need some direction for a sick chicken

[awagnon]

Update: @azygous she drank all of the epsom salt water Tuesday morning and began to pep up more and was more interested in food. I am posting the first 6 in the order she did them after she drank the flush water and ate some feed. She also consumed about 3/4 of a soft boiled egg during this time. The color of her poo seems to be going back to a more normal color and consistency. She was very alert, talkative, and would get excited when I approached her crate with something in my hand for her to eat. She ate some BSF, sunflower seeds (shelled), and some mash with nutri-drench mixed in. What I have read is a chicken eats about 1/4-1/2 pound of feed a day. She def had better crop fill, but didn't eat anywhere near this amount. Her comb was a healthy red, eyes, bright, no head/neck gyrations and was very alert yesterday.

However, this morning I woke up to her just lying in the crate, very pale comb, closing her eyes A LOT, not really interested in any food I offer. I had to stand her up, to change out the puppy pad underneath her, but once I let go, she did stand on her own. She's back to walking around very slowly from time to time and just standing in her crate. Not puffed up, but not active at all. She isn't drinking very much this morning either. ugh. Her poo is now a green color - the last photo. Her crop was empty this morning.

Has anyone had this kind of issue with any of their birds? Not sure the next steps I should take, but I have water and feed available for her in the crate.

 

[azygous]

I would give her another fourth cup of Epsom salt solution. And do it a third day again. I would really like for her to have the three-day intensive flush with the tubing to flush her thoroughly, half a cup of solution twice a day. Her behavior following the first flush was positive. It indicates to me that further flushes might really help. But a fourth of a cup of solution isn't nearly what she needs, although it did help a little, indicating we're on the right track.

 

[awagnon]

Ok thanks azygous. I will do that first thing in the morning, if she makes it through the night. I tried to torpedo feed her some food, but she wouldn't even swallow it. She had such a drastic down turn today, I actually thought she was dying tonight. She just laid there on the table with her eyes closed and her head down while I was trying to get her to eat. I put her back in her crate and she laid down. I offered her some boiled egg yolk as a last resort, and couldn't believe how she gobbled it down. This girl is a conundrum for sure! I made her a second one and she ate most of that too. She is sleeping now. Her tummy didn't make any growling/gurgling sounds today despite not eating or drinking anything to speak of.

If I can get her to drink the 1/2 cup of Epsom salt water, would that be ok?? She really didn't have any issues with the first 1/4 cup the other day. Not sure what the difference would be between tubing it into her and her drinking it herself except for the expediency.

 

[azygous]

It's the volume of the solution you'd tube into her. It would be one- half cup rather than one-fourth cup. And it would be two times a day instead of once a day. It's meant to flush out the entire digestive tract, and the Epsom salt solution also neutralizes all traces of yeast in her system on top of cleaning her out. It's really very easy. I will post my instructions on how to tube so you will see how simple it really is.

Order the tubing kit here. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095J7PFV..._csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw&tag=backy-20

Tube feeding a chicken is about the safest most fool-proof things a chicken keeper can do. There is pretty nearly nothing that can go wrong. Even a child can do it, and this past spring, two kids on this forum successfully saved the lives of several hens in their flock by tubing a life-saving solution over three days.

First, obtain the small animal kit from a vet or from Amazon. You can fashion your own from oxygen tubing or aquarium tubing. You would need to find an oral syringe to fit the tubing that holds about one to two ounces. A slender one millimeter syringe is too small to do much good.

Next, cut the bottom off at around nine or ten inches to make it easier to manage. You will prepare a solution of raw egg, a little yogurt, maybe a little soy protein powder and enough warm water to make it flow through a tube. I add a squirt of poultry vitamins such as Poultry Nutri-drench. Or you can buy baby bird formula from a pet store. This is to feed a weak or starving chicken. Other uses would be to give electrolytes to a shock victim or a flush solution to an impacted chicken. For an average chicken, about half a cup of solution will be how much to tube in.

Now, what most people fear most - the part where you insert the tube. But this is very easy as the chicken has a direct channel going from the right side of the throat right into their crop, by-passing the airway so there is zero chance of aspiration.

After wrapping my chicken securely in a towel to confine wings, I hold my chicken on a work bench with my weak arm. With that hand I pry open the beak holding it open, and with my strong hand, I insert the tube in her right side of the beak, going slightly under the right side of the tongue. This channels the tube right into the esophagus which goes directly into the crop. You can see this in the photo below, only it will be the tube and not the syringe.

I measure the tube from the beak to the bottom of the chicken's crop and make a mark so I'll know when the tube has reached the lower part of the crop. The first time if you hit the wrong hole your chicken will start to cough. It's okay, no harm, just back out and try again. Once the tube is in, the chicken will be calm and comfortable. Then you can begin feeding. It feels pleasant to the chicken, and most are very cooperative throughout the process.

If the chicken struggles and bucks all of a sudden, it's not because of anything you did. They get bored and tired of the process like a toddler would. Pause until the chicken settles down again and finish. The whole process takes no more than five minutes. Each time you do it, it gets easier and quicker.

Learning this can save the life of your chicken, and it can save you so much time and frustration. And it's very, very safe. Anyone can do it.

 

[awagnon]

It's the volume of the solution you'd tube into her. It would be one- half cup rather than one-fourth cup. And it would be two times a day instead of once a day. It's meant to flush out the entire digestive tract, and the Epsom salt solution also neutralizes all traces of yeast in her system on top of cleaning her out. It's really very easy. I will post my instructions on how to tube so you will see how simple it really is.

Order the tubing kit here. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095J7PFV..._csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw&tag=backy-20

Tube feeding a chicken is about the safest most fool-proof things a chicken keeper can do. There is pretty nearly nothing that can go wrong. Even a child can do it, and this past spring, two kids on this forum successfully saved the lives of several hens in their flock by tubing a life-saving solution over three days.

First, obtain the small animal kit from a vet or from Amazon. You can fashion your own from oxygen tubing or aquarium tubing. You would need to find an oral syringe to fit the tubing that holds about one to two ounces. A slender one millimeter syringe is too small to do much good.

Next, cut the bottom off at around nine or ten inches to make it easier to manage. You will prepare a solution of raw egg, a little yogurt, maybe a little soy protein powder and enough warm water to make it flow through a tube. I add a squirt of poultry vitamins such as Poultry Nutri-drench. Or you can buy baby bird formula from a pet store. This is to feed a weak or starving chicken. Other uses would be to give electrolytes to a shock victim or a flush solution to an impacted chicken. For an average chicken, about half a cup of solution will be how much to tube in.

Now, what most people fear most - the part where you insert the tube. But this is very easy as the chicken has a direct channel going from the right side of the throat right into their crop, by-passing the airway so there is zero chance of aspiration.

After wrapping my chicken securely in a towel to confine wings, I hold my chicken on a work bench with my weak arm. With that hand I pry open the beak holding it open, and with my strong hand, I insert the tube in her right side of the beak, going slightly under the right side of the tongue. This channels the tube right into the esophagus which goes directly into the crop. You can see this in the photo below, only it will be the tube and not the syringe.

I measure the tube from the beak to the bottom of the chicken's crop and make a mark so I'll know when the tube has reached the lower part of the crop. The first time if you hit the wrong hole your chicken will start to cough. It's okay, no harm, just back out and try again. Once the tube is in, the chicken will be calm and comfortable. Then you can begin feeding. It feels pleasant to the chicken, and most are very cooperative throughout the process.

If the chicken struggles and bucks all of a sudden, it's not because of anything you did. They get bored and tired of the process like a toddler would. Pause until the chicken settles down again and finish. The whole process takes no more than five minutes. Each time you do it, it gets easier and quicker.

Learning this can save the life of your chicken, and it can save you so much time and frustration. And it's very, very safe. Anyone can do it.

Ok. I will see if I can get someone to help me hold her while I try this. I am ordering a kit for this like you suggested.

I can get this one sooner. Is it OK??

https://www.amazon.com/Agri-Pro-Ent...t_typ_t1_d_sccl_1_1/143-0112134-2445174?psc=1

I don't know what the difference in 18 and 14 Fr is.

 

[azygous]

Yes, that kit will work.

When you do the 3-day flush, you will prepare one-half cup of solution. Use warm water. Do it when her crop is emptiest, morning and later in the day, half a cup each time.

Half a cup will fill the crop of most average size chickens. But you may not be able to get all of it into her. The first time, pay close attention to how full her crop is getting, and stop when it seems she's reached her capacity. The crop is stretchy, but you don't want to over-fill it.

Be sure she has plenty of plain water to drink in between flushes as this is dehydrating, pulling fluids out of the intestines. You can expect her to act energized, and she should poop a lot. Let her eat what she wants in between flushes.

 

[awagnon]

@azygous I ran to town this morning and got a 60ml syringe and some small tubing. Couldn't wait on the order to arrive tomorrow because my girl is VERY lethargic today. She did eat about 5 bites of boiled egg yolk but that was all. I only got her to take a couple sips of water too. She's not even trying to get up.

I gave her 43 mls of the warm epsom salt solution. Mixed the 1/2 c water with 1 teaspoon of the salt. That was all I could get down her for now. Her crop filled up pretty fast with it and I didn't want to push it. I will give her some more this evening.

When I got her out of the crate she was lying on this. Her poo is starting to have a brown color again. It's sill pretty liquid, but I hope it's a good sign, especially after not really eating or drinking yesterday.

 

[azygous]

Dark green poop is often indicative of starvation. But a bright grassy-green poop probably means grass is being consumed.

Give her some sugar water to elevate her blood glucose. One teaspoon in one cup water. Let her drink at her own choice. Dip her beak a couple times to encourage her.

This isn't a prediction, but if she continues to decline today and she lies in one spot with eyes closed, she may be dying. It won't be due to anything you've done. It would be because of an underlying issue such as cancer or reproductive infection, both of which it's not possible to diagnose until after death.

 

[awagnon]

it was all a bright green yesterday. overnight it started turning into brown again. She is just lying there with her head tucked and her eyes closed. she does open her eyes when we walk by the crate though. I will see if I can get her to drink some sugar water. She did eat some yolk this morning. I am preparing for the worst, however.

 

[awagnon]

she's survived the day. Had 2 tubings of the salt flush today. I could not get her to drink anything on her own today. The only water she's had is the 1 cup of salt flush. I hope she won't get dehydrated on top of everything else. She has only pooped twice since early this morning, but she really hasn't eaten anything either. NO green to it, but VERY watery. I did offer her some scratch and she did perk up at the sound of my shaking the container and took several bites. Not enough for me to feel it in her crop though.

I added some nutri-drench to the second flush in hopes she will turn around. It's not looking good. If she survives the night, I will continue the salt flushes unless otherwise advised. Should I also do a tube feeding between her flushes to try to get her strength back? She's so weak, but I don't know if it's from not eating or whatever else is wrong with her. Probably both since she started out VERY skinny this go round. Guess I will need to look for some videos on how to do a chicken autopsy if she passes. I really want to find out what is wrong with her. Don't think it's anything contagious. Her sisters out in the run are all acting fine.