puffed up lethargic not eating

[zenstarling]

Hi all, happy Thanksgiving.

My 2 1/2 year old barred rock has started showing signs in the last few days:

less activity
drinking a TON of water
empty/nearly empty crop
not eating much
standing puffed up
poop is mostly clear liquid

I’ve been able to give her yogurt with electrolytes and she was ravenous for it yesterday. Did not see her go for the feed. Today not having as much luck getting her to eat the yogurt.

The peculiar thing about this hen is I don’t believe she’s laid an egg in a year.

She never really molted last year — instead she’s been regrowing patches for the entire last year. When everyone else resumed laying in late winter/spring she never did. But has been healthy and active this whole time.

I’ve checked for mites/lice, nothing. Her abdomen is red and bare with pin feathers poking through, but it doesn’t feel swollen or enlarged. Her crop feels mostly empty.

Any ideas on what to check next? It’s a miserable rainy cold Thanksgiving here and she’s now separated in my garage.

Thank you!

Edit: just now she very happily ate two scrambled eggs.

 

[azygous]

When was the last time the chickens were wormed? Sometimes a heavy load can for a blockage and the chicken will drink a lot of water to try to flush the blockage. Try worming the flock.

 

[zenstarling]

Hi @azygous, thanks for responding. I’ve never wormed them.

She ate those two scrambled eggs ravenously yesterday but that was it for the day.

This morning checking on her I see and feel her crop is enormous, round and tight and feels full of air like a balloon. I expected it to be flat and empty with such little food!

Is this sour crop?

 

[azygous]

My article on crop disorders will help you determine what's going on with her crop. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Get some Safeguard from your feed store and start worming your chickens. Here are the dosing guidelines.

Chickens: Safe-Guard® AquaSol must be administered orally to chickens via the drinking water at a daily dose of 1 mg/kg BW (0.5 mg/lb) for 5 consecutive days. Consult your veterinarian for assistance in the diagnosis, treatment, and control of parasitism.

Paste:
Safeguard (Fenbendazole) dose is 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once, then repeated in 10 days to treat Roundworms only.
If you are wanting to treat of other types of worms including Roundworms, but not Tapeworms, give for 5 days in a row, no repeat.

You can safely worm while treating for a crop disorder.

 

[zenstarling]

My article on crop disorders will help you determine what's going on with her crop. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Get some Safeguard from your feed store and start worming your chickens. Here are the dosing guidelines.

Chickens: Safe-Guard® AquaSol must be administered orally to chickens via the drinking water at a daily dose of 1 mg/kg BW (0.5 mg/lb) for 5 consecutive days. Consult your veterinarian for assistance in the diagnosis, treatment, and control of parasitism.

Paste:
Safeguard (Fenbendazole) dose is 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once, then repeated in 10 days to treat Roundworms only.
If you are wanting to treat of other types of worms including Roundworms, but not Tapeworms, give for 5 days in a row, no

You can safely worm while treating for a crop disorder.

What is the reason for worming without evidence that they’ve got them?

 

[azygous]

The reason for worming is that this hen in all likelihood has some sort of obstruction as evidenced by her behavior and low functioning crop. And the fact that the flock have never been wormed.

Worming meds merely sedate the worms attached to the intestinal walls so that they let go to be absorbed as extra protein. It's safe and non-toxic. Safeguard is the gentlest wormer out there.

You can collect some fresh poop and take it to a vet and request a fecal float test to determine if there is a presence of worms. It's nominally affordable and very accurate.

 

[zenstarling]

The reason for worming is that this hen in all likelihood has some sort of obstruction as evidenced by her behavior and low functioning crop. And the fact that the flock have never been wormed.

Worming meds merely sedate the worms attached to the intestinal walls so that they let go to be absorbed as extra protein. It's safe and non-toxic. Safeguard is the gentlest wormer out there.

You can collect some fresh poop and take it to a vet and request a fecal float test to determine if there is a presence of worms. It's nominally affordable and very accurate.

Thank you for your kind reply and information!