RIR Hen Panting, Can't Walk/Stand for Long

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JackieK318

JackieK318

Songster
12 Years
Apr 29, 2007
473
2
159
Missouri
I came home this evening to everyone panting. My RIR hen was on the ground. She was panting the worst and couldn't stand for very long. She will stand, but sometimes balance herself with her wing. I brought her in and let her cool down. I offered her some feed and water. I had to dip her beak in the water, but she went nuts over the feed and ate hardily. She seems to be 'double swallowing' when she eats as well. Doesn't feel like anything is stuck in her crop. She still isn't standing too well. What do you think this could be? Heat stroke? An effect from the Sulmet treatment just finished? I just want to know if I should be doing something for her. Thanks!
 
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Maybe she was just close to a heat stroke. Hopefully she gets better. I'd keep her sool and keep a close eye on her. Sorry I'm not much help.
 
Do your chickens have a shady spot to go to in the heat? It sounds like heat stroke. Put her in a cool place and make sure to offer lots of water and she will probably be fine.
 
I took her out again and she's eating while standing up. I just fed her some water with a dropper. I don't want to over do it with the water. How much water can chickens have each hour (she's around 10 weeks)?

They do hang in the shade during the day, but I think I'll run a fan out for them starting tomorrow morning. Thanks for responding everyone! Now I at least have an idea of what I could be dealing with. Now if I could just get the dumb rooster to stop courting this poor sick girl...persistent buggers, aren't they!
 
I went downstairs this morning to check on the hen and she's upsidedown in the pet carrier. I flipper her over and gave her some water. She ate her food on her own. Could she be without good use of her legs permanently ?
 
I would keep her in for a few more days and see if she doesn't get any better. It could be possible that she could have lost the use of her legs though. Depends how bad the heat stroke was and what got damaged.
 
The simple act of panting (which birds must do to cool themselves off ) in excess will create an imbalance in their electrolytes... in order to correct this you need to add electrolytes to the waterer ...ask for this at your feed store... until you can get proper electrolytes then gatorade will do in a pinch but in hot weather when the birds are having to pant almost constantly to cool off then adding electrolytes to their water is needed to manage the problem... see this thread for some more info on heat stress electrolyte balance in your birds :
http://p072.ezboard.com/fbackyardchickensfrm1.showMessage?topicID=22798.topic
 
JackieK318 said:
I took her out again and she's eating while standing up. I just fed her some water with a dropper. I don't want to over do it with the water. How much water can chickens have each hour (she's around 10 weeks)?

They do hang in the shade during the day, but I think I'll run a fan out for them starting tomorrow morning. Thanks for responding everyone! Now I at least have an idea of what I could be dealing with. Now if I could just get the dumb rooster to stop courting this poor sick girl...persistent buggers, aren't they!
Click to expand...
It doesn't sound like a stroke, to me. I've had 2 hens inside. Until it gets warmer at night, I won't release them. Their mama was murdered by my neighbor's rotten dog. I think your hen is seriously I'll, like some of mine have been. Two weeks ago, I buried my little sweetie, Peep Peep. I'd take yours to a vet asap. I'm giving my hen Amoxi-clav, antibiotics twice daily. Let me know what your vet tells you, please. Email me, please, [email protected], if vet says anything shocking that I should know Thx!
 

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