Listless chicken

[leetfreq925]

I have a 2.5 year old golden comet who has always been a little spitfire. Lately she had been a little listless. She sometimes will stand there puffed up and start to close her eyes. This has happened in the past few days. She has always had an issue with aessy butt. Ever since she started laying. She kinda oozes and sometimes even spurts out her butt. It doesn't smell ( any worse than typical chicken) so I've not thought it was vent gleet. Again - this has been going on for almost 2 years. Her area seems to be getting more red and more feathers are gone from her belly which is also red. It does not feel swollen at all. Just bare and red. Lately I have noticed a decreased appetite too. I have thought about worming but have been hesitant as that's over 3 weeks of peak egg time and I've seen no other signs of worms in them. Uploaded are pictures of her bare red belly and her vent.
Does anyone have any idea? Unfortunately I do not have a vet that I can just take a sample to.

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[Miyashi]

I hope someone pipes up.
I have no idea.
I would go with the wormer or some sort of antibiotic. I understand the peak egg laying season thing though...
Buuuuut, could you maybe quarantine her? Just medicate her?

 

[leetfreq925]

I hope someone pipes up too haha! In the meantime I have decided to worm them. They just for wazine in their water. Then I'll give them safeguard in ten days. In the meantime I guess I will throw eggs at cars. Hopefully she will feel better in the morning? She's just huddling in the corner right now. But I've seen her eat some things and drink. She is definitely a fighter. Debating on starting her on some antibiotic too? Like I said - no real symptoms other than things she's had for years so a little frazzled.

 

[seminolewind]

Yes I would worm them like you're doing. I wouldn't know which antibiotics since you don't know what she has. Have you gotten any new chickens? Does she eat and drink?

 

[leetfreq925]

No new chickens. She eats a little and drinks a little. But she is certainly not herself! She is usually the one that hops on my lap as soon as I sit down and she is puffed in the corner not moving... No signs of anything really except for the issues she's had for quite a while. I'm at such a loss and she looks so miserable I don't know what to do! Maybe he wazine will help tonight of perchance it is worms. I will miss the eggs but so worth it if she perks up.

 

[Miyashi]

Throwing eggs at cars eh? That's much more creative than just throwing them out. I like it. >_<

 

[seminolewind]

She may be an internal layer. She may have something wrong with her that you can't fix. Did you check for an egg that's stuck?

I think my first step would be to try Sulfadimethoxine in her water if she drinks, or penicillin injections. If it's hard to get water in to her, you're better off with the penicillin. Sulfadimethoxine also has general antibiotic properties .

I guess she's not laying right now? I would see if I could make her eat something that she can't resist. She needs something to eat for energy.

You can always tube feed, but Casportpony is the member I know that has a large amount of info on tube feeding.

 

[leetfreq925]

Thanks seminolewind. I think i will get some of that and start her on that if I don't see some drastic improvement in the next day or two. She is eating a little and I have definitely thought about a laying problem. She has always been my best layer but hasn't laid for almost four days now so I'm leaning that direction! Yesterday I felt for an egg and didn't find one. She got eps salt soaks sat and sun. Her comb started to blacken but that seems to be recovering. No penguin stance but she definitely is not happy about something!

I'll get the medication to have on hand for tomorrow if there's no improvement by then. Maybe another nice soak for her.

 

[seminolewind]

I hope she continues to hold her own or improve. I have seen that some chickens will stop laying when something's wrong, but also take breaks from laying. I've had all but one chicken that take breaks. The one chicken that didn't was an Orp. 366 eggs in 365 days. I think that takes a toll on them as well.

 

[leetfreq925]

Wow! That is a chicken! Mine wasn't THAT impressive but she was really good and definitely deserves a break. she's not herself and seems to be straining a bit. she's been in and out of the laying box a bunch today, but still no egg. i think this might be her issue. I guess she will get another soak tonight. maybe i'll bring down some candles to the slop sink to relax her up a bit more since she feels like she has to lay and seems to strain to try to do so, then she doesn't need the antibiotics probably? might just be shell- less or something? i wish she could just tell me.