Lethargic Hen

[ChickieChick11]

Hi everyone,

I have a 3 year old Rhode Island Red. She has just started her spring molt.

A little backstory: her name is Poppy and she has been living separated from the flock (4 others) for about a year and a half. We’ve tried reintroducing her many times but it always ends in disaster. We originally separated her because she was badly bullied and plucked. She LOVES people.

She hasn’t molted since she was very young so I was so excited that she was growing new feathers. Since it’s warmer I’ve been walking around the yard with her. She’s always very spunky and chirpy. Yesterday I noticed her poop was completely liquid and that had continued into today, but now she doesn’t want to do anything and is not talking at all.
Do you think she’s just tired from her molt or did she maybe pick up something around the yard?

The last time one of my chickens stopped talking she died, so I might be overreacting but she is NOT acting normal at all.

Thank you all for your time.

 

[ChickieChick11]

Hello again,

I started cleaning her coop to look for clues and there were maggots in her poop (it’s black fly season). I checked her all over and saw no signs of any on her, but I soaked her in warm water with some Dawn dish soap and then used a hairdryer to fluff her back up just to be cautious. No signs of injury so I think there’s something internally wrong. Her crop is squishy, doesn’t feel like there’s any food in it. She hasn’t laid since the fall and she’s currently molting so I don’t think it’s an egg. No worms in her poop, so I don’t think dewormer her would do anything. Please help.

 

[ChickieChick11]

Update: I gave her some food mashed with water, pedialyte, and applesauce. I tried to feed her a scrambled egg but she wasn’t interested. She ate a bit (which is great) but now she’s back to being a huddled ball. Her poop is still liquid

 

[chrissynemetz]

I'm sorry nobody has answered you yet. What happened with her? Did she improve?

 

[ChickieChick11]

I'm sorry nobody has answered you yet. What happened with her? Did she improve?

She started improving but a few days later she passed away in my arms. Thank you for your reply.

 

[chrissynemetz]

Oh no! I'm so sorry! It's never easy when we lose one of our birds.