VERY URGENT: Impacted Gizzard!!!

[aart]

This is what I do when I have a bird that is acting off....
I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor:
-their intake of food and water,
-crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed),
-and their poops.
Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling.
Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

This way you see everything that goes in and comes out.


Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do your chickens have poultry grit available from feed stores to help their gizzards grind up grasses and other foods? Soil may or may not have enough small rocks for them, but placing a pan of grit out for them to take as needed works well.

 

[The Chick Addict]

This is what I do when I have a bird that is acting off....
I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor:
-their intake of food and water,
-crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed),
-and their poops.
Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling.
Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

This way you see everything that goes in and comes out.


Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

Thank you @aart for your input. She has definitly been drinking water, I 98% don't think she's eating food, she has no abnormalities except her lethargicness, poop, weight and personality... she used to be outgoing and sweet (she still is sweet) and would come and sit in my lap but now she sleeps all the time and she won't get up to sit in my lap anymore like she would in the beggining of her sickness. I can see the droppings well and she instinctivly will roost at dark so I will keep her out in the small room shes in. Thank you again for responding!!! If you have anymore advice, please do so!

 

[The Chick Addict]

Do your chickens have poultry grit available from feed stores to help their gizzards grind up grasses and other foods? Soil may or may not have enough small rocks for them, but placing a pan of grit out for them to take as needed works well.

@Eggcessive, I had been putting grinding grit in their food but ran out... I will try to continue doing it! Thank you so much for your input!

 

[The Chick Addict]

Here is some pics of her poop @Wyorp Rock (and for anyone else). As you can see, it is very abnormal:

 

[The Chick Addict]

Here is how she now usually looks:

 

[The Chick Addict]

This morning I caught her right when she took her first drink of water... Her crop was normally sized and full but squishy, nothing solid...

 

[Eggcessive]

Is that blood in her dropping? Recheck her crop again in the morning. I would be tempted to worm her.

 

[The Chick Addict]

Is that blood in her dropping? Recheck her crop again in the morning. I would be tempted to worm her.

@Eggcessive, she has had what seems to be lining of the stomach in some of her poop. I doubt its worms... how would I worm her? I'll recheck her crop again in the morning...
Thank you SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This morning I caught her right when she took her first drink of water... Her crop was normally sized and full but squishy, nothing solid...

I agree, I'd check her crop first thing in the morning one more time. If it's still full and squishy in the morning before she's had anything to eat/drink, then I'd begin treat her.

It may be worth deworming her too.
Safeguard liquid goat dewormer can be found at stores like TSC. Dose is 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days in a row.