Hen won't eat and looks miserable

[Nikkicharl]

I have a 9 month old speckledy hen, Flossie, who began not eating or drinking almost 2 weeks ago. I brought her inside and have been crop tubing Critical Care and hand feeding moist mash which I roll into balls and put in her beak. Fortunately she will swallow those. She has no interest in anything and just sits or stands with her eyes closed.

I took her to see a local farm vet 5 days in. The vet couldn't find anything obvious but gave her an injection of Tylan antibiotic and an anti inflammatory injection. Amazingly about 2 hours later Flossie was like a different bird. She began eating and drinking on her own and seemed to have turned a corner. However that only lasted about 2 days before she was back to square 1. She went back to the vet's and had both injections again, plus injectable Ivermectin as I had seen a roundworm in her poo. Once again Flossie returned to her normal self within a very short time, so much so that I let her out with the others for a few hours and she was scratching the ground and doing normal chicken behaviour. Unfortunately that only lasted a couple of days before she stopped eating and looks miserable again.

Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this? I can only assume Flossie has some kind of inflammation somewhere which the anti inflammatory injection is easing temporarily. I have noticed she is gaping a lot. My first thought was gapeworms but she is still gaping after having the Ivermectin last Friday, There doesn't seem to be any obstruction in her throat as the mash balls (about marble sized) are going down easily, as is the crop tube. Her poo is normal. The urates were quite yellow at first but that got better once I had got fluids into her. She was laying almost every day before she became ill, and has even laid one small egg while she's been ill.

She is due back at the vet's at the end of the week for a repeat worming injection. I'm not sure whether I should have Flossie put to sleep to put an end to her suffering. I don't want to do that, especially as she's so young, but I'm at my wits end trying to work out what else to do. The anti inflam injections seem to work wonders for a short time but obviously they can't be kept up indefinitely.

Any advice or ideas as to what could be wrong would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Gillian

[kitla]

Gaping could mean gapeworm, as you suggested, though the ivermec should have dealt with that. It can also be sign of a crop problem, I presume the vet has checked her crop for blockage or yeast infection? I have had hens that do the gaping thing when they're ill for other reasons, I presumed their crops just dont work properly when they are ill. She is a bit young to have a tumour, I wonder if she has a problem in her egg dept? as her illness coincided with stopping laying. Has she been sitting in the nestbox or does her vent sort of pulse alot? Has your vet taken her temperature to see if she has an infection?
Has Flossie had any respiratory infections or layed any lashes? (thinking of Salpingitus)

[Nikkicharl]

Thank you for replying Kitla. When Flossie first became ill I noticed there was a mass in her crop which was mouldable like plasticine.This didn't disappear overnight but it wasn't huge - smaller than a golf ball. The vet said that would most likely go when she started drinking, and it did with the help of massage. Otherwise she would have had to have her crop flushed and/or antifungals. Her crop now empties completely and there is no smell from her mouth to suggest any infection.

She laid an egg the day before she became ill and another about 3 days later. Nothing for the past week or so but I presume that's because she's ill. She hasn't behaved as though she's got an egg stuck and her abdomen is nice and soft, not swollen as in peritonitis. She has never laid a lash. I have noticed her vent pulsing occasionally recently but not often. I'll keep an eye on that. One thing I did notice at first is that she was carrying her tail very high. I don't know if that's significant. She's never had a respiratory infection and her breathing is fine. She hasn't had her temperature taken. I'll ask the vet to do that when I go back on Friday.

She has just surprised me by picking up a tiny piece of red cabbage off the floor and eating it. Otherwise I can't even get her to eat her favourite treats, grapes and mealworms. She will sometimes reach out to them with her beak if offered to her but will not pick them up. It's very odd!

Gillian

[Gwenoakes]

Sorry I cannot be of any help, but just to let you know I am thinking of you both.

[Nikkicharl]

Thank you Gwenoakes.

[kitla]

how is Flossie now Gillian?

[Linda S]

Hi GillIan I was wondering wether a course of oral Tylan and metacam would help Flossie
I would be asking the vet about it, many members have used the above meds with differing outcomes many successfully.

As the jab is working for a couple of days it would maybe be appropriate to carry on with the pills or liquid whilst she has had a boost with the jab and has it in her system.
You have nothing to loose by asking about and it your vet might not have thought of it.
I have no girls now but I have used metacam with good results but of course every girl is different I hope you manage to get Flossie well again bless her she is only a baby yet.
You are obviously doing your best for her and she is a lucky little girl having a very caring chicken mum

I hope Manda reads your post as she is second to none with her knowledge and will no doubt give her usual good advice as she has to many of us.
Good luck Love and Healing thoughts to Flossie
Lindaxx

[kitla]

I must say I agree with linda about the Tylan. I'd be surprised if one injection could be regarded as a course of antibiotic, it's usually followed up by 5-7 days of daily antibiotic in food or water. Not enough could mean she builds up resistance to that antiobiotic. Same with most wormers, usually more needs giving to allow for new worm eggs hatching, but I dont know about Ivermec injections, perhaps one jab is enough? I like to presume the vet knows best, I hope so - although as some of us have learned through experience, some vets have only basic knowledge about chickens, especially about treating them individually as pets rather than as farm animals.

[KarenE]

I've never heard of an ivermectin injection - it's usually drops that are put on the chickens neck, behind the wings. Have you checked her over for signs of red mites as well, as these can drain her - it's unusual to get them in the winter but worth a look, although the ivermectin should have klilled them off (but if they are in the coop that will be a problem)

I also agree about the tylan injection - it's a stronger dose but I would have thought it would be continued orally as tylan usually is. If tylan isn't working, then perhaps a stronger ab like baytril is needed. This comes with egg withdrawal - and for life - so vets these days can be reluctant to use it, but if tylan isn't working and there's no definite diagnosis then something stronger might be needed. Have they prescribed metacam as well? It's a good med for painkiller and anti-inflamatory.

It's a pity you haven't got a diagnosis, but to be honest it is very difficult especially in one so young as yours. If you can, try the vet again, and let us know how she is. Good luck

[Linda S]

Good advice and points risen as always by Kittla and Karen
Lindaxx

[Nikkicharl]

Thank you all for your advice. I'm sorry I haven't responded earlier. I haven't been on the site for a few days.

I'm happy to report that Flossie is much brighter now. With the weather being mild I'm letting her run in the garden with the others and she's active and keeping up. I've even seen her visit the feed trough and eat layers pellets, though I suspect not enough. She's more willing to accept a few bits of chopped up grape, her favourite treat, whereas she wasn't interested a few days ago.

I do keep checking her crop and if it seems empty I'm force feeding the little balls of moist mash, mixed with a probiotic, a bit of Poultry Spice and sometimes Critical Care. It's difficult to get the balance right. I'd prefer her to eat on her own and I don't want to discourage that by force feeding; on the other hand I'm aware that I need to build up her strength after a few weeks of illness. Any thoughts on that? I'm making sure she goes to roost on a full crop and I'm still keeping her in my kitchen at night to keep an eye on her. I havent seen her gaping for a while which is good because I had no idea what was causing that.

I'm putting Avisol vitamins in the drinking water for all my chickens and I'm sprinkling
Stalosan F disinfectant over the whole garden as well as their coop and run, because they free range most of the time. The garden is very wet at the moment which I know isn't ideal. I hate not knowing what has been the problem with Flossie so I'm taking whatever precautions I can to keep the others well.

Flossie laid her first egg in nearly 2 weeks this morning so things are moving in the right direction. She needs another Ivermectin injection this week, or the vet said I can give her Flubenvet if she's eating. With regard to the Tylan, I put Flossie on Tylan in her drinking water the day after she became ill. Four days later she had injectable Tylan, with another injection 3 days after that, so she probably did get a full course.

There are no red mites in the coop. I had an attack of them last summer which took weeks to eradicate so I am quite paranoid about checking for them now!

I'll keep you updated about progress but in the meantime thank you once again for your advice and a Happy New Year to you all.

Gillian

[KarenE]

Oh that is good news about Flossie

They can get it into their heads to stop eating, they can be fussy little madams sometimes. Perhaps see if you can tempt her appetite a bit with some scrambled eg (no milk) and some tomato juice - the ege is full of protein, and they can find the tomato juice attractive.

Ivermectin youc an get in drop form which is easy as you just pop adrop or two on the back of her neck - it's called Harkermectin and can easily be ordered online. Flubenvet is a bit pricier but the recommended wormer and it comes either in powder form or in pre-treated pellets. If she's not eating pellets that might be a waste, whereas you can dip a bit of a cut side of grape in the powder and get it down her that way. It's quite rough on their systems but if she has a heavy dose of worms it will do the trick.

Won't she eat layers mash herself?

[Nikkicharl]

Thanks for that Karen. I didn't know about Harkermectin.It may be worth getting some. It would
probably be cheaper than another trip to the vet's! I was thinking of using Flubenvet, which I have, providing Flossie is eating normally within the next day or two. My only problem is that if used in the feed as recommended my other chickens would get it too, and they have only just finished a course of Flubenvet last Friday, Do you think it would be safe for them to be dosed again so soon?

I have been trying to tempt Flossie with scrambled egg to no avail, but I didn't know they liked tomato juice. What I have done occasionally is put a bit of raw egg into the moistened pellet mixture I have been force feeding.

When I brought Flossie in last night she ate quite a lot of moistened layers pellets on her own. I put another dish of them down later on and they had all gone this morning, so I haven't had to force feed at all today. Not only that but she had laid again and was being very vocal about wanting to be let outside! So she is now happily scratching around in the rain with the others and I have seen her eat from the feed trough. I will keep her in again tonight to be on the safe side but I'm now very optimistic that she will make a full recovery!

Gillian

[KarenE]

Hi Gillian

That sounds excellent news

I would then go with the grape idea for dosing flubenvet, especially as Flossie is eating them. Cut a grape into quarters, and dip one of the short cut parts into flubenvet, making sure it is lightly coated. It's not scientific but will do the trick. Dose for the number of days it says on the tin.

[Cheshire Chick]

So glad to hear that Flossie has picked up - long may it continue. I think the advice given by the ladies on the Forum has been excellent. I myself have used Metacam and think it is a marvellous product (anti inflamatory and pain killer combined). Good luck, hope all continues to go well.