My poor hen is sick! I think...

[SDDiver5]

hello everyone, I’m hoping you can help me here!

I have a hen, she’s 4-5 years old And acting like she is sick. She is the flock leader and has been since we gOt her. Here are her symptoms/how’s she acting:

-She waddles like a duck
-Doesn’t seem to have very much energy... she kind of just chills which is unusual. She even lets the youngest chicken, who she usually picks on, walk around her and peck the ground around her which normally doesn’t happen.
-Has a bunch of poop hanging from her rear end feathers
-possible egg bound however I don’t believe she is because she hasn’t laid an egg in at least 1 year
-the color of her comb is normal red but it is flopped over instead of perked up.
-her breathing is a bit heavier than normal. But nothing too alarming, yet.
-she was the last in/out of the coop last night and this morning. Normally she is first.
-she get up and moves like normal when I throw in some treats.
-she is not scratching/foraging
-the other chickens are acting normal
-she doesn’t have notes or lice.
-the weather has been a little weird lately. Cold then hot, now it’s cold, going to get hot again for a few day (for San Diego, anyways)


I gave her a warm bath this morning to get all the poop off of her and that seemed to perk her up a little. Again, I don’t think she is egg bound... but she has a few of the symptoms. She looks a little fat but after giving her the bath everything feels and looks fine I think she is more so puffing up her feathers.

Any advice? Is she sick or just old and on her way out? I hope she isn’t suffering!

Thanks you!

 

[SDDiver5]

She also seems to be moving with the sun... when the sun moves past her spot, she gets up and moves to the new sunny and warm spot.

 

[sdaikus]

Can you feel an egg inside her?

I don't have any good advise, but I'm sure someone on here can help!

 

[micstrachan]

You mentioned she "looks a little fat." Is she fluffing out her feathers? Is her abdomen (area below her vent and between her legs) swollen and squishy? If so, this would be ascites, which can be caused from a number if different things, that I won't go into just yet until we know. Please examine her and report back so we can help you help her. Check her crop in the morning to see that it is empty, but I am especially concerned about her looking fat and figuring out exactly what that means. I hope we hear back from you.

 

[micstrachan]

Just reread that she is moving with the sun. Is it cold where you are? Wondering if she is having trouble regulating her own temperature.

 

[SDDiver5]

I’ll check what you mentioned in the morning! Thank you for the advice!

Define cold.... it’s San Diego. Low of 58 (maybe) and high of mid 70’s.

 

[pasuit]

hello everyone, I’m hoping you can help me here!

I have a hen, she’s 4-5 years old And acting like she is sick. She is the flock leader and has been since we gOt her. Here are her symptoms/how’s she acting:

-She waddles like a duck
-Doesn’t seem to have very much energy... she kind of just chills which is unusual. She even lets the youngest chicken, who she usually picks on, walk around her and peck the ground around her which normally doesn’t happen.
-Has a bunch of poop hanging from her rear end feathers
-possible egg bound however I don’t believe she is because she hasn’t laid an egg in at least 1 year
-the color of her comb is normal red but it is flopped over instead of perked up.
-her breathing is a bit heavier than normal. But nothing too alarming, yet.
-she was the last in/out of the coop last night and this morning. Normally she is first.
-she get up and moves like normal when I throw in some treats.
-she is not scratching/foraging
-the other chickens are acting normal
-she doesn’t have notes or lice.
-the weather has been a little weird lately. Cold then hot, now it’s cold, going to get hot again for a few day (for San Diego, anyways)


I gave her a warm bath this morning to get all the poop off of her and that seemed to perk her up a little. Again, I don’t think she is egg bound... but she has a few of the symptoms. She looks a little fat but after giving her the bath everything feels and looks fine I think she is more so puffing up her feathers.

Any advice? Is she sick or just old and on her way out? I hope she isn’t suffering!

Thanks you!

 

[pasuit]

I think micstrachan may be on too something. I'll be interested in what she has to say. In the meantime hang in there.

 

[SDDiver5]

Is there an easy way to post a pic to a thread from a phone?

 

[pasuit]

Is there an easy way to post a pic to a thread from a phone?