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Karhog

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Hi, I am new to this forum and would love advice please

I have 3 chooks fro a BHWT rescue last Easter. Bertha has been off colour for a week or two now. Started off hunched and slower than usual, also no interest in treats (highly unusual for her)

She had sour crop in Oct and I noted her crop did indeed feel a bit squishy (though not as bad as in Oct) so I massaged and tipped over the next few days. Some yellow stuff came out but now nothing (though the crop still feels a bit squishy)

Main problem though is she has lost all interest in food and is poohing white liquiid mucousy poos (one or two which have had a bit of blood in)- I am trying to coax her with anything at all - she does sometimes eat the maggots (i am aware these will help a crop problem) Some of these are passing through her whole and undigested.

I thought then maybe a blockage? Can't feel any hardness or lumps at all.

Took her to the vet on Sat and he had limited knowledge on chooks. He said she is very underweight (not surprising) and that her temp was off the scale. He was very pessimistic suggesting it could be EYP (I didn't think so- though I am obviously no expert)

As I wanted to give her a fighting chance I requested A/B and she had an injection and is on a ten day course.

Her temp is down ( I can tell as she is no wher near as thirsty as she was)- she seems to be bright and alert but clearly is not eating enough- I can't get her interested in pellets or the mash mix I make. So she has had whatever she will eat. This has ranged from scrambled egg, maggots,fruit, cooked veg peelings etc - all in small quantities though.

She is still doing runny poohs AND NOW.... my other two chooks seem to be going the same way.

Both the other girls have started poohing liquidy milky poos and although they are both still interseted in food and treat at the moment I can tell they are slower and losing the interest- (normally they come running for the treat tin and only Mabel seems bothered)

I called the vet again yesterday and today have picked up more A/B (Baytril) to treat all three of them.

However, doing research online- I reckon their symptoms could be Cocci ?? I have ordered some Coxoid online as well as the disinfectant and cleaning products. I asked the vet if ok to treat at same time as A/B and they said yes

What is your opinion on all this- sorry for the waffle but just trying to give as much info as possible.

Any help, advice and knowledge would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Karen
 
Have they got access to grit Karen? If food is going straight through they will not be getting any nutrition from what they eat. Their digestive flora can die off and they will simply fade away. Try them with natural yoghurt with probiotic -that's the important bit, it re-starts the gut activity. Teaspoon each, either with a syringe or on tiny bread squares. They will need this after antibiotics anyway. Maggots are for crop bound and a protein boost when moulting. Clue is they are going straight through and the grit in the gizzard should grind them up. Presume all been wormed. Are the combs pale and if so have you checked for red mite in the coop? No more ideas at the moment Karen, but sure others in the forum will have.
 
Hi, thanks for reply- yes I sprinkle grit around the run but they also free range most of the day so I presume pick up what they need.
I have given them pro biotic yoghurt- though not for the last few days as I am not convinced Bertha hasn't still got a touch of sour crop as she is still a bit squelchy...hence the maggots! Normally she will go for them hammer and tongue but just wasn't interested today. I did massage and tip earlier but nothing came out. They are such a worry!
 
You didn't reply to Chris about the worming, Karen - have they been done with flubenvet in the past 4-6 months? Even if their condition is not principally related to a large worm burden, any worms they have will pull them down further. I think a 'chicken vet' would have asked you about this as worms are one of the main things which cause a chicken to lose weight, and Flubenvet is the only easily-available effective medication.

Whereabouts do you live? there is a list of chicken-friendly vets on here in the Chickens Health section at http://poultrykeeper.com/poultry-vets-uk/poultry-veterinary-practices-services-uk/

Oh, and P.S. - a big welcome to the Forum, sorry it's in such worrying circumstances for you!
 
From the symptoms you describe, there could be quite a few possible diagnosis.

Really you might be advised to consult a veterinary surgeon with an experience with poultry.

Exbatts can live for 3 or 4 years, some longer, overall underlying health problems tend to overwhelm them unfortunately before then.

The crop may be a problem, however in this case I suspect be part of a bigger picture. Being a bit sqishy could simply be because she is drinking a lot, and usually this points towards a renal issue not uncommon in exbatts but not infectious.

The temperature, is likely either due to EYP, or an enteritis (gut infection) if they all all appearing unwell then this could be the root of the problem or could be completely unrelated.

You mention droppings..are they watery? I do not think cocci is the underlying problem, I expect they would by now have built up enough immunity to your local strains.

If they have lost weight dramatically recently then again this points towards an underlying problem.

It may help to understand your routine with the birds, how many? What sort of feeding regime? Any behavioural issues to speak off? Like bullying, pecking? Any changes to their enviroment recently, run floor etc..?
 
Hi, Thanks for the replies
I wormed all chooks with Flubenvet and the course was completed approx 3 weeks ago- I do this every 3-4 months.
As per droppings- Bertha has always had a 'pasty' bum, though up until recently has always been really well.
Presently her poohs are white, mucousy and I have noticed some undigested maggots in the odd one- a few days ago I also noticed a bit of blood in a couple of poohs. I would agree the white mucousy poohs sound like worms but how could this be if they are treated?
As for the general routine: I have three girls, a coop with a relatively small run. First thing, ensure fresh food and drink in containers hung off floor-(already pooh picked from the day before)
Open pop hole so girls come down and eat- then pooh pick coop.
approx 1 hr later open run door and girls free range most of the day- only going back into run if I go out. Throughout day I pooh pick around the garden.
Girls usually get warm mash as atreat in morning and mealworms or corn much later in day. Maggots every now and the for treat/protein/ crop clearance.
They usually go up at dusk and I shut and lock them in for the night.
They have straw in the nest box, wood shavings(dust extracted) in the coop and on the run floor cozi bedding (wood chip)
Bertha isn't drinking a lot now and I believe her temp has come down- still not eating a lot though- I am really having to work at tempting her- her poohs are as described though she does seem bright and happy to scratch away- I know however she must eat properly or will just get weaker- i'm at a loss. She has been on Baytril sice Saturday and I have started the Coxoid treatment today just to cover all bases. Will see what tomorrow brings.
 
You have a very good system there Karhog, and obviously your hens are very well looked after! :D

I do hope she perks up tomorrow, it must be said that sometimes exbatts do just fade away. One note though it is very hard to spot worms, and changes in droppings which are abnormal combined with inappetence are usually a signal for an underlying health issue.
 
Well Karhog, you're doing everything right and more. Lucky they have you as their owner. Fingers crossed for you and them but as Foxy says they've had a very hard life and sometimes they do just fade away..
 
Hello - Quick update. All chooks still with us and things seem to be looking up!
Bertha is on day 9 of Baytrill and the other two are on day 5. I also started them on a 7-14 day course of Coxoid in their water on Thursday and today have scrubbed and disinfected their house and put Stalosan on run floor and bedding
Peggy and Mabel have really perked up and their poohs now seem back to normal and they are back to their cheeky selves.
Bertha has improved no end- still not 100% though - she is still slower than the other two and seems to take a while to 'get going' in the morning.
She is eating much better now though still not that interested in proper food- I am having to make up mash and in the afternoon I will give her boiled potatoes, egg, tomatoes and yoghurt. Which she (and the others) seem to love. She will sometimes eat the maggots on offer but still dosen't seem that bothered by 'treats'--though she has had maggots today!
She is doing all the usual chickeny things- scratching round the garden, dust bathing and grooming. Her poohs have improved but are still runny (nowhere near as bad though)
Don't think we are completely out of the woods yet but fingers are crossed.
 
Good news, I am sure they will continue to thrive with all your loving care! :D
 
I don't know whether this is relevant or not, but I heard somewhere (not sure if it was someone one here or not) that Baytril can suppress the appetite. May just of been someones opinion, but I can't remember. Could this be why they're not keen to eat?
 
Was probably me mentioned it Sue. Had a detailed converstion with a vet at the National. Baytril wrecks the digestive system and it needs restarting with Probiotic Natural Yoghurt or better still Beryl's Tonic. Don't think the appetite is damaged, just that what they eat can't be digested properly so they eat but get little nutrition from it.
 
Oh I was unaware of that! Thanks I will bear in mind and try and kick start their appetites with some pro biotic yoghurt!
 
It's a super-probiotic apparently designed specifically for chickens. It's advertised in PP and is used by the on-line Chickenvet company after a course of antibiotics. Sold by www.berylsbackyard.co.uk. I've never used it so can't testify to the claims or tell you how much it is. We will continue to use natural yoghurt with probiotic.
 
Thanks for the link- will see how I get on with the pro biotic yoghurt first :D
 
Hello-
She has now completed her course of Anti Biotics and I have also been treating for Cocci as a precaution (3 days left to go)
Her appetite is gradually picking up (am giving her the pro biotic yoghurt to boost her) but am still going out of my way to find stuff that she will eat. Her poohs have improved massivley from what they were but I have noticed she seems to be pooping out lashes every now and then. She is still very underweight.
I have also noticed her comb has begun to flop a bit to one side though it's still a lovely red colour- eyes are bright.
Do you think this is just a by product of her having not been well? She seems happy to scratch and peck around the garden with her friends.
 
She'll obviously be worn out from it all but hopefully will settle down, One thing we have noticed that when we start feeding by hand they are not getting grit and their poos contain part digested food. Daffodil (who now lives in the house) was searching for something all over and picking stuff up before I realised. Put grit in with her food and she ate the lot, left the food!
 
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