Yellow urine, no appetite

[Echobabe]

4 year old Australorp hen wouldn't get off the roost today (empty crop), no interest in scratch, ruffled up, so I brought her inside to observe. She's finishing her molt but not laying yet. We free range all year, layer feed available in the hen house.

Very little appetite, tiny voice, pale comb & wattles (molting). I coaxed her to nibble at the oatmeal & yogurt, a couple seeds, a couple baby spinach leaves (very little eating). Pasty vent. Watery, mucousy dropping with occasional blood tinge. Sometimes her urates are creamy & light yellow. No sneezing or facial discharge/swelling. No visible swellings on legs/feet.

My first thought was blackhead, but I understand this is rare and doesn't usually effect chickens.
Cocci?
E. Coli?

I'm starting her on tetracycline. Unfortunately, none of the vets around here know birds. I use DE for worms, but haven't added it to the feed since August.

Any thoughts?

 

[Judy]

First thing I would do is worm her with piperazine (Wazine) then follow up with a broad spectrum wormer a couple of weeks later.

A 4 year old bird should be long since immune to cocci, and if DE is the only thing you have wormed her with, should be pretty infested with worms by now.

 

[MTopPA_18707]

Sorry for the unrelated question . . .

How is Egg Production on a four year old Australorp ?

-X

 

[Echobabe]

egg production: 3-4 days a week, down from 5-6.

 

[Echobabe]

hmmmm . . . so I take an ill chicken with liver/kidney distress and flood her with chemical wormer and make her sicker? No thanks, that would likely kill her right now.
I think I'll continue the Rickets diet and antibiotic.

No where in my research do I find yellow urates and worms -- if you have information to the contrary please advise.

 

[Echobabe]

I am guardedly hopeful tonight--my bird has been on antibiotic for about 24 hours now and her appetite is coming back! She has eaten about one-half the daily ration of the rickets diet, and a few more spinach leaves. Her crop is nicely rounded, and poops are showing more solids. Her urine is still light yellow and mucousy.

But at least she is eating more--she's got a fighting chance if she's eating.

 

[Echobabe]

As a proactive measure I checked the rest of the girls today--their poops are all looking fine. I also checked their crops before lights-out tonight, and they all seem to be eating well.

 

[Echobabe]

Still eating barely enough to keep a bird alive--started eating some crumble, but will no longer eat Rickets. Grapes and spinach as really the only sure thing.

Still has runny, yellowing poos. But she did preen a little bit this morning so I think she's feeling a bit better.

 

[Echobabe]

Fecal exam today came back with GIARDIA! Nasty protozoa that is lurking in wet mash, puddles, anywhere a carrier animal might have left a deposit that started decomposing.

Treating with metronidazole (brand name Fish Zole, from the local fish store). A standard 6 lb hen gets 80mg every 12 hours (1/3 a pill) for 14 days. Metronidzole is also an appetite stimulant--so looking forward to seeing that!

I understand Safeguard treats giardia as well, me and the rest of the girls & dogs have a 'date.'

 

[Echobabe]

Further testing from Michigan State U says lung worms too. Vet said administer ivomec or fenbendazole at a 20% solution this week 1, 40% next week, then 100% week 3.

Only thing I found last night at TS was eprinex pour on--regular dose is .25ml, which works out to 5 drops, so I applied 1 drop. I have ordered fenbendazole (goat safeguard) so I'll use it at next weeks dosing.

Also had to force feed her a meal replacer I got from the vet, as she still is losing weight.