Yellow diarrhea, and comb is dark purple

[ali1107]

My hen is currently 8 months old and has been healthy up until now. She is extremely lethargic and is having yellow diarreah. Her breathing is very shallow. She has no signs of lice or mites. Is there anything I can do to help her or is it too late?

 

[Michael Apple]

My hen is currently 8 months old and has been healthy up until now. She is extremely lethargic and is having yellow diarreah. Her breathing is very shallow. She has no signs of lice or mites. Is there anything I can do to help her or is it too late?

That's not a good sign since the comb signifies dehydration. The general rule is to treat for worms, Coccidiosis since they are both quite common. If you don't see improvemnt after 2-3 days of treatment, post here. If the bird is drinking on it's own, give poultry vitamins-electrolytes-probiotic powder in her water. Keep her in the house or in a warm secure area. If you haven't dewormed, it would be best to do it now. Deworm with Valbazen suspension at .25 cc for a Bantam and .5 cc for a standard breed. It is given orally with a 1 cc syringe or you can blot it on a cut piece of bread and feed it to her. Buttermilk soaked bread is also good to feed a bird overcoming intestinal disease. Moistened layer pellets/crumbles work too.

In between deworming the first time, and again 10 days after, I would treat for Coccidiosis for 5-7 days depending on whether you see improvement in a couple days. Corid (Amprolium) comes in two forms. The 9.6% liquid is 10 ml per gallon of water. The 20% powder is 1.5 tsp per gallon of water. Mix a fresh solution each day for the bird to drink with no other source of drinking water. I hope this remedies the problem. Sometimes, if symptoms are not noticed soon enough, irreparable damage can happen to the intestinal tract from protozoa infections such as Coccidia/ Histomonas protazoa, E. Coli, an overabundance of intestinal worms, etc. It is always good to notice any weight loss or pale combs in the flock. Ectoparasites and endoparasites always cause anemia as the condition worsens.

 

[myfinefeatheredfriends]

This sounds like Blackhead to me. Blackhead causes yellow diarrhea and a bluish-black head/comb/wattles. Try to find some Fish Zole tablets. I think Meyer Hatchery sells them.

 

[ali1107]

Thank you very much for all of your information. I did read about Blackhead and that's what I think it was. She didn't make it. I feel awful that I didn't catch it sooner. This is my first time with chickens, so it's definitely a learning curve. I will be running to town and picking up a few things to have on hand in case anything happens like this again wtih the rest of my flock. I only have a total of 5 birds (4) now. Nothing big as I am a newbie. Now, when I worm the girls, what do I do with their eggs? Do I throw them away? Or is it safe to eat? Also, when I worm them I do them all at the same time correct? I have a busy day of cleaning out the coop and run. Thank you again so much. Now, it's safe to say I most definitely know the warning signs. I thought she was just brooding..

 

[Michael Apple]

Thank you very much for all of your information. I did read about Blackhead and that's what I think it was. She didn't make it. I feel awful that I didn't catch it sooner. This is my first time with chickens, so it's definitely a learning curve. I will be running to town and picking up a few things to have on hand in case anything happens like this again wtih the rest of my flock. I only have a total of 5 birds (4) now. Nothing big as I am a newbie. Now, when I worm the girls, what do I do with their eggs? Do I throw them away? Or is it safe to eat? Also, when I worm them I do them all at the same time correct? I have a busy day of cleaning out the coop and run. Thank you again so much. Now, it's safe to say I most definitely know the warning signs. I thought she was just brooding..

The suggestion is 14 days for withdrawal. That means discard the eggs. It is best to worm them all at the same time and keep records. Here is a list of some products you may want to keep on hand:

Amprolium 20% powder or 9.6% liquid

Fish Zole (250 mg tabs) or Avio-Trich (100mg tabs: better dose for Bantam breeds)

Aviomed 4 in 1 powder treats canker/blackhead, worms, E.coli, and Coccidiosis. With only a few birds, this may be economical and more broad spectrum if there is any question about what you are actually treating.

Probios dispersible powder Use this once a week at 1 tsp per gallon, or any time after a regiment of medication.

Poultry vitamin-electrolyte soluble powder It is a good idea to use 2-3 times a week, or according to manufacturer directions during stress, after medicating, breeding season, weather extremes, moult.

I'm sorry you lost your hen. Most anyone raising chickens has experienced this.

 

[ali1107]

Thanks again. I really appreciate all of your help and guidance! I had to order off line. Not a single store in my area has anything on hand!

 

[Michael Apple]

Thanks again. I really appreciate all of your help and guidance! I had to order off line. Not a single store in my area has anything on hand!

You're welcome. Even if some are never used, and thrown out after they expire, it is good to have them when needed.