What can I do for my sick hen??

[HollowOfWisps]

She seems to be perking up more today. We are letting her free range just to keep her away from the other hens. Yesterday day she spent most of the day standing around like A zombie chicken, but today she's been wandering around and actually eating her food.




More like from her legs to her vent. I haven't noticed any bad breath.





We've never wormed them before. Would there be any other signs if she did have worms?









I don't think so, but I also don't really know what that is so I'll look it up.
She usually lays an egg per day.

If you have never wormed them they need wormed. Long stringy flesh like things in their poop often are parasites. Also the symptoms you are seeing can be symptoms of parasite overload.

 

[BDutch]

If you have never wormed them they need wormed. Long stringy flesh like things in their poop often are parasites. Also the symptoms you are seeing can be symptoms of parasite overload.

Are you certain the stringy flesh like things are worms?

Because only if you have a serious worm infestation you need to deworm. Otherwise the medicines do more harm than good.
*typo.

 

[Eggcessive]

This thread in post 1 has pictures of a collapsed egg membrane sticking out of the vent in case it looks like what you saw:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/something-coming-out-of-my-chickens-vent.1148342/

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Are you certain the stringy flesh like things are worms?

Because only if you have a serious worm infestation you need to deworm. Otherwise the medicines do more than good.

They said they have never wormed their flock which means that there is a high chance of parasites and why I suggested worming them. I have seen more than my fair share of parasites come out of livestock and poultry. Usually it’s the ones that had never been wormed where there were visual parasites in feces. The parasites were confirmed to be parasites by vets. I have also seen the damage to internal tissue and organs during an autopsy when someone chooses not to worm their animals or do regular fecal tests to ensure their animals are parasite free. You are correct that the medications used can cause damage if used without cause, but never worming livestock and poultry can be just as dangerous.

 

[BDutch]

They said they have never wormed their flock which means that there is a high chance of parasites and why I suggested worming them. I have seen more than my fair share of parasites come out of livestock and poultry. Usually it’s the ones that had never been wormed where there were visual parasites in feces. The parasites were confirmed to be parasites by vets. I have also seen the damage to internal tissue and organs during an autopsy when someone chooses not to worm their animals or do regular fecal tests to ensure their animals are parasite free. You are correct that the medications used can cause damage if used without cause, but never worming livestock and poultry can be just as dangerous.

Yes, correct. So best thing to do is to check (fresh) feces by a vet if you suspect any worm/parasite problems.
But keep in mind that its normal to have some worms and chickens can cope with a certain amount of parasites.
It has been proven that they will return in a hens body within a short period. And a hen is more vulnarable to get sick after using medication.

Btw/off-topic: I never wormed my chickens. And none of them (probably) died by parasites. I prefer prevention by giving them a healthy life and organic feed. Once in a while they get apple cider vinegar and garlic , and I add a few spoons DE in their dustbath approx 4 - 6 x a year.

 

[Jazzyfresh]

So it does seem like she's been improving, but I was going to maybe try apple cider vinegar, garlic, and maybe diatomaceous earth in case she has worms.
She does have some of the symptoms of having worms

Would any of these things hurt her worse if she was sick with something else besides worms? Would it be ok to use them all at once?

 

[BDutch]

If you suspect that she has health problems because of worms/a parasite, it’s best to make an appointment with a vet for a feces investigation. Do ask if they are expert in poultry and for the price. Some are way more expensive than others.

Once in a while I give about 10% apple cider vinegar and one piece of garlic in one of the water bottles (choice) or put it in feed/oatmeal with water to make a tasty kind of porridge (and choice for normal feed too).

Adding max 5% DE in feed is helping that eggs of worms get killed after they are excreted and the poop dries. It takes weeks to have any impact and doesn’t work fast like medicines. I don’t give it more than a few days in a row. And repeat after a few weeks. Many people say it doesn’t help. I believe its helps to keep the soil in the run free from too much worms/ (new) infestations, but I’m not sure how much it helps.
DE in a sand bath is mainly to prevent/control lice and mite. Don’t (let them) breath pure DE. These supplement are all harmless if not overdone/applied correct.

 

[Jazzyfresh]

We can't take her to a vet...

Does anybody know about the garlic/apple cider vinegar/diatomaceous earth?
Should I just leave her alone since she seems to be improving?