1 sick chicken, 1 already dead

[Jennifer A]

Hello! I had a hen die slowly for a 3 day period. She stopped eating and drink, and just laid around or was all hunched up. She was only 4 years old. Now another hen is sick and acting the same way. Also only 4 years old. PLEASE HELP ME SAFE MY FLOCK!

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you look her over, and check her out well? Has she been laying eggs? How does her crop feel—empty and flat, full and soft, hard, or puffy like a balloon? Has she lost weight—is her breast bone prominent, or is her lower belly between her legs enlarged or swollen? Look at her skin around and under her vent for aigns of lice and mites. What do her droppings look like? Is she eating and drinking? Can you give her some Poultry Nutridrench and some sips of water, then offer some watery chicken feed and cooked egg?

 

[Jennifer A]

I checked her this morning. She isn't eating or drinking. She has poop build up around her vent but not blocking. Her breast is soft and no blood or lice/mites anywhere

 

[Eggcessive]

If her crop is soft, it may not be emptying overnight. Do you have some electrolytes that you can get her to drink, or can you get some Poultry NutriDrench? Offer some fluids with a spoon next to the beak or a dropper. I would soak her bottom if necessary to get the poop buildup off of her. Look for any maggots around her vent which can be a problem in warm weather. That is known as flystrike and can be dangerous. If she seems too weak that a bath would push her over the edge, then just try to pull off any dried poop and teim any excess feathers.

Has this hen been laying eggs recently? Many older hens can suffer from internal laying, egg yolk peritonitis, cancer, ascites, and other reproductive disorders.

 

[Jennifer A]

Electrolytes as in Gatorade? Or do they have this for animals? I don't know if she's been laying, I have 22 so it's hard to keep up. Her crop did seem soft to me

 

[getaclue]

Yes, you can pour Gatorade in their water, and yes, they make it for animals in a more concentrated form, to add to their water.

 

[Jennifer A]

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[Eggcessive]

Most feed stores sell poultry electrolytes with vitamins. Poultry Nutridrench is a concentrated drench that you can give 2 ml daily. Or you may temporarily use Gatorage or Pedialyte, but I would get the NutriDrench when possible.

You can put on a disposable glove and insert a finger 1-2 inches inside the vent to feel for a stuck egg. Look around the vent for any evidence of prolapse or maggots. When a chicken dies you can do a necropsy to look at the organs for any evidence of internal laying or egg yolk peritonitis. Hopefully, she will recover if it is something temporary.