My chicken has yellow diarrhea, is listless, and acting strange. What to do?

Hello. It is very common to see reproductive disease in chickens including salpingitis & egg yolk peritonitis. If you could bring her indoors where it is a bit cooler, feed her nutritious foods such as cornbread, cooked eggs, even a bit ( not much ) of canned cat food & see if she perks up. Many of these birds are actually in quite a bit of pain, so if there is any way to have her seen by a vet, this would be best. X-rays are often taken in these cases to evaluate the internal organs or see if she is actually egg bound. There is a lot we know about chickens, but sometimes not much we can do to save them. Hope you can have her evaluated soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If home remedies haven't worked, then it is time to seek out the care of a vet. It is possible there is a bacterial or fungal infection going on that may be causing the symptoms you are seeing and require antibiotic or anti-fungal treatment. Making sure the coop is kept clean and the hens aren't laying in their own droppings can also help keep their bottoms clean if there is no underlying illness. You can also bathe any affected hens to help clean up their bottoms and provide some relief from the irritation. If you have a hen that is acting very ill, I would remove her from the flock and place her into a hospital cage with easy access to food and water until you can be seen by a vet. Separating any other sick birds is also a good idea if you suspect something infectious to keep your remaining hens safe and healthy.

Without knowing more about the signs that your birds are showing, it is difficult to say what is going on with them. There is a lot of overlap with infectious diseases in chickens, so many of them can look alike. The treatments for them, however, can vary, and need to be initiated by a veterinarian. I would recommend that you contact a veterinarian in your area so that s/he can do a physical exam on at least one of your birds. I was unable to find where you were located based on your zip code, as it did not give any results for the US. There are some regions which have avian diagnostic labs, and many times they have a chicken veterinarian on staff. This may be an option for you depending on your location. At home, you can try supportive care for the birds. Ensuring they have a warm place to go is crucial, so they don’t have to work as hard to keep warm (chicken body temperatures are about 102-104 F). Also make sure they have fresh water and food easily available to them, and monitor to ensure they are eating. To do this, you can feel along the bottom of their necks - this is where the crop is, and it is a pocket in their esophagus where good is stored when they eat. If you feel good in it, that is good as it indicates they are eating. If it is empty, they are not. Please do not give any human medications to your birds, as many of them can be harmful to chickens. I hope that gives you a place to start, and good luck.

Thanks for reaching out. Yellow stool is not normal and can be an indication of an intestinal infection, intestinal parasites, liver disease and other problems. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. The birds should be separated prior to your veterinary visit, so you can monitor appetite. Providing heat support in the 80-85 F range can give some aid. Good luck.

I'm sorry that Peanut is not well but I really don't think we can help you much. She sounds very sick and should see a veterinarian in person. Her symptoms do not point to any one specific illness that I can think of. There are many, many things that could cause her symptoms. Please take her to a vet.

She may have a respiratory infection. This can be a bacterial, fungal or air sac mite infection. Clarabelle would need to be physically examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating domestic fowl for confirmation. Antibiotics may be indicated. In the meantime, keep her warm and separated from the flock if you have more chickens. placing her in a steamy bathroom, NOT in the shower, may help loosen up and congestion. Keep her as stress free as possible until she sees the vet.

Unfortunately, those are extremely vague signs of illness, so it would be hard to say what is going on. It would be best to separate the sick hen from your flock to avoid being picked on and spreading any illness. Keeping her warm in quarantine with easy access to food and water may help, however if you can't find an outward cause of her illness, she will need to be seen by a vet in person to determine what the issue is.