Lethargic hen with diarrhea leaving white residue in butt feathers

[BY Bob]

I have a hen that is suddenly lethargic. She stopped laying 2 days ago. She has had watery stools on and off for 3 weeks. I assumed it was because of the high heat at the time. Starting yesterday she became lethargic and is not moving around much. Her craw was full last night just not as hard as usual.

Where should I start to diagnose this?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Start with a fecal sample at an avian or livestock vet so you can identify any and all parasites whether they be worms, protozoa, etc. as well as bacterial infections in the intestine.
Perhaps a better choice would be one of the poultry diagnostic labs.
You can also send her to one if she happens to die.

Pennsylvania State University, Animal Diagnostic Laboratory
Wiley Ln
University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Phone: 814-863-0837

Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
2305 N Cameron Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110-9405
Phone: 717-787-8808

University of Pennsylvania,
School of Vet Med, New Bolton Center, PADLS
382 West Street Rd
Kennett Square, Pennsylvania 19348-1692
Phone: 610-444-5800

 

[BY Bob]

Start with a fecal sample at an avian or livestock vet so you can identify any and all parasites whether they be worms, protozoa, etc. as well as bacterial infections in the intestine.
Perhaps a better choice would be one of the poultry diagnostic labs.
You can also send her to one if she happens to die.

Pennsylvania State University, Animal Diagnostic Laboratory
Wiley Ln
University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Phone: 814-863-0837

Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
2305 N Cameron Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110-9405
Phone: 717-787-8808

University of Pennsylvania,
School of Vet Med, New Bolton Center, PADLS
382 West Street Rd
Kennett Square, Pennsylvania 19348-1692
Phone: 610-444-5800

Thanks for the info.

 

[BY Bob]

Gathered a specimen last night and dropped it off for analysis today. Here is what it looked like.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Let us know what you find out.

 

[BY Bob]

Let us know what you find out.

Of course. Hopefully I get something tomorrow. Here is my sick girl.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

Sorry to hear that your girl is poorly. Her eye pupil looks odd. Does the other one look like that too?
That poop does not look healthy, but I would be loath to suggest a diagnosis from it.
Can you check her abdomen for any bloat or swelling. Cup your hand between her legs and check there and below her vent for any unusual fullness. Compare with other healthy hens as it can be hard to assess if you don't know what normal feels like. Passing mostly white urates and soiling herself is usually due to a mass inside which causes swelling and a restriction of the gut slowing the passage of waste as faeces and the swelling prevents the waste from dropping clear, so it snags on the feathers below. It may also be slowing her crop function. The way to check that is to feel her crop at night, remove access to food once she is roosting and check her crop again in the morning when it should be empty. If food has been removed and it is not empty in the morning then that would indicate that there is a partial blockage somewhere and my guess would be the abdomen, especially if she has some swelling.
Can you be certain she laid an egg on Friday or can you only be sure she has not laid an egg since Friday?

Masses in the abdomen are very common in hens and sadly they often prove fatal in the long run but the bird may soldier on for several months with them. Causes are usually related to malfunctions or infections of the reproductive system, but can also be due to liver disease and tumours. Her strange eye makes me wonder if she may have Marek's which is a viral disease that causes tumours in the final stages. It can cause a whole host of other symptoms including abnormal colouration of the iris or misshapen pupils or an inability to keep one eyelid open as well as the more common lameness or wry neck etc. How is her depth perception? Is she easily able to pick up single grains or pellets of food from the ground or is she hit and miss. Does she peck at the feeder harder than she needs to, like she is misjudging where it is?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Did you take it to the Ag Dept in Harrisburg?

 

[BY Bob]

Hi

Sorry to hear that your girl is poorly. Her eye pupil looks odd. Does the other one look like that too?
That poop does not look healthy, but I would be loath to suggest a diagnosis from it.
Can you check her abdomen for any bloat or swelling. Cup your hand between her legs and check there and below her vent for any unusual fullness. Compare with other healthy hens as it can be hard to assess if you don't know what normal feels like. Passing mostly white urates and soiling herself is usually due to a mass inside which causes swelling and a restriction of the gut slowing the passage of waste as faeces and the swelling prevents the waste from dropping clear, so it snags on the feathers below. It may also be slowing her crop function. The way to check that is to feel her crop at night, remove access to food once she is roosting and check her crop again in the morning when it should be empty. If food has been removed and it is not empty in the morning then that would indicate that there is a partial blockage somewhere and my guess would be the abdomen, especially if she has some swelling.
Can you be certain she laid an egg on Friday or can you only be sure she has not laid an egg since Friday?

Masses in the abdomen are very common in hens and sadly they often prove fatal in the long run but the bird may soldier on for several months with them. Causes are usually related to malfunctions or infections of the reproductive system, but can also be due to liver disease and tumours. Her strange eye makes me wonder if she may have Marek's which is a viral disease that causes tumours in the final stages. It can cause a whole host of other symptoms including abnormal colouration of the iris or misshapen pupils or an inability to keep one eyelid open as well as the more common lameness or wry neck etc. How is her depth perception? Is she easily able to pick up single grains or pellets of food from the ground or is she hit and miss. Does she peck at the feeder harder than she needs to, like she is misjudging where it is?

First let me say thanks for the ideas.

Wow, so much to reply to. Here goes.

Her vision is fine. She easily picks up ther tiniest grains. Could just be she was "making a face".

I am certain when she laid her last egg. I only have 2 layers. They have very different eggs.

I will feel her abdomen when I return home on Friday from my trip. I should have results from the lab by then as well.

 

[BY Bob]

Did you take it to the Ag Dept in Harrisburg?

Yes I did. Full workup is underway. I live 15 minutes from the lab.