HELP!!!! Chicken laying down barely responsive not able to stand or walk

juusthannah

Hatching
5 Years
Aug 6, 2014
3
0
7
Hello! I need help! I love my chickens very much and my dad woke me up this morning to tell me one of our chickens was dying. I ran outside to see one of my White Jersey Giants lying down unusually in the middle of the pen.
No matter how much commotion with the other chickens around her she doesn't seem to move. She is lying down oddly however she plopped down and her head is drooped beak down on the ground.
Her legs seem to be oddly placed and she is not moving them. Barely moving at all.
She is breathing heavy and slow, closing her eyes.
I tried picking her up and easing her weight on her legs but they would not cooperate. She would not stand and plopped right down again not caring where she is.
Tried giving her food and water, no luck she just slowly lowered her head into the bowl of water not actually drinking it so I took it away after a few times of this. Food is the same way.
I feel like she is in pain and I want to help her any way that I can! I've looked up the symptoms of egg bound chickens and I'm thinking she might be egg bound? But then again she's not waddling around, not walking at all as if she is paralyzed. I also do not know how to feel for an egg I don't know if I feel one in her abdomen or not.
Also I looked up the symptoms for Merek's disease. Her Iris's are normal colored not gray and I believe we had her vaccinated when we ordered her from this website.
She is probably only 3 years old, I looked up they usually live to 6 or more and she is not nearly to that age yet. I'm not sure if she has laid an egg recently as we have 29 other chickens.
I do not believe she got into anything moldy or toxic and all other chickens seem to be perfectly healthy.
This is new to me any ideas are suggestions would be much appreciated!!!!!!

If she is just dying id like to let her pass in peace but if this is curable I would want to know ASAP so I can help her!!!

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Get some electrolyte-vitamin powder such as SaveAChick and add to her water. Or use undiluted gatorade or pedialyte, and give her drops of water up to her beak to swallow. She may be severely dehydrated, or she could have Mareks or botulism. Symptoms of Mareks vary, and not all chickens have eye issues. Botulism comes from eating dead animal remains, maggots, or rotted vegetation, and causes leg paralysis first, followed by wing, and neck paralysis. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance can look like many of those diseases. Getting fluids into her by dipping her beak, crop feeding, or dropper feeding should be done. A vet could inject her with fluids or crop feed her. Crop or tube feeding of fluids can be done with a large syringe and a piece of aquarium air tubing or other tubing that is melted on one end to soften sharp edges. Insert it at the back of the throat on the chickens right side (your left), and that should avoid the trachea or windpipe. Here is some info on tube feeding:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

LL

avoid the large hole which is the windpipe--go to the back of the throat to your left (chickens' right)



LL
 
Last edited:
Thank you so much! It's not too hot here, she could very well be dehydrated I hope it is not Merek's!

I have this will this work if I mix it appropriately? It is vitamin and electrolyte supplement. (Thanks for a quick response!!) I am headed to the store now so I do not mind going to buy something else if this will not suffice! Thank you!

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Hello! I need help! I love my chickens very much and my dad woke me up this morning to tell me one of our chickens was dying. I ran outside to see one of my White Jersey Giants lying down unusually in the middle of the pen.
No matter how much commotion with the other chickens around her she doesn't seem to move. She is lying down oddly however she plopped down and her head is drooped beak down on the ground.
Her legs seem to be oddly placed and she is not moving them. Barely moving at all.
She is breathing heavy and slow, closing her eyes.
I tried picking her up and easing her weight on her legs but they would not cooperate. She would not stand and plopped right down again not caring where she is.
Tried giving her food and water, no luck she just slowly lowered her head into the bowl of water not actually drinking it so I took it away after a few times of this. Food is the same way.
I feel like she is in pain and I want to help her any way that I can! I've looked up the symptoms of egg bound chickens and I'm thinking she might be egg bound? But then again she's not waddling around, not walking at all as if she is paralyzed. I also do not know how to feel for an egg I don't know if I feel one in her abdomen or not.
Also I looked up the symptoms for Merek's disease. Her Iris's are normal colored not gray and I believe we had her vaccinated when we ordered her from this website.
She is probably only 3 years old, I looked up they usually live to 6 or more and she is not nearly to that age yet. I'm not sure if she has laid an egg recently as we have 29 other chickens.
I do not believe she got into anything moldy or toxic and all other chickens seem to be perfectly healthy.
This is new to me any ideas are suggestions would be much appreciated!!!!!!

If she is just dying id like to let her pass in peace but if this is curable I would want to know ASAP so I can help her!!!

400

400

400

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How is she now
 

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