Lethargic chicken with watery white stool

[mousie4finn]

I have a 1 year old cream legbar chicken exhibiting concerning symptoms. She is pretty small compared to my other legbars of the same age. Unsure of weight but hasn’t decreased in size since symptoms appeared. She is very lethargic. Walks around a little but mostly just laying down. Isolating herself from the others. Appears unsteady when on her feet. Closes her eyes and very sleepy appearing. Her comb is pale and droopy. She has white, very watery stools. Eating and drinking a lot when it is put in front of her but does not seek it out. Her tail looks low. No breathing problems. Her crop doesn’t feel or appear concerning. She has isolated herself for around 4-5 days but the lethargy and other symptoms appeared yesterday. No other chickens in my flock of 16 are exhibiting symptoms.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi, and welcome to BYC! I wish it was under better circumstances. Sorry about your hen being sick.

She sounds similarly to one that's egg-bound. When's the last time she laid if you know?

If you don't know or it's been a few days, I'd get her a human's Calcium + D right away. Give it to her whole by opening her beak and setting it in, then keep her beak closed until she swallows it. There are two ways to open her beak. One: Hold her like a football under your non-dominant arm, and with your other hand, have the pill in your hand, then pry her beak open. Two: While on your lap, pull down on her wattles gently.

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

Hey, welcome to BYC
I agree, it does sound like egg binding. Is she laying eggs yet? If so, when did she last lay one?

Heres some advice on dosage of calcium from one of our educators, from another thread:

I would quickly give her a human calcium tablet 300-600 mg plus vitamin D or Tums broke in two. Given orally in case she is egg bound. Then get her drinking some fluids.

Good luck with her!

 

[mousie4finn]

Hi, and welcome to BYC! I wish it was under better circumstances. Sorry about your hen being sick.

She sounds similarly to one that's egg-bound. When's the last time she laid if you know?

If you don't know or it's been a few days, I'd get her a human's Calcium + D right away. Give it to her whole by opening her beak and setting it in, then keep her beak closed until she swallows it. There are two ways to open her beak. One: Hold her like a football under your non-dominant arm, and with your other hand, have the pill in your hand, then pry her beak open. Two: While on your lap, pull down on her wattles gently.

I have a 1 year old cream legbar chicken exhibiting concerning symptoms. She is pretty small compared to my other legbars of the same age. Unsure of weight but hasn’t decreased in size since symptoms appeared. She is very lethargic. Walks around a little but mostly just laying down. Isolating herself from the others. Appears unsteady when on her feet. Closes her eyes and very sleepy appearing. Her comb is pale and droopy. She has white, very watery stools. Eating and drinking a lot when it is put in front of her but does not seek it out. Her tail looks low. No breathing problems. Her crop doesn’t feel or appear concerning. She has isolated herself for around 4-5 days but the lethargy and other symptoms appeared yesterday. No other chickens in my flock of 16 are exhibiting symptoms.

Update: Just went to check on her and she seems a little more lively? I’ve had her isolated in a box since yesterday late morning/afternoon. She is eating and drinking well. Tail seems less tucked and she was rummaging through the shavings I have down in the box (most activity I’ve seen her do since this started). She still has a pale and dry comb. A little less sleepy looking. I have given her electrolytes and probiotics in her water as well as a tums. She’s been eating layer feed mash and scrambled eggs. Looks like she’s drinking a lot. Her crop feels kinda firm and about the size of a golf ball but was able to massage it. Vent looks clean and not irritated. No egg since putting her in the box. Not certain how long it’s been. I’ll attach pictures of what her poop looks like now. It was white/milky/watery. Now liquidy but has a yellowish seedy look to it.

 

[Debbie292d]

The greenish tint can be indicative of emaciation, and since you mentioned she wasn't eating/drinking, unless you enticed her, that could be why. An egg-bound hen doesn't poop their usual thick poop, and it will be watery. Too much electrolytes sometimes causes diarrhea, too.

I lean further from thinking she's egg-bound though as she normally wouldn't be improving like this. I'd still suggest give her another Tums or Calcium +D, just in case, as this won't hurt her if it's not.

The other things you're giving her, like probiotics, feed mash, and scrambled eggs, may be credited to her improvement, so I'd keep giving her those, too.

I hope she continues to improve, and I really hope she lays an egg!

 

[mousie4finn]

Update: Just went to check on her and she seems a little more lively? I’ve had her isolated in a box since yesterday late morning/afternoon. She is eating and drinking well. Tail seems less tucked and she was rummaging through the shavings I have down in the box (most activity I’ve seen her do since this started). She still has a pale and dry comb. A little less sleepy looking. I have given her electrolytes and probiotics in her water as well as a tums. She’s been eating layer feed mash and scrambled eggs. Looks like she’s drinking a lot. Her crop feels kinda firm and about the size of a golf ball but was able to massage it. Vent looks clean and not irritated. No egg since putting her in the box. Not certain how long it’s been. I’ll attach pictures of what her poop looks like now. It was white/milky/watery. Now liquidy but has a yellowish seedy look

The greenish tint can be indicative of emaciation, and since you mentioned she wasn't eating/drinking, unless you enticed her, that could be why. An egg-bound hen doesn't poop their usual thick poop, and it will be watery. Too much electrolytes sometimes causes diarrhea, too.

I lean further from thinking she's egg-bound though as she normally wouldn't be improving like this. I'd still suggest give her another Tums or Calcium +D, just in case, as this won't hurt her if it's not.

The other things you're giving her, like probiotics, feed mash, and scrambled eggs, may be credited to her improvement, so I'd keep giving her those, too.

I hope she continues to improve, and I really hope she lays an egg!

Thank you so much for the response! I have felt so lost and just wanted to do something to help her. I gave some more calcium and vitamin d before I left for work tonight. I will continue to watch her and give mash, probiotics, and eggs. So hoping she is on the up and up. I will give an update if I have one. Hoping she lays an egg!