3 year old Hen not able to stand up, breathing heavy

[ChopperBambi]

my 3 year old buff orpington I noticed today had a pale wattle, my kids have been sick for a week, I only saw her from the window and thought I'd go check on her tomorrow.

my husband just found her in the run, not in the coop, unable to stand laying to the side with one wing stuck out. At first he thought she was dead. he gave her some food, she did peck at it, and he came to get me. I couldn't get her to drink water, can't find any wounds, and when I pet her she did vaguely move her legs. When I moved her to her belly she was able to crouch. We moved her to the coop but she wasn't able to walk inside the coop and lay strange but for right now unsure what to do other than make sure she is safe for the night. Sh wasn't clucking but was making small breathy sounds as she tried to cluck at us.

Any ideas what might be wrong?

We only have had 4 hens. One went completely missing and we've never had any illness so this is new to us.

Also none of our hens are currently laying. It's cold here and they stopped in September this year. All 3 of them.

 

[Eggcessive]

Very often a hen that age may suffer from a reproductive disorder or a crop problem. Has she been laying recently? Has she lost weight through her breast muscle or is the breast bone prominent? What color are her poops? Pictures welcome. Is her lower belly under her vent enlarged, spongy or tight? Feel her crop ear
Y in the morning before eating or drinking to see if it is emptying normally overnight. Have you wormed her recently? Valbazen or SafeGuard liquid goat wormer or horse paste is good for that. What do you feed her? Lastly, I would look her over for mites or lice moving about on her lower belly and elsewhere on her skin.

 

[ChopperBambi]

I'm not sure about weight, (ETA my husband said she didn't feel lighter than normal when he picked her up) we had a problem with our auto coop door, and then a problem with rodents. so just recently we had a bit of a rough go transitioning the 3 girls to the rodent proof granny feeder. I thought my buff lost her cluck during this transition and wasn't sure why. It took several weeks of trial and error. I spent a few days out there with them and they finally got the hang of it, but I felt like they definitely went a bit hungry throughout that.

but they have been eating now, we see them, and we transitioned them after they had already stopped laying for the winter. Her comb was red recently and getting bigger so I was surprised to see it small and pale today.

we feed them layena with oyster shells, pellets. treats are worms.

I did not see any mites on her. They're in a plastic coop that gets cleaned out regularly and rinsed down. I've never dewormed them.

 

[Eggcessive]

Some people don’t worm, but with one that is having unknown problems, that is what I would do. Then, I would just give her an all over exam for the things I posted above. Weights may be gotten with a kitchen scale or weighting a chicken on a flat surface while holding them, and then subtracting your weight. Hens can also suffer from cancer and liver problems. I usually do a home necropsy if I lose one, and most state vet labs with do a thorough one with tissue samples and testing if you ask them.

 

[ChopperBambi]

She didn't make it, passed away this morning and wouldn't eat. Thank you

 

[Eggcessive]

She didn't make it, passed away this morning and wouldn't eat. Thank you

Sorry that you lost her.Your state vet could do a necropsy to find out what killed her if you wish. I usually do a home necropsy on my hens to learn what they had wrong. If you do the latter, post pictures here for any advice. There is a good video of a chicken necropsy with organs identified if that helps.