chicken that I believe is a micxed breed,...was always a big fat happy girl. Her crop was always big and full...all the time. Soft and mushy, less volume in the AM, but I’d say , it still had food inside.
I thought maybe it was sour. ...? I massaged it a lot , and it seems to go down a lot. I tried to make her vomit..nothing came up. But I kept massaging her crop and I thought things were going well.

The last few days I have notice that her vent was dirty. I washed her gently today, but it was dirty again soon after. When I picked her up...she was all bones. I also noticed her poo was runny and green. I think she is dying. She eats, she drinks...but she is walking one slow step at a time. I hadnt picked her up, or seen her walking so slow, over the past few days because it has been raining forever here, and they have been in their run a lot....and I was letting them out for short periods between downpours...not staying out and watching them for an hour or so like I usually do daily.
I live in the city....we don’t have any farm vets around here. I’ve read a lot of forums and question and answers here and it “sounds” to my novice ears, like Enteritis.
I read to give her an injection. Of biomycin or gentamicin. These are prescription drug where I live, and I wouldn’t be able to get it. ...and I’m not comfortable about doing this, even if I could because I don’t know if this is the issue at hand.
Any idea other than what I think this is, or what I can do? She’s a sweet bird, but I’m afraid I realized too late that she was so sick, so very thin .
Please advise, and I apologize for being stupid.

If she eating fine and not putting weight I will look for worms as the first reason for skinny chickens and green watery poop ..
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom