Lethargic, sleepy hen with tail down

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farmer wannabee

farmer wannabee

Hatching
Apr 26, 2015
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First time chicken owner, flock of four, raised from day-old, they are now almost 1-yr-old.

My BO started acting funny yesterday. She was walking very slowly, lethargic, blinking very slowly, and her tail was down. I did see her drink a little. Last night at dusk she did not go into the hen house with the rest of the flock. I found her just standing on the ground in the coop. There was a partly runny poop behind/under her that I'm fairly certain was hers. I picked her up and put her in the nesting box as I didn't think she would be able to roost. I found her there this morning. No poops during the night.

I have her in a box in the house now with a shallow dish of water. She is pretty much sleeping all the time. She has turned herself 90 degrees in the box, but that is all the further she has moved in the last two hours.

I would appreciate any help!!!
 
I tried to feel the crop area (never done this before) and couldn't really feel anything. I felt the rest of my chickens too and, if anything, I think maybe my BO's crop is squishier. So maybe sour crop? She did "shake" her head a couple of times this morning. Other than that, she just sleeps with her head down like a day-old chick. I tried to feed her some yogurt, but she won't open her mouth and I don't know how to make her.
 
Update: Gave her an Epsom salt bath for 30 min. She perked up a little in the bath and took several drinks of the bath water. She is wrapped up in a towel and back resting in her box in the house. She is mostly sleeping/dozing but occasionally lifts her head on her own to take a sip of water. She's had a couple of "tastes" of yogurt, but very minimal. I will continue to offer yogurt and water...

I'm just doing the best I can but totally treading on new territory for me.... Would appreciate any feedback.
Should I give her another bath tonight?
 
No more baths if she is weak, since that could push her over the edge. I wouldn't let her drink epsom salts, since that can cause diarrhea. What color are her dropping? Can you put on a rubber glove, and poke a finger about 1 inch inside her vent to look for a stuck egg? If you can't feel her crop, it probably isn't a problem, but she could have something stuck in her gizzard, or worms in her intestines. That is difficult to diagnose unless you can feel a large mass. Is she laying eggs now? So many different problems can cause her symptoms, and many times you can't know for sure until you perform a necropsy. I would feed her some chopped egg, and put some vitamins and electrolytes in her water.
 
Thank you, Eggcessive!

She does have diarrhea.
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Her droppings are dark green, olive green, and white. She had a small poo after the bath and then a very large one 4-5 hours later. There is no blood. She laid an egg yesterday. Her vent looks healthy. Locals tell me that worms are very uncommon in our area and no one around here worms their chickens.

She was outside in 105 degree weather yesterday (very unusual), but has access to a lot of shade. The weather does not seem to be affecting my other chickens at all. Today she is inside the house where it is 77.

She is holding her head up more this afternoon than she was this morning. I put a few drops of ACV in her water. Where do I get vitamins and electrolytes?

I will try the egg.
 
Worms are in the ground. In some areas where it is cooler and arid, worming once a year may be normal. In most places twice a year is necessary, and in hot humid areas, it may be needed 4 times a year. A fecal float by a vet would tell you if and what kind of worms are present, as well if coccidia are there. Poultry vitamins and electrolytes are sold in feed and farm stores. SaveAChick is a popular brand, but there are other brands by Rooster Boodter and other companies as well. Poultry Cell and Poultry Nutri-Drench are tonics that contain those as well as amino acids and minerals, and are given orally instead of in the water.
 
Following... I have a lethargic tail down cream legbar pullet .. 3 of them should lay soon.. This is the only 1 acting strange..
 

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