Should I treat my hen for c. perfringens/necrotic enteritis?

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

My 1.5 y/o BO is just coming out of a major molt and a de-worming. For a while I had noticed her poops were watery and oftentimes contained undigested grass, or in one case a whole sunflower seed. Since the de-worming (gave second round of Valbazen 3 days ago) she her issues persist. Here's some background:

• Explosive, smelly, diarrhea, especially in the morning. In fact, she seems to hold in most or all of her poop all night and then unleashes a huge amount of farty-sounding, watery poop with undigested grass in it.
• The diarrhea occurs sporadically throughout the day. It's dark brownish-green.
• This hen has had a tendency towards waterier poop all her life, but the undigested food is new (and this is worse than usual)
• This hen once had suspected c. perfringens about a year ago, was treated w/ amoxicillin, and pulled through fine--at the time, though, her poop was bright green and chunky in a different way.
• This hen was also treated a month back for coccidiosis--I don't think she had it, but I treated her just in case because I saw a small spot of blood in her poop once (poop was solid at the time). I haven't seen blood since.
• She's definitely not as into feed as the others and seems to drink a TON, but she is eating and will beat everyone to a treat. Loves mash.
• Crop isn't huge at night but full enough and it empties 100% overnight
• She's a big girl--very heavy--and does not seem to be wasting at all
• She is still active, vocal, and ready forage when the opportunity arises (I supervise free range)
• Comb/wattles have been on the paler side, but she molted quite heavily and hasn't been laying
• Diet is mostly feed, with a small amount of oats or mealworms as a lure back in their runs when free ranging.

Please let me know what you think I should do. Unfortunately I'm going out of town in a week (for about 5 days), and was hoping I'd have the girls at a good place by then. It's been a summer/fall full of mites, then worms, then molting, EYP, and forced separations. I had finally gotten the whole flock all reunited when this starts happening. Already I have a feeling it will be a complicated scenario for my chicken sitters. SOOOO anxious to leave! Chicken anxiety + pandemic anxiety has me on edge.

Many thanks, in advance, for your help!

 

[azygous]

Behavior trumps poop. While the diarrhea is disturbing, as long as she's active, eating, and isn't lethargic or refusing to eat, I suggest holding off on the antibiotic.

She's faced some stressful issues, and maybe she needs time to get her body back into balance. I would provide grit, probiotics, and as stress-free of an environment as possible.

Instruct you sitter as to which chicken they need to monitor, maybe paint some fingernail polish on a toe, and instruct how to administer the antibiotic if this hen is seen off by herself, tail held low, and not eating when food is offered.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

Behavior trumps poop. While the diarrhea is disturbing, as long as she's active, eating, and isn't lethargic or refusing to eat, I suggest holding off on the antibiotic.

She's faced some stressful issues, and maybe she needs time to get her body back into balance. I would provide grit, probiotics, and as stress-free of an environment as possible.

Instruct you sitter as to which chicken they need to monitor, maybe paint some fingernail polish on a toe, and instruct how to administer the antibiotic if this hen is seen off by herself, tail held low, and not eating when food is offered.

Thanks for your two cents--I can get trigger happy when I get worried about them (since things always seem to happen fast when they do). But I think you are right. I'll do my best to continue supporting her with probiotics and stress-free living. On that note, I actually ended up separating her to live with her bestie in the smaller coop/run, since it was getting a bit dramatic in the main coop. Hopefully that helps.

On the note of grit, she's a tough one to get to eat that stuff. Pretty sure she ignores it, though I've tried moving bowls of it around their coop/run area. Any suggestions?

I'm going to, like the crazy chicken lady I am, walk the sitters through everything and also provide a document that covers all scenarios. They have a lot to look out for. In addition to my BO, I just reintegrated a hen who came back from a near-death bout of EYP. She's doing wonderfully but I worry it's too good to be true, and want her watched like a hawk. I wish I could just afford a live-in chicken nanny while I'm away!

Does anyone else get insanely anxious about your chickens when leaving town?

 

[azygous]

Uh, yes. My solution is not to go anywhere.

Try sprinkling the grit on the ground. It's been my experience that chickens think stuff on the ground is superior to stuff in containers. Sort of like human toddlers.

 

[One Lucky Momma]

Does anyone else get insanely anxious about your chickens when leaving town?

I‘m with you. I may never leave home again.

 

[Yardfulla poopers]

Thanks for your two cents--I can get trigger happy when I get worried about them (since things always seem to happen fast when they do). But I think you are right. I'll do my best to continue supporting her with probiotics and stress-free living. On that note, I actually ended up separating her to live with her bestie in the smaller coop/run, since it was getting a bit dramatic in the main coop. Hopefully that helps.

On the note of grit, she's a tough one to get to eat that stuff. Pretty sure she ignores it, though I've tried moving bowls of it around their coop/run area. Any suggestions?

I'm going to, like the crazy chicken lady I am, walk the sitters through everything and also provide a document that covers all scenarios. They have a lot to look out for. In addition to my BO, I just reintegrated a hen who came back from a near-death bout of EYP. She's doing wonderfully but I worry it's too good to be true, and want her watched like a hawk. I wish I could just afford a live-in chicken nanny while I'm away!

Does anyone else get insanely anxious about your chickens when leaving town?

I get insanely anxious about all my animals, sometimes when I'm not going out of town!

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

Uh, yes. My solution is not to go anywhere.

Try sprinkling the grit on the ground. It's been my experience that chickens think stuff on the ground is superior to stuff in containers. Sort of like human toddlers.

Great analogy. I will try that. Both the grit on the ground and the whole never going anywhere again thing.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

I‘m with you. I may never leave home again.

I think this might be my last venture beyond the coops. I've been counting down to this trip with dread!

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

Haha guilty on both counts over here

I get insanely anxious about all my animals, sometimes when I'm not going out of town!

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

@azygous been keeping an eye on her. Still has the morning squirts, but eating, drinking, and running around foraging when given the chance.

A little bit ago I saw something concerning that I hope you (or other BYC'ers) might be able to shed light on: after coming in from free ranging she had a nice long drink of water. She then proceeded to head to the feeder to eat, knocked a bunch on the ground (which is how she likes to eat) and upon bending over to peck them up regurgitated some clear, water-like substance. I haven't seen her do it since--but would this be further cause for concern?

Upon feeling her crop: semi-full (but nowhere close to engorged), firm but not hard, softens after water. I'll check her first thing in the morning to see that it empties.