Heat Stroke causing sickness?

[btifulriot]

Hi Guys,

I posted a few days ago about one of my chickens having worms, we dosed up the whole flock and the all seem to be doing fine, except one!

She is having different symptoms though, so I don't think its worms (we've been watching her poop obsessively, no worms or wigglies have shown up). We have quarantined her just in case, but some other opinions might be useful too!

This little girl is very lethargic, keeping her eyes closed the majority of the time, pooping out Emerald green and water poops, and not eating much-anything at all. I found her under her roost around 10am two days ago panting, lethargic and generally not well. I immediately brought her inside, and gave her cold water w/ electrolytes. We have dosed her up w/ Safeguard just in case, and did a high protein mush to get some sustenance in her body. We have bathed her in an Epsom salt bath for the last two days, just in case she is egg-bound, but nothing has happened. I stuck my finger up her vent to see if there is any remnants of an egg, but I'm not feeling anything. Lots of the green watery poop came out though.

My chickens are free range all day, we let them out before the sun comes up, they have clean, fresh water throughout the day, along with ice water over night and misters and a lot of shade during the day. The coops are cleaned out weekly, and we have only had one-two no shell eggs laid so far. We are making sure the other chickens get plenty of Calcium and protein throughout the day, free access to oyster shells along with Layer help.

This is an incredibly difficult thing to have happen, as we lost one to heat stroke on the same day that this chicken started acting unwell, and we lost the one w/ worms the day before. I have attached some pics of her and her poop. We are in AC and had just given her a lot of electrolytes about 10 minutes before. He waddle and comb seem to be fine, her eyes are bright and she likes to floof herself up at random times. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings btifulriot,

How old is your hen?

There are several possibilities, that could be going on with this hen.

1. Scant watery poops can be due to heat stress. If you had one hen die from heat stroke, and you've had misters available, she may have died from something else.
2. Scant watery poop can also be an indicator of a crop problem. Check the crop. Is it soft like a water balloon, or hard like a golf ball? It's best to check first thing in the morning. But, you should check it now, since you say she has hardly eaten. It should be flat/empty.
3. This type of poop along with a puffed, sleepy hen can also be due to the hen having difficulty laying a shell-less egg. These eggs are very hard for the hen to expel. They will eat very little, if at all, during this time. It can take 12 hours or more for the egg to be expelled. High heat can put further stress on a hen laying a shell-less egg. Extra calcium doesn't always resolve the problem of shell-less eggs but it can help the hen have better muscle contractions.
4. A high worm load can affect the health of a hen, also their egg laying. If you see worms in the poop, then, worming is a reasonable thing to do. However, if you are not sure that worms are an issue, a fecal float test is a great way to determine if chickens need worming. Worming chickens when they are under stress from illness, excessive heat, or malnourished can push them over the edge, and can be fatal. So, the keeper needs to weigh the risk.

The hen appears a bit pale in the first two photos, then, has better color and body posture in the third photo. A fluctuation in color like this, can also indicate difficulty laying a soft shelled egg, or heat stress.

Treatment:
You have done good by giving extra protein, electrolytes and a cool private environment. If she is trying to pass a soft egg, the Epsom Salt baths will be helpful. The magnesium may help with better contractions. Other than that it will take the hen time to pass the egg.

If there is a crop problem, you will need to determine what is causing it. The treatment varies, depending on the type of crop problem.

There are several levels of heat stress: heat fatigue, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. The first can be remedied by providing a cool place for the chicken, during the Summer heat. Heat exhaustion requires a the chicken to be brought into the house where hopefully there is AC or a cooler. The chicken may also require a tepid water bath (not cold water) to help cool the chicken down. Heat exhaustion presents with wings out to sides, head low, eyes closing and or rolling. Heat exhaustion is just one step before heat stroke, which is fatal.

There is a possibility of infection. A photo of the poop on a puppy pad or flat surface will show the poop and urates better.

Taking the hen to see a vet is always the best thing to do. But, if that is not an option perhaps the members here at BYC, can help.

These are my thoughts on your hen's health issue. I hope I have been helpful.

God Bless

 

[TropicalBabies]

Greetings btifulriot,

How old is your hen?

There are several possibilities, that could be going on with this hen.

1. Scant watery poops can be due to heat stress. If you had one hen die from heat stroke, and you've had misters available, she may have died from something else.
2. Scant watery poop can also be an indicator of a crop problem. Check the crop. Is it soft like a water balloon, or hard like a golf ball? It's best to check first thing in the morning. But, you should check it now, since you say she has hardly eaten. It should be flat/empty.
3. This type of poop along with a puffed, sleepy hen can also be due to the hen having difficulty laying a shell-less egg. These eggs are very hard for the hen to expel. They will eat very little, if at all, during this time. It can take 12 hours or more for the egg to be expelled. High heat can put further stress on a hen laying a shell-less egg. Extra calcium doesn't always resolve the problem of shell-less eggs but it can help the hen have better muscle contractions.
4. A high worm load can affect the health of a hen, also their egg laying. If you see worms in the poop, then, worming is a reasonable thing to do. However, if you are not sure that worms are an issue, a fecal float test is a great way to determine if chickens need worming. Worming chickens when they are under stress from illness, excessive heat, or malnourished can push them over the edge, and can be fatal. So, the keeper needs to weigh the risk.

The hen appears a bit pale in the first two photos, then, has better color and body posture in the third photo. A fluctuation in color like this, can also indicate difficulty laying a soft shelled egg, or heat stress.

Treatment:
You have done good by giving extra protein, electrolytes and a cool private environment. If she is trying to pass a soft egg, the Epsom Salt baths will be helpful. The magnesium may help with better contractions. Other than that it will take the hen time to pass the egg.

If there is a crop problem, you will need to determine what is causing it. The treatment varies, depending on the type of crop problem.

There are several levels of heat stress: heat fatigue, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. The first can be remedied by providing a cool place for the chicken, during the Summer heat. Heat exhaustion requires a the chicken to be brought into the house where hopefully there is AC or a cooler. The chicken may also require a tepid water bath (not cold water) to help cool the chicken down. Heat exhaustion presents with wings out to sides, head low, eyes closing and or rolling. Heat exhaustion is just one step before heat stroke, which is fatal.

There is a possibility of infection. A photo of the poop on a puppy pad or flat surface will show the poop and urates better.

Taking the hen to see a vet is always the best thing to do. But, if that is not an option perhaps the members here at BYC, can help.

These are my thoughts on your hen's health issue. I hope I have been helpful.

God Bless

Aloha @Hen Pen Jem
I think my hen had heat stroke. She is/was close to laying, in and out of box twice yesterday but I left for 2 hours and came home to find her isolated, laying in the shade with her head tucked. i scooped her up, put her in a tepid bath, checked her for binding, gave her fluids. Then antibiotics. She was perfect and eating a few hours before. Now she does not respond to anything. Her comb is red, never paled or faded. She is warm. She is under fan with ice pad under her box and towel. I'm sure she is a goner... She is basically lifeless. I just need to learn from this. It is absolutely heartbreaking loosing this beautiful girl. Your post was very informative on heatstroke. just looking for more info/answers. After first soak.
This morning. Still breathing. Is there any hope of her reviving? I'm just dripping water down her throat. She has no responses... so it is probably a dumb question. I'm just in denial.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings TropicalBabies,

If it was heat stroke she may die, only time will tell. I don't give up...continue to keep her in a cool environment. Hydrate carefully, so she doesn't aspirate. If you are using a syringe with a tube, here is a helpful diagram, that shows where to place the tube. This shows a liquid meal replacement, but will work for water, too. In fact a liquid meal replacement may be better. Then, you can add some electrolytes, super important during heat exhaustion, illness etc.

She is unconscious, but, she may still revive if you nourish her and provide the electrolytes. If she is breathing, there is a chance, keep going till she is gone.

Make some electrolytes at home.

Electrolytes Solution

1 cup water
2 tsp. Sugar
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Baking Soda

Combine and store in the refrigerator.

Dilute this into one gallon of water, for chickens to drink on their own.

Or, you may administer 1 mL, full-strength, with an oral syringe for heat exhaustion/stroke, illness or shock.

Keep me updated, I sure hope she pulls through.

God's Blessing for a healing!

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Start with administering the electrolytes. Then, if she seems to respond, add the nourishment.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Start with administering the electrolytes. Then, if she seems to respond, add the nourishment.

Also, careful not to over chill, you could bring down her core temperature. Take her temp with a rectal thermometer. It should read 105 to 106 ish. If it is lower than 104 she is cold. Go slowly with temperature changes, similar process to chickens with frostbite.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Start with administering the electrolytes. Then, if she seems to respond, add the nourishment.

I've been giving her electrolytes/save a chick from this morning. I will keep up. Don't want to loose her and thank you for the hope!!! I blended egg with a table spoon papaya and electrolyte water and have fed her a few times with that. She does not like. I also do not have a tube on my syringe. I'm doing droplets, slow but sure. How mush and often is best? Wish i had a tube.
PS Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

 

[TropicalBabies]

She has been unconscious from last night but does these little jump starts every now and then. Her comb is scarlet red.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Chickens will seem to "sleep" deeply, when very ill, or in shock from predator attack. They are using their body resources trying to survive. Their eyes are closed, but, they hear you. Speak softly, encourage the bird, extend those healing vibes and love to it, with your voice and gentle touch. Keep her comfortable, and give her a quiet place to heal.

The antibiotics will not hurt her. In fact her immune system is compromised, and will be protected from secondary infection.

When a chicken is dying, the comb will darken to a purple, almost blackish. When they are bleeding out internally or externally, the comb grows very pale. So, it's a good sign that her comb is still red.

If you have some aquarium tubing, you could cut a short 1- 2" piece. Twist it on to the syringe end. Then, administer more water that way.

However, if you do not feel confident enough to use a tube to deliver the fluid, you could also do it another way. You can thicken the water/electrolytes with some corn starch. Make it like a pudding consistency. When people have a stroke that affects their ability to swallow, all fluids, including drinking water is thickened with a medical thickening product. Then, the fluid can be sucked up with a straw safely. It's easier to aspirate on a liquid than a thick pudding or sauce. Then, you could feed the thickened fluid with an oral syringe, onto the chicken's tongue. But, you can only do this, if, the chicken is swallowing on their own.

An average chicken will drink about 1 to 2 cups of water per day, depending on the weather, if they are laying eggs, or are ill. But, a sick chicken that is not moving, not laying, is in a cool environment will drink a lot less. So, you have to consider that.

There are 60 mL in a quarter cup. When I have a hen that is critically ill, and not active, I give 40 to 50 mL, per day of a liquid meal replacement. I feed 10 mL with an oral syringe, every 2 to 3 hours, during the day. The water is in the nourishment, along with added vitamins and other things. Hopefully you have at least a 10 mL oral syringe. If not, you can purchase one, for babies, at a drug store.

I hope this is helpful. Every keeper has their own way of caring for a sick chicken. This works best for my chickens.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Chickens will seem to "sleep" deeply, when very ill, or in shock from predator attack. They are using their body resources trying to survive. Their eyes are closed, but, they hear you. Speak softly, encourage the bird, extend those healing vibes and love to it, with your voice and gentle touch. Keep her comfortable, and give her a quiet place to heal.

The antibiotics will not hurt her. In fact her immune system is compromised, and will be protected from secondary infection.

When a chicken is dying, the comb will darken to a purple, almost blackish. When they are bleeding out internally or externally, the comb grows very pale. So, it's a good sign that her comb is still red.

If you have some aquarium tubing, you could cut a short 1- 2" piece. Twist it on to the syringe end. Then, administer more water that way.
View attachment 1898564
However, if you do not feel confident enough to use a tube to deliver the fluid, you could also do it another way. You can thicken the water/electrolytes with some corn starch. Make it like a pudding consistency. When people have a stroke that affects their ability to swallow, all fluids, including drinking water is thickened with a medical thickening product. Then, the fluid can be sucked up with a straw safely. It's easier to aspirate on a liquid than a thick pudding or sauce. Then, you could feed the thickened fluid with an oral syringe, onto the chicken's tongue. But, you can only do this, if, the chicken is swallowing on their own.

An average chicken will drink about 1 to 2 cups of water per day, depending on the weather, if they are laying eggs, or are ill. But, a sick chicken that is not moving, not laying, is in a cool environment will drink a lot less. So, you have to consider that.

There are 60 mL in a quarter cup. When I have a hen that is critically ill, and not active, I give 40 to 50 mL, per day of a liquid meal replacement. I feed 10 mL with an oral syringe, every 2 to 3 hours, during the day. The water is in the nourishment, along with added vitamins and other things. Hopefully you have at least a 10 mL oral syringe. If not, you can purchase one, for babies, at a drug store.

I hope this is helpful. Every keeper has their own way of caring for a sick chicken. This works best for my chickens.

The egg, papaya blend is thick-ish. i am in a rural location but think i can purchase that hose at our feed store. Amazing. I never would have thought. I can't thank you enough for all of your good information. You are an angel!