Very ill chicken. What do I do??

[tashpotato]

Lol! Thanks haha

 

[cowcreekgeek]

Lol! Thanks haha

In my defense? I'm most nearly blind as a bat ... but even I can see your cutest picture ~'-)

 

[tashpotato]

She seems sprightly enough today, though still randomly sleeps (is that normal? Should they ever just stand and sleep during the day?) and I have noticed her stomach (I presume it's her stomach) is making loud gargling sounds.
I have put a drop of frontline on a cotton bud (or "q tip" for you lot lol) and dabbed it on the skin on the back of the neck. I know some people are against that but many also swear by it and its all I could do at short notice as someone (my best bet is my dad) left the mite powder/dust outside and now it has snowed it's gone all manky. So frontlined, and have started the worming too with flubenvet 1%.

Her backside is a complete mess, I tried to bath her in warm water literally an inch deep and she went mad, I've had to cut off some parts but I can't get to the worst part and bathing doesn't seem to help it.
Here she is now:

 

[tashpotato]

Are there any steps I should take to move her back outside? I'm back at work on Friday and can't leave her in as I have a very nosey boisterous bracco Italiano.
She seems a lot better but rather than just throw her out in the cold what can I do to help her with the change?

 

[BetsyBellSteele]

I just lost a chicken about a month ago with similar symptoms and behavior. She had a very hard belly and was also thin. I felt really bad that I hadn't been more observant. My vet examined her and found she had many eggs backed up inside her. He explained that chickens don't exhibit signs of sickness until they are unable to fake being well because instinctually they know survival depends on looking strong. My poor hen was so impacted with eggs that there was nothing he could do for her. I opted to have her put down because she was suffering and he said she had a high fever indicating infection from egg bound peritonitis and was too far gone to reverse it. I struggled with the decision and hope I did the right thing. I am so sorry. I have heard that if the situation isn't too bad sitting them in very warm water and gently massaging their bellies can some times help. Good luck.

 

[tashpotato]

Im sorry about your chicken i think you did do the right thing - sometimes we are so attached to our pets that we fail to put the pets feelings first & try keep them alive even when struggling. She won't be suffering now.
She stopped laying about a year ago but I did check her belly & I can't feel anything I tried to bath her today & she went wild- she's very stubborn & I'm scared to try again :/

 

[chickflick]

Yes, chickens do take naps during the day sometimes. I do hope your chickens gets better. It's a hard call.

 

[cowcreekgeek]

Im sorry about your chicken

i think you did do the right thing - sometimes we are so attached to our pets that we fail to put the pets feelings first & try keep them alive even when struggling. She won't be suffering now.
She stopped laying about a year ago but I did check her belly & I can't feel anything

I tried to bath her today & she went wild- she's very stubborn & I'm scared to try again

Chickens tend to freak easily, when confronted w/ anything new. Once she finds out the tub ain't gonna eat her, and you're not tryin' to drown her after all? She'll do much better ~'-)

Egg Yolk Peritonitis (EYP) is usually accompanied by distension of the abdomen, and by ascites that fills the cavity ... but it might be worth lookin' into, esp. if she's quit layin' eggs sooner than should have been expected.

 

[tashpotato]

All 3 of my older hens stopped laying around the same few months (they're the same age) at just over 3y/o - isn't that normal?

 

[cowcreekgeek]

All 3 of my older hens stopped laying around the same few months (they're the same age) at just over 3y/o - isn't that normal?

"The effects of aging on egg production will vary from bird to bird. Many hens, however, will have decreased egg production after two to three years of age." ~ LSU

Mom theorizes that hens are predisposed to lay their predetermined number, provided all goes well, which she believes to vary among breeds and birds ... not sure if it's true, but it'd be interesting to find out ~'-)