Sick ex batt

[SusieChickP]

Hi all, I have a BHWT hen that we’ve had for about a year and a half (so she’s about 3).
She’s been off colour for a few days. I thought at first she was just keeping my older hen (6 years old) company and just lying around but then I realised that she’d stopped eating. I’ve gone from thinking she was having laying issues to vent gleet as she had a mucky swollen bottom. I brought her in last night to bathe her, keep her warm and generally keep an eye on her.
She’s drinking but refusing to eat anything and I noticed this morning that her poop had blood in it.
I immediately started her on coxoid (thinking coccidiosis) but I’m still not 100%. Her bottom still doesn’t look good and her comb is blue (not common with coccidiosis).
So, any help would be appreciated as I’ve gone from thinking laying issues, vent gleet, coccidiosis to respiratory problems and I don’t know how to help her.
Thankyou.

 

[MandS]

We also have BHWT hens.

I think you are on the right track with coccidiosis. That gives blood in the feces. The blue comb is cyanosis and it's usually due to organ failure (heart, liver etc) which limits the oxygen in the blood and makes the comb blue or purple. However, with blood and cyanosis, it may be something more sinister. I lost one of mine at the start of the month and I'm almost certain it was cancer in the end.

I think you are doing the right thing. Food is less important at first but hydration is mega important. Tempt her with water and little sips if possible. I'd also try to keep her warm.

I wish you luck and maybe someone else will come forward to help who has seen something like this combination before.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I’ve gone from thinking she was having laying issues to vent gleet as she had a mucky swollen bottom.

I have a BHWT hen that we’ve had for about a year and a half (so she’s about 3).

She’s drinking but refusing to eat anything and I noticed this morning that her poop had blood in it.
I immediately started her on coxoid (thinking coccidiosis) but I’m still not 100%. Her bottom still doesn’t look good and her comb is blue (not common with coccidiosis).

I’ve gone from thinking laying issues, vent gleet, coccidiosis to respiratory problems

When was her last egg?
Has she been dewormed?

It won't hurt to treat her for Coccidiosis.

Since she's an Ex Batt, has a swollen bottom and a darkening comb, I'd lean more towards a reproductive disorder. You don't mention if she's laying eggs.
If she normally lays and hasn't, then I'd get Extra Calcium into her asap. 300mg Calcium Citrate+D3 once daily for a week.

She's drinking but not eating, is her crop emptying?

 

[SusieChickP]

We also have BHWT hens.

I think you are on the right track with coccidiosis. That gives blood in the feces. The blue comb is cyanosis and it's usually due to organ failure (heart, liver etc) which limits the oxygen in the blood and makes the comb blue or purple. However, with blood and cyanosis, it may be something more sinister. I lost one of mine at the start of the month and I'm almost certain it was cancer in the end.

I think you are doing the right thing. Food is less important at first but hydration is mega important. Tempt her with water and little sips if possible. I'd also try to keep her warm.

I wish you luck and maybe someone else will come forward to help who has seen something like this combination before.

Thank you so much for your reply. Always nice to meet fellow BHWT keepers!

I am treating the entire flock for coccidiosis now as thought it would be safer. I had hoped she might be a little better this morning. I’d put her back with her friends yesterday afternoon as it was sunny and she is a keen sunbather. This morning there was yolk beneath where she was roosting plus some old broken shell. She is not any better at all so I’ve bought her in again as I suspect she had an egg break inside her. I gave her another soak and had a gentle feel inside her vent with a vaselined finger. I couldn’t feel anything but I may not have gone far enough in
She’s now back in the cage inside, she’s taken the zolcal (calcium drops) so I’m hoping if there is anything left in her it will help it come out.
Her abdomen still looks swollen though so I’ve been trying to get her to take some antibiotics in case she’s infected but beak is almost wired shut (she’s very stubborn). Any suggestions for tablets when not eating??

 

[SusieChickP]

When was her last egg?
Has she been dewormed?

It won't hurt to treat her for Coccidiosis.

Since she's an Ex Batt, has a swollen bottom and a darkening comb, I'd lean more towards a reproductive disorder. You don't mention if she's laying eggs.
If she normally lays and hasn't, then I'd get Extra Calcium into her asap. 300mg Calcium Citrate+D3 once daily for a week.

She's drinking but not eating, is her crop emptying?

Hi there and thank you for replying. I think you might be right about the reproductive disorder. I just posted in my reply to MandS about the yolk and potential broken shell inside of her. I’m aware that ex batts prone to this sort of thing. I have given her zolcal F, which I’m hoping will help on the calcium front.
I want to get some antibiotics into her to but she’s refusing to eat even when I feed by hand. I think she can sense my desperation which isn’t helping I’m sure.
Any ideas for stubborn chickens??

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi there and thank you for replying. I think you might be right about the reproductive disorder. I just posted in my reply to MandS about the yolk and potential broken shell inside of her. I’m aware that ex batts prone to this sort of thing. I have given her zolcal F, which I’m hoping will help on the calcium front.
I want to get some antibiotics into her to but she’s refusing to eat even when I feed by hand. I think she can sense my desperation which isn’t helping I’m sure.
Any ideas for stubborn chickens??

To get medication into them, pull down on the wattles to open the beak, put the pill into the beak, let go of the wattles and let them swallow.

To give liquid oral medication, follow the photos/info in the link below.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[MandS]

I'm glad that you're managing this so well. It's not easy when things go wrong.

I've lost 3 of my rescue hens this year - all for different reasons and all of them fought really hard, but reproductive issues and cancer are hard to beat. I've never lost so many in such a short space of time but two of them were nearly 4.5 and had been with us for three years.

I've got one of my newer ones ill at the moment with a nasty prolapse, which is giving me quite a bit of stress.

BHWT are fantastic. I support them monthly and have done for about 6 or more years now.

I am curious about the calcium stuff you mention and the antibiotics. If you get a moment, would you send me a message about where you get them from? I have antibiotics that are proscribed for dogs but apparently it's the same broad spectrum antibiotic that chickens can have. Only available through my vet but it's not always effective.

Good luck with your girl and the flock.

 

[SusieChickP]

I'm glad that you're managing this so well. It's not easy when things go wrong.

I've lost 3 of my rescue hens this year - all for different reasons and all of them fought really hard, but reproductive issues and cancer are hard to beat. I've never lost so many in such a short space of time but two of them were nearly 4.5 and had been with us for three years.

I've got one of my newer ones ill at the moment with a nasty prolapse, which is giving me quite a bit of stress.

BHWT are fantastic. I support them monthly and have done for about 6 or more years now.

I am curious about the calcium stuff you mention and the antibiotics. If you get a moment, would you send me a message about where you get them from? I have antibiotics that are proscribed for dogs but apparently it's the same broad spectrum antibiotic that chickens can have. Only available through my vet but it's not always effective.

Good luck with your girl and the flock.

Thank you MandS, really appreciate your support and Wyorp Rock too.

Unfortunately I lost her this afternoon. She hadn’t eaten for days and was barely drinking. I came to the conclusion that it was reproductive and she probably had egg yolk peritonitis. She had mild sour crop too, which apparently can develop as a secondary issue.
I’m beating myself up for not noticing sooner as I may have got her to the vets before they closed for Easter but my experience with vets and chickens hasn’t been great over the years.

I’m so sorry to hear about your past year experiences and your current sick hen (I’ve never had to deal with a prolapse, sounds scary). It’s heartbreaking when they get sick and I’ve been in tears most of the afternoon, but my husband showed me a video of how dreadful she looked when she first arrived and it reminded me why I did this in the first place.

You’ve done amazingly well getting your rescues to 4.5 years old. I have a 6 year old black maran but she’s had an easy life in comparison. I agree that BHWT do amazing work. I’ve currently got 2 that I got last August that are charging around the garden like they own the place. I’d like more but my coop is not overly large so will have to address that first.

The Zolcal I got on Amazon. I believe it’s just a complementary feed for all birds and reptiles but can be used in higher doses if you need a quick fix. The antibiotic is just a broad spectrum that I was given by my vet last year for a chicken that was sick but she changed it to a better antibiotic for respiratory infections, so I got to keep what I already had

Thanks again for all of your help and best of luck with your current sick chicken. I’ve heard that sugar can help in short term but not sure about long term.

 

[MandS]

Oh no. I'm so sorry!

I know that pain only to well and it is horrible. Your husband is right though. You saved her from being culled and she had a happy retirement thanks to you.

As for vets, it's so difficult to find an avian specialist. I've found a few but they are not all open to doing surgery. My local is on holiday. The next nearest (over an hour away) is also on holiday. My next (and best vet for chickens and someone who is connected to BHWT) is 3.5 hours away. I may be going there in the next day or so if things don't improve for surgery.

Again, I'm so sorry for your loss but she was lucky to have had you as her owner and her life was the better for it. Don't beat yourself up about what you could have done or not. I do that and it isn't a good thing. They hide their illnesses until the can't - by which stage we are almost on the back foot from the start. Easy for me to say that but I go through it every time. I'm not being a hypocrite, I just wish I had someone telling me that when I'm going through it. Your husband is spot on.

Take care.

 

[Wyorp Rock]