8 month old hen, very lethargic, not walking...suggestions please...

[chick addict]

8 month old black australorp hen--not sure of her weight..but normal in size with rest of flock...

Today she is not walking, drinking, eating...Very lethargic, Belly feathers gone, and there are no feathers on back close to rear feathers...I looks very very raw..I do have a roo, but this is more raw than normal..

Eyes clear, beak great..Comb pale, no feces stuck on back end. I have been getting eggs daily, however they have been less, I assume due to the heat...Although I am not sure if she has been one of the layers or not due to the fact there are 12 other hens in the coop....

Temps outside have been over 100 degrees daily. Haven't seen her poops yet.. She was housed with 12 other hens and 1 roo....

So far I removed her and put her in a separate coop, cleaned raw area with betadine and antibiotic ointment..

Please help, I am somewhat new to the chicken world....

 

[emvickrey]

It sounds like she has been gettng pecked by the others. Chickens will eat each other. IF she doesn't try to get away from them they will kill her. It sounds like your diong the right things. Keep it clean and nedicated. Keep her away form the others and inside if possible away from flies and bugs.

Does she have any open wounds? Or is it just raw? A pic would help if you can get one.

I have one in the house right now for an injury.

I am no pro on injuries but when mine got hurt I had thought of most of the right things to do. I couldn't sew her up though. Not strong enough stomach for that. Anyway. A pic would help alot for those that do know more about how to tend to different injuries.

 

[chick addict]

She has been getting pecked at... In fact, she seemed fine this morning, they were all up and about...Then this evening They started pecking at her and she was very lethargic...Have no idea why they would all of a sudden start pecking on her...

 

[chick addict]

I'm sorry I meant to tell you it seems to be extremely raw, alittle open, but not split or where she would need stitches...

 

[threehorses]

In a case like this, I always suggest the same basics:

First, pick the bird up and thoroughly examine her for parasites - especially along the feather shafts and around the vent. They're nearly microscopic so take a flashlight. White sheets also help as you ruffle through the feathers; they drop off sometimes. Check for eggs along the feathers, too.

If you find parasites, they must be treated with a dust or ivermectin (if not feather mites, which I would want to rule out along with a number of other things in this case.) THEN you can go back and treat with DE until the next infestation.

Check her keel score. In other words, run your fingers along either side of her keel gently from the front to back. Then on the keel. If the keel sticks out sharply, like a spatula, the bird is emaciated (and probably anemic). There should be nice meat (think of a chicken breast at the store) on either side of the keel. The lower abdoment, between the bird's legs, should not be excessively heavy or lumpy.

Check the vent again more carefully; anything waxy white or black there?

Check her crop; does it contain what you would expect at the time of day you're checking her? Extra water at this time of year is expected. Checking them first thing in the morning before they get off their roosts to eat is ideal; it allows you to see if their crops cleared overnight; they always should.

Listen to her breathing and watch her breath; other than heat panting, is it labored? If so - upper labored (open mouth no tail bobbing) or lower (tail bobbing)?

Consider your feeding program. A bird of her age and laying program should be on 90% laying pellets or more. 10% or less should be treats, supplements, grains. She should be provided grit and oyster shell, mixed. Clean water. If it's different than this, I"d adjust it.

Consider your worming program. Do you worm? If so, how often? With what products? Personally, I like to worm twice yearly with ivermectin or another wormer that is very broad spectrum and includes tapeworms as they're an issue as I have cats and dogs. First wormings on adult flocks are usually done with wazine with a more broad spectrum wormer follow up in 6 weeks or less.

Consider the heat: heat will take a chicken down, but probably not this far. I suspect a combination of nutrition, parasites, and heat - if not a worming issue. Anything underlying in chickens will come to the forefront in the heat. Make sure you have multiple watering stations and areas of shade outside of the coop if they free range. Many birds reenter a coop thinking it's cool but will over heat if that's their only shade. They must have air flow.

Tell us, please, exactly what her droppings look like. Green/frothy, usually solid tan/green with a whtie topping? Orangey? Rusty? Like bad chocolate pudding? etc etc.

In the mean time, assume she's stressed/anemic. Feed her only easily dissolved foods (her pellets crumbles) until we can help you eliminate some possibilities of illness. It would help to give her (and the others) a boiled mashed egg yolk (part of it anyway), a teaspoon of yogurt for the live bacteria and calcium-absorbtion enhancement properties, some unsweetened applesauce to mix the above and help cleanse her system. Boost her nutrition to get her through this stress. Then we'll address what you tell us in your reply, to which I'm looking forward.

Thank you for answering all of my questions; they were each chosen for you to rule out something specific that I'm considering.

 

[chick addict]

Thank you for your advice....The hen seems to be doing great....I am starting to think is what heat exhaustion, and the others started to peck her...Now she seems to be doing fantastic....BACK TO NORMAL>>>>> once again thank you....

 

[threehorses]

That's lovely news, and happily received.