What’s wrong with this chicken!?

[micstrachan]

Have you examined her all over yet? Can you get afecal float done? Any vet can do it, not just an avian vet.

 

[Ximena]

I have picked her up and looked at her but I don’t really know what I’m looking for, I don’t know if her abdomen is squishy and swollen. It hard to feel anything under the fluff. It seems normal to me. I think I can get the float test but it might be a few days

 

[EggSighted4Life]

If you aren't familiar with the abdomen it can be hard to tell the difference between squishy and normal, I think.

The thickness of that poo does indicate that if there was any egg binding that it's not right near the vent, as indicated by another WR.

I'm glad she is still hanging on! But frustrated as heck trying to figure this out. I did learn a new feature on the symptom checker tool. If you haven't used it, I recommend you do. Put all the symptoms you notice and it will give you all the possibilities that go along with them. It lists quite a few things for green poo and loss of balance, including New Castle's, Marek's, vitamin a-b-e deficiencies. It doesn't look like what I'm familiar with for Marek's. And there are lots of thing that I'm not familiar with at all. But have you seen her walk at all? Is that tail in the air a standing or sitting position?

I can often see breathing through the tail area in my chicks when I'm paying attention. Maybe I just haven't paid attention to the hens??

 

[Ximena]

I used the symptom checker but it gave me such a long that it didn’t end up being the helpful. She puts her but in the air more when she stands and walks a little but in very small steps.
Standing

Sitting

 

[EggSighted4Life]

The stance it what still has me thinking reproductive issues. Their body is so little that the oviduct goes up towards the chest and then down towards the vent. I agree that symptom tool does provide long lists. I usually go through and try to rule out one thing at a time or only put in one symptom at a time to keep results down.

Vet visits can be pricey. Mine is around $45, but if you do x rays or other things, it adds up.

I really wish I could be more helpful. I'm glad she doesn't appear to be rapidly worsening. At least maintaining gives an indicator that her body is TRYING to recover.

 

[HeyHeyWW]

Awww, poor little Silkie! I'm sorry about your chicken, I don't know much about chicken sicknesses, but if you can't find something to cure her with whatever she has, take her to the vet. Hope your chicken gets better! <3

 

[Ximena]

Hi, I just wanted to say that I took the chicken to the vet today. It turns out she had Hydrocephalus and had to be put down. It is a genetic disease that causes a fluid buildup in the head and only gets worse as they age. It causes them to not really act normal, it was the reason she was so thin. The fact that she was already weak made her more susceptible to other things like worms, mites, etc. I don't know why she all the sudden got so bad. I just wanted to say thanks for all the advice.

 

[micstrachan]

Aawww... poor little sweetie. I’m so sorry.
Wow, that makes one more ailment I was not aware occurs in chickens. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry for your loss

 

[mertzy1963]

Hi, I just wanted to say that I took the chicken to the vet today. It turns out she had Hydrocephalus and had to be put down. It is a genetic disease that causes a fluid buildup in the head and only gets worse as they age. It causes them to not really act normal, it was the reason she was so thin. The fact that she was already weak made her more susceptible to other things like worms, mites, etc. I don't know why she all the sudden got so bad. I just wanted to say thanks for all the advice.

sorry to hear this but at least you have answers now....