Sick, lethargic, non laying chicken

[kchanasyk]

Hi there,

I have a 3-year-old chicken named Red (not sure the breed) who has been my most prolific layer. She is strong, bossy and aggressive. Then one day almost 4 months ago, she started to be lethargic and stopped laying. She would close her eyes, go off by herself to lay down and generally lost interest in her favorite treats (grubs). I brought her to the vet and they couldn't find anything wrong with her. She seemed to rebound and was seemingly "back to normal" but never quite as energetic and never started laying again.

When I called the vet again to say that Red still wasn't better, she recommended doing a blood panel to check her calcium levels. That seemed a bit crazy to me and expensive, so I decided to wait it out. I've cleaned and sterilized the coop, been using diatomaceous earth in the bedding and food and gave her a treatment with Vet Rx.

More recently, she has had persistent diarrhea (no visible worms or blood but very stinky.) She still eats, but much less... and still has not laid an egg in the 4 months. Meanwhile, her two companion hens are molting. They have also stopped laying and have greatly reduced their eating. I can tell that at least one of the hens has normal poo, but it's hard to know if the diarrhea is coming from only Red or possibly another? These 2 companion hens have also stopped laying, but they have been molting and it is now autumn, so it is hopefully not that they have caught whatever Red has.

I wonder if anyone might be able to shed some light on this. Based on my readings, I'm wondering if it could be:
Worms / Coccidiosis / Bacterial infection ?

I called the vet again today and she is pitching me a $550 exam including an X-ray to examine her abdomen / see if maybe there is some kind of blockage. Unfortunately, this is way out of my price range.

Meantime, I've acquired 3 youngish 1-year old hens that I am keeping separated until I can get to the bottom of this mystery. I hope to address this before the weather turns. Thanks in advance to anyone who might have feedback.

 

[Lillith37]

Sounds like Red might have reproductive disease. Potentially internal laying or salpingitis. Unfortunately the prolific layers are most prone to this especially after two years of age.

If you feel her abdomen between her vent and her keel bone, is it distended? Does it feel big or small, hard or soft, squishy or fluid filled?

If she has diarrhoea, is lethargic, off her food and separating herself away from the others, the chances are whatever is going on inside her is causing infection.

You could lube a thermometer and gently insert into her vent to take her temperature to check for fever/infection. Healthy body temperature for a chicken ranges 105 - 107°F or 40.6 - 41.7°C

Treatment for reproductive disease depends on the severity. But if it is advanced, the hen needs to go on the contraceptive implant (deslorin) to stop her from ovulating and to shrink the blood vessels in her reproductive tract. If infection and fever is present, she will need antibiotics (amoxyclav) and anti-inflammatories (meloxicam). Then the best treatment once the bird is stabilised is surgery to remove whatever has built up inside her and usually to remove the salpinx as well.

Vets can do ultrasounds to see if there is soft tissue or egg mass in the abdomen.

Obviously all this is very costly and you said the scan was out of your price range. You would also want a qualified avian/exotic vet to perform the surgery. You may need to prepare yourself for a quality of life decision for Red.

If you suspect it is reproductive disease, the very least you could take her temperature and if it’s elevated, get your vet could prescribe antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and pain relief. You could also enquire about the contraceptive implant. That will improve her quality of life and give her some time.

 

[LaFleche]

When a 3 year old formerly very prolific production hybrid stops laying and presents with stinky diarrhea, lethargic and isolating herself, she most likely has reached the end of the road.

Even more so when all this has been going on for 4 months already without her perking up.

Think about her quality of life and consider putting her down to stop the suffering.

 

[kchanasyk]

Thanks for your response. Apologies for the delay. I think I'm in shock as a new-ish chicken mom.

 

[Lillith37]

Thanks for your response. Apologies for the delay. I think I'm in shock as a new-ish chicken mom.

It’s the hardest thing. These birds have been bred to produce as much as possible and their bodies struggle to cope.

You could ask the vet for a quote on an ultrasound for her abdomen and see if there is an accumulation of soft tissue or fluid. If it’s fluid, the vet could drain it and maybe give her some antibiotics if necessary. It’s not a fix, but it can improve their quality of life and give them a little more time.