Sick chicken? Won't eat but wants to?

[Lucysmom002]

Hen was fine yesterday, laying eggs all week. Today, she is acting zombie like. She normally is flighty and does not like to be handled. Today she goes to the food and looks at it. She picked up a couple pieces and dropped them. Crop is empty. She's a 7-8 month old dark brahma bantam. I picked her up easily and she snuggled in my arms and just laid there relaxed and seemed to like the attention.

So zombie like, not eating, crop full, I check to see if egg bound, can't feel anything.
Any ideas?

 

[peepblessed]

I'm stumped but I'll send you back to the top.

 

[brandibaby23]

I had a rooster act like this, after eating a rubber fishing worm, he died eventually. He became very friendly would drink but didn't eat much and acted as though he did.

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

When did she last lay an egg? How long has she been laying? Have you checked her for eggbound? (Use SEARCH here on BYC for "Eggbound" info). If she did not lay yesterday, since yesterday... (or longer) maybe an egg broke inside her... or she is eggbound.

How many chickens do you have and are all the others eating, drinking and acting as active as normal?

Massage crop... feed some yogurt or buttermilk mixed into some feed... will she drink water off your fingertip? Or eat scrambled eggs? Both.

Most feedstores are open on Sundays as well... and they have powdered antibiotics to add to the water... 1 tsp. per gallon (what they would drink in 24 hours), for three to seven days... or three days past seeming better... Tetracycline or Durban 10 (same thing) is used most.

Use the search here on BYC -- she can die from being eggbound or from an infection from an egg breaking inside her... try getting some antibiotics... keep her separate from the others.. (they will can kill a sick or weak member of the flock).... treat her as if she were eggbound as well.. it can't hurt.

Good luck.

 

[Melanie 11]

This happened to me on thursday. My 27 week old Andalusian that just sat all day. I noticed when the roo mated with her she didn't get up. I went and picked her up. She was fine with that. I tried to get her to eat & drink, but she wouldn't. I thought she may be egg bound but could feel nothing. She had not started laying yet. The only symptom she had was just laying an not eating. I seperated her from the flock. The next morning she when I checked her she had died. I still don't know what happened. I am sorry you are having this problem. Wish you the best of luck!

 

[Lucysmom002]

I used mineral oil to check if she's eggbound. I can't feel anything in there. She laid yesterday. I did collect eggs today but I'm not sure if one was hers. She's been laying for over a month???
Crop is empty. She goes to the food but just looks at it or pecks at it and drops it. Then she quietly walks away. I separated her already so no one can pick on her.
When I had her on my lap I noticed a few drops of clear (water-like) liquid come out of her hind end. I was worried about a broken egg in side her. I couldn't feel anything in there.
I have 23 hens. I have my Dixie who still is eating and drinking but has a leg injury. She hops around. The rest are all healthy so far.
I was fearing Marek's when Dixie got sick in August. She's still hanging in there.
I'll see how long Fleet Farm is open and try to run for antibiotics.

Thank you everyone!

 

[heatherindeskies]

Good luck with her.

 

[Lucysmom002]

Thank you.

 

[Lucysmom002]

When I went out this morning her food was eaten and she was walking around. I'll keep you updated.

 

[seminolewind]

If she's in a heavy molt, it can cause behavior like that.