Please Help!!!!!!!!!! Sick EE

[rjdemille]

My EE has not been herself for about 6 days she isn't eating but she isn't lethargic either I have been giving her nutri drench tums warm vetrx and dropping her water to her beek and warm soaks in the sink. She seemed to have interst a little in eating when I took her out to interact with the flock the other day and she pept up so I left her out there for the past 2 days. I felt her crop today still not eating and loosing wait she dose not have the sour smell you get from sour crop. I have no idea what is wrong???????

 

[GitaBooks]

I'm sorry to hear she isn't feeling well.

This sounds serious, so to help find out what it is, we need to look at some of the small clues:
Is she laying eggs?
Is she molting?
What age is she?
What temperature is it?
How many other chickens is she kept with?
What do her droppings look like?
Is her crop full or empty?
Does she have mites?
Is she having trouble breathing at all?
Is she hunched up more then usual, perching in odd places, or spending more time away from the others?

If she is just molting then that could explain her discomfort and lack of appetite. However, if she is under a year old she is likely not molting.

 

[rjdemille]

I'm sorry to hear she isn't feeling well.

This sounds serious, so to help find out what it is, we need to look at some of the small clues:
Is she laying eggs?
Is she molting?

What age is she?
What temperature is it?
How many other chickens is she kept with?
What do her droppings look like?

Is her crop full or empty?
Does she have mites?
Is she having trouble breathing at all?
Is she hunched up more then usual, perching in odd places, or spending more time away from the others?

If she is just molting then that could explain her discomfort and lack of appetite. However, if she is under a year old she is likely not molting.

She is not molting
No mites
She has not layed an egg in 7days
She is with 2 cockerel 12 other pullets
She is about 35 weeks she was a mid May baby
Breathing well
She goes back and forth from being with everyone and the perching by herself
She gets a little puffed up
Crop is empty

 

[rjdemille]

She is not molting
No mites
She has not layed an egg in 7days
She is with 2 cockerel 12 other pullets
She is about 35 weeks she was a mid May baby
Breathing well
She goes back and forth from being with everyone and the perching by herself
She gets a little puffed up
Crop is empty

And it's about 25 degrees F out

 

[GitaBooks]

It could be the cold weather bothering her, which can also stop egg laying. The most important thing is getting her to eat and drink, so try anything you can to get her to eat, her favorite treats, bright colors, ect. Water with vitamins will give her a boost also. A heat light could help her keep warm, as a sick chicken can't regulate their temperature as well and this can lower their immune system.

Since she seems better outdoors, bringing her in might not be the best option. However, if she continues not to eat then it will likely be the only choice. She may need force-fed in that case. Is there a chance she is egg-bound?

 

[rjdemille]

It could be the cold weather bothering her, which can also stop egg laying. The most important thing is getting her to eat and drink, so try anything you can to get her to eat, her favorite treats, bright colors, ect. Water with vitamins will give her a boost also. A heat light could help her keep warm, as a sick chicken can't regulate their temperature as well and this can lower their immune system.

Since she seems better outdoors, bringing her in might not be the best option. However, if she continues not to eat then it will likely be the only choice. She may need force-fed in that case. Is there a chance she is egg-bound?

Not sure everything that I have read said that if she was egg bound that she would not make it past 48 hrs????

 

[GitaBooks]

Not sure everything that I have read said that if she was egg bound that she would not make it past 48 hrs????

That's true in my experience.

There is also something called Internal Laying though that can lead to sickness in hens.

 

[rjdemille]

That's true in my experience.

There is also something called Internal Laying though that can lead to sickness in hens.

What is that?

 

[GitaBooks]

This may help to explain it some: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/639749/timeline-of-internal-laying-update

http://www.beautyofbirds.com/eggyolkperitonitis.html

Internal laying is when the eggs fall into the coelomic cavity of the bird and are not actually laid, which can lead to infection. I believe I have lost hens to it, but it hard to know for sure from outward appearance.
It is also called egg yolk peritonitis.