Sick Hen, Lethargic and Diarrhea, Seems Serious

Today, when I came home to feed the chickens, when I walked into the coop, I noticed that a young hen of mine, maybe a year old, was laying down on top of the nesting boxes. This was unusual within itself, as she's very affectionate, and likes to greet me at the door. I walked over, and she still didn't make any attempt to move away. I picked her up, and noticed a pool of diarrhea under her bum, as if she had been laying down when she pooped, yet hadn't gotten back up. She has runny poop stuck to her bum, and won't move when I set her down. Yes, she can stand, but she won't walk. I have NO idea what could be wrong with her. She's been laying regularly, and didn't seem sick yesterday, though I didn't look too closely. I have her in a kennel in the garage with hay, water, and food. Is there anything else I can do? And I don't know if this is related or not, but when laying down, she kept closing her eyes and opening her beak, as if she was yawning. I love her dearly, so if somebody could be so kind as to respond, that'd be great. What should I do?

Chickens can be sick a long time and seem normal because they hide it so well. By the time they are in the condition of your bird, they're very sick.
Separating her and keeping her warm is a good idea. Is she drinking?
The first step would be to collect a fecal sample and have it read for parasites, bacteria and possibly virus.
Be ready to send her off to your state poultry lab for a necropsy should you lose her.
What state / country are you in?

I live in Maine, and yes, she is drinking. I think she was too weak to get to the water in the coop, because is was on a hay bale. I put a shallow dish of water, and the same with good in front of her last night, and she immediatly began to drink. I came back this morning, and she hasn't left the water's side. She hasn't touched the food though....

https://extension.umaine.edu/veterinarylab/submitting-samples/

https://extension.umaine.edu/veterinarylab/tests-pricing/

U of Maine will do tests. You can call them for more information or advice on other sources.

Just wanted to thank you, as I don't think I did. It turns out an egg had broken inside her. She made a full recovery, and rejoined the rest of the flock. I mean, she just got killed by a hawk, but she was healthy, so thanks.

Sorry for the loss but thanks for the update.

I have one acting similar. How did you know she had a broken egg in her?

Well, she wasn't laying at all, so the vet felt around inside and discovered a few shell fragments. I recommend putting electrolyte solution in her water. It will keep her energy up, and it really seemed to help mine. You can't really do anything but wait it out from what I know. Though, I recommend doing some more research to be sure.

ChickenLover741 said:

Well, she wasn't laying at all, so the vet felt around inside and discovered a few shell fragments. I recommend putting electrolyte solution in her water. It will keep her energy up, and it really seemed to help mine. You can't really do anything but wait it out from what I know. Though, I recommend doing some more research to be sure.

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Thanks for sharing. Unfortunately she died about an hour after my post.