# Need advice on sick hen…



## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

My 16+ month old hen, Charcoal is acting ill. She is the one I moved in with the mama hen and chicks as she was recovering from her rooster injury. She was growing new feathers and acting normal up until two or so days ago. I noticed she was walking slower and not grabbing treats as quickly as the others. There has been one pinkish/brown poop in the coop the past three days. I kinda assumed that it was intestinal lining poo, but with her behavior there has to be more going on. This morning she didn’t hop of the roost to join the rest in the run, so I closed her in there. She also feels slim and her feathers looked puffed up a bit this morning. 😫


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

When did she last lay? She could be struggling with that. 

The wound is completely healed?


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

robin416 said:


> When did she last lay? She could be struggling with that.
> 
> The wound is completely healed?


She hasn’t had any eggs since she got the rooster injury.

I am having a hard time even finding the injured spot, so it must be healed up with new feathers growing in.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

She is literally just standing in one spot on my bed, making little quiet noises now and then.
Her crop is empty. She didn’t eat this morning. Notice her comb is partially flopped to the side too.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Her external injuries may have healed but it's possible there may have been internal injuries due to the rooster. I had it happen with two Buff Orpingtons that were my favorites and I had to cull them due to the severity of the injuries. The hens were wearing saddles. The rooster went bye bye.
However, this might not be the case. It could be the possible onset of coccidiosis, perhaps caused by the stress she's been through.

I recommend that you give her buttermilk mixed in her feed for a couple of days, make it on the liquidy side. Hopefully she'll eat it and let us know if you see anymore pinkish brown feces. The buttermilk will coat the intestinal lining preventing further sloughing caused by coccidia overload. If it continues, it might be best to have Corid 9.6% liquid solution on hand or a sulfa drug such as sulfadimethoxine or SMZ-TMP.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

dawg53 said:


> Her external injuries may have healed but it's possible there may have been internal injuries due to the rooster. I had it happen with two Buff Orpingtons that were my favorites and I had to cull them due to the severity of the injuries. The hens were wearing saddles. The rooster went bye bye.
> However, this might not be the case. It could be the possible onset of coccidiosis, perhaps caused by the stress she's been through.
> 
> I recommend that you give her buttermilk mixed in her feed for a couple of days, make it on the liquidy side. Hopefully she'll eat it and let us know if you see anymore pinkish brown feces. The buttermilk will coat the intestinal lining preventing further sloughing caused by coccidia overload. If it continues, it might be best to have Corid 9.6% liquid solution on hand or a sulfa drug such as sulfadimethoxine or SMZ-TMP.


I thought about coccidiosis, but wouldn’t that have affected the chicks first? She just pooped on my blanket and it looks weird still, but closer to normal. The one this morning was more jelly-like pinkish/brown.

It has been about a month since her rooster injury, so you think it would take that long to show an effect?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

It might be best to go ahead and get her started on Corid. Dosage for the Corid 9.6% liquid solution is 9.5ml per gallon of water for 5-7 days.
We'll know soon enough if it's the onset of coccidiosis or an internal injury. If it's coccidiosis, you should see some more "normal" looking feces in about 3 days, but continue the Corid treatment. 
Dont give her anything that contains thiamine while giving her the Corid. Dont add anything else to the mixture and make it fresh daily.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

dawg53 said:


> It might be best to go ahead and get her started on Corid. Dosage for the Corid 9.6% liquid solution is 9.5ml per gallon of water for 5-7 days.
> We'll know soon enough if it's the onset of coccidiosis or an internal injury. If it's coccidiosis, you should see some more "normal" looking feces in about 3 days, but continue the Corid treatment.
> Dont give her anything that contains thiamine while giving her the Corid. Dont add anything else to the mixture and make it fresh daily.


Ok, thanks!

Is there any possibility that she could have some parasite issue? I added zyfend a to their water as a preventative here about five days ago.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Zyfend A doesnt do anything, a waste of money.
For worming, I recommend Safeguard liquid goat wormer or Valbazen liquid cattle/sheep wormer.

Dosage for the Safeguard liquid goat wormer is 0.25ml per pound given orally for 5 days straight. For a 5 pound hen the dosage is 1.25ml given orally for 5 days straight.

Valbazen dosage is 1/2ml given orally, then repeat again in 10-14 days.

Use a syringe without a needle when administering either liquid. When dosing a chicken orally, preload your syringe with the liquid wormer. Have someone hold the hen for you. Pull down on the hens wattles or skin under the lower beak and her mouth will open. Quickly squirt the liquid in the mouth and quickly let go of the wattles so the hen can swallow the liquid. If you dont let go of the wattles, she could aspirate.

Both Safeguard and Valbazen eliminates common poultry roundworms; large roundworms, cecal worms, capillary worms.
They both eliminate other types of non common poultry roundworms as well.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

dawg53 said:


> Zyfend A doesnt do anything, a waste of money.
> For worming, I recommend Safeguard liquid goat wormer or Valbazen liquid cattle/sheep wormer.
> 
> Dosage for the Safeguard liquid goat wormer is 0.25ml per pound given orally for 5 days straight. For a 5 pound hen the dosage is 1.25ml given orally for 5 days straight.
> ...


Thanks for all the info! 
Which do you think would be better to treat—cocci or worms? I don’t want to overload her body with the wrong treatment. 



I originally got the Zyfend as a preventative type thing. It doesn’t even work for that?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

The only thing Zyfend prevents is you not buying a real wormer. There is nothing in the product that will prevent nor treat worms.
Coccidiosis can be a killer. Always treat for coccidiosis first. Let's hope you dont need a sulfa drug to treat it.

Then wait a couple of weeks before worming. I recommend worming all your birds.


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

Oh no, So sorry to hear she's not feeling well!
Prayers for her!😘🖤


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

Animals45 said:


> Oh no, So sorry to hear she's not feeling well!
> Prayers for her!😘🖤


Thanks!


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> Thanks!


No problem! Is she doing any better?


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## chickenpersoon (Sep 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> View attachment 42666
> 
> She is literally just standing in one spot on my bed, making little quiet noises now and then.
> Her crop is empty. She didn’t eat this morning. Notice her comb is partially flopped to the side too.


Awwww! She is adorable! I am so sorry she is not feeling well. Prayers are being sent to her! ❤ 🐔😊


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

Is this the right corid? All I can find is labeled for bovine.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

The Corid 20% soluble powder is fine. Dosage is 1.5 teaspoons per gallon of water for 5 days.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

Animals45 said:


> No problem! Is she doing any better?


She is definitely not worse today. I have been driving around to Timbuktu and back all day, so I couldn’t observe here very long, but she is alert and ate more today. Her crop has a decent amount in there. Going to start the Corid now that I finally found some.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

chickenpersoon said:


> Awwww! She is adorable! I am so sorry she is not feeling well. Prayers are being sent to her! ❤ 🐔😊


Thanks!


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## chickenpersoon (Sep 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> Thanks!


you're so welcome.


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> She is definitely not worse today. I have been driving around to Timbuktu and back all day, so I couldn’t observe here very long, but she is alert and ate more today. Her crop has a decent amount in there. Going to start the Corid now that I finally found some.


Oh that's wonderful! Glad to hear she is more up and has a appetite!


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## lovely_chooks (Mar 19, 2021)

Hope she feels better


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

lovely_chooks said:


> Hope she feels better


Thanks! She seems to be doing fine now, just still very slim. But now she is molting, so I am hoping that she will start putting some weight on after that.


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

That's great to hear! How old is she?


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

Animals45 said:


> That's great to hear! How old is she?


Yeah, I was worried about her, she is such a sweet girl! She is around 16-17 months old now.


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

Oh wow, I am definitely glad she has been better!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I missed this with the updates. Do you think it was the Corid that got things back to normal for her?

Something I was told years ago, cocci can be opportunistic. If a bird is struggling with a health issue the immune system doesn't always keep the cocci under control like it normally would.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

robin416 said:


> I missed this with the updates. Do you think it was the Corid that got things back to normal for her?
> 
> Something I was told years ago, cocci can be opportunistic. If a bird is struggling with a health issue the immune system doesn't always keep the cocci under control like it normally would.


I really don’t know. 🤷‍♀️ She only had the slimy pinkish/brownish poo for 2 or 3 days, which turned to a couple days of runny poo. I wasn’t able to get the corrid right away, but I did the five day treatment. She was acting more normal after a few days. 

I tried the buttermilk soaked food, but she didn’t like eating that, so I went back to normal chick grower food because I wanted her to eat as much as possible.


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## lovely_chooks (Mar 19, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> Thanks! She seems to be doing fine now, just still very slim. But now she is molting, so I am hoping that she will start putting some weight on after that.


Omg thats awesome shell get better


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## chickenpersoon (Sep 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> Thanks! She seems to be doing fine now, just still very slim. But now she is molting, so I am hoping that she will start putting some weight on after that.


a molt? those give me the jebees


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## lovely_chooks (Mar 19, 2021)

chickenpersoon said:


> a molt? those give me the jebees


oh gosh I hate when my chickens molt.. They act so different and act sick..


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

chickenpersoon said:


> a molt? those give me the jebees


It is a bit distressing to look in the pen and see feathers everywhere. 😬 But on the bright side, my other hen who started molting first is almost done growing her feathers back and looks sooo pretty now! Charcoal is going to be all fresh again soon too!


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## chickenpersoon (Sep 11, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> It is a bit distressing to look in the pen and see feathers everywhere. 😬 But on the bright side, my other hen who started molting first is almost done growing her feathers back and looks sooo pretty now! Charcoal is going to be all fresh again soon too!


good for her! She a rock star now with her new feathers: "You don't need to know why I crossed to roaddddd..." (guitar solo)


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