Vomiting chicken?? please help!

[katanne555]

Hello, my fully grown rhode island hen has been throwing up. I started giving her sulfadimethoxine a few days after she started, and it is still continuing. She is staying indoors while we try to get a new chicken house built. Does anyone know what might be wrong and how to help?? Any help would be much appreciated, thank you.

 

[luvmigrls]

My first thought is: did she eat any thing bad, toxic, mold, table scraps... ? I would make sure she has some electrolytes in her water. To get more informed help you should go to the help you should go to the first page of the forum under administrator post. They give a number of questions to answer that will help others in giving advice. Also under same place in the forum you should see previous post with links of disease and illness. I just had two links given me (look at new post for luvmigrls) Sorry I have not learned how to paste a link yet. Best wishes.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

What does her crop feel like? Could it be sour or impacted? Is she eating? pooping?

 

[luvmigrls]

P.S> The questions and some links are under the sticky threads (tan color) at top of emerg/diease page forum.

 

[DeckDuck]

What does her vomit look like? Feel her crop (and watch out -she'll probably throw up when that happens); is it full of water? Can you feel any lumps or sharp objects? Is there a sour smell? The only time I've ever seen chickens throw up was when they had lots of water in their crop but no food. In that situation the vomit was sticky and clear and constant for a while, and it definitely didn't last more than a day. I don't know enough about chicken diseases to know if this could be a symptom of an infection. Did this start when you brought her into the house?


Edited to add: Looking at your other posts, it seems like a lot of your birds are sick. Perhaps they are presenting different symptoms for the same illness. Incidentally, that link to sulfadimethoxine on Murray McMurray Hatchery's website on one of your other threads says that sulfadimethoxine should not be given to adult birds. Could that be making her throw up?

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/sulfadimethox_albon_.html

 

[JeanR]

Chickens can't "vomit" or :"spit up". When they eat or drink, it goes into the CROP, which has no muscles. If there is drool or anything coming from the mouth, it is from an overfull (overflow) from the crop. A hard feeling crop is impacted. There are several methods of relieving (emptying) the crop. GENTLE massage may allow some contents to empty through the small opening into the small stomach. If not successful, surgical opening and removal of the contents is possible. Chicken Vet can do it (try to find one who treats chickens!!!!almost impossible in most areas). It can be done but cannot list the instructions here. SEARCH is necessary to locate the operation. It is usually a successful operation, but unfortunately, after healing, the situation is likely to recur. Keep her from any feed or water. Do not add to the problem by feeding or offering water or medications! Waiting is hard to do, but if you cannot treat it, the chicken may recover naturally, or will quietly die. Sorry. Long grass is one culprits of impacted crop. Goodluck.

 

[DeckDuck]

Quote:
Aha! You know, I thought what I had seen before was more of an 'overflow' thing, but I never really knew if they truly couldn't throw up. After writing my last post I was beginning to wonder about it.


So scratch what I said previously. I've seen chickens' crops 'overflow' before but I guess I've never seen a chicken throw up.

My apologies for spreading misinformation.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hello, my fully grown rhode island hen has been throwing up. I started giving her sulfadimethoxine a few days after she started, and it is still continuing. She is staying indoors while we try to get a new chicken house built. Does anyone know what might be wrong and how to help?? Any help would be much appreciated, thank you.

Is this the chicken that is having a respiratory problem with bloody mucus? We had discussed the possibility of virus called infectious laryngotracheitis or ILT. Crop problems, especially sour crop, seem to happen when a chicken gets sick from other illnesses. It frequently happens during coccidiosis, Mareks disease, and respiratory disease. It can affect their appetite and cause them to lose weight. Most sources I have seen recommend the use of probiotics or plain yogurt, applesauce, scrambled egg, and other soft foods, including wet chicken crumbles when it starts to improve, but no whole grains. Certain medications such as Nystatin (or Medistatin available online,) fluconazole, and yeast suppositories cut into pieces have been used orally with success.

 

[katanne555]

I am not sure what caused it, but I had felt her crop and there didn't seem to be any lumps or sharp objects. It was sticky and clear. It didn't happen again since I made the post, so I am assuming that she has recovered. I am still going to keep watch incase it happens again.
Also, this wasn't the chicken with the bloody mucus. Ever since I started giving my pullets the sulfadimethoxine, I haven't noticed any problems with their mucus or with their breathing.

 

[KitaMick1]

I'm in a very similar situation with a 5 month old Blue Lace Red Wyandotte. For the past week, she frequently drool/vomits when she lowers her head. I've noticed her bobbing her head either up and down or from side to side. She's also become less active than normal, not lethargic but just not normal for a young hen. She prefers to go off on her own and nestle under a shady bush or in the grass. I feed her chick crumbles with a little scratch; lately I added a little bit of alfalfa flake. Today, I'll try a little scrambled egg. Does this sound like she has an obstruction and if so, should I massage it to clear out what's in there? The drool is either clear and sticky or a little milky looking. I can tell she's drop considerable weight and hope I don't lose her. Any help out there?
Ok, I just gave her some egg; her appetite wasn't that great, again a milky drool. Now I'm hearing a little congestion.