Advise Please, Chicken in shock?!

[Wyorp Rock]

How is she doing?

 

[davibirks]

How is she doing?

Right now she's stood better and we've let her back in the garden with the other two chickens. She seems to have more life in her than yesterday.

Her eyes are still been funny. One is open 70% of the time and the other 20%. Even when it's open though she is still walking into things and doesn't respond if I move my fingers close to her eye.... she is aware you are near here though so can't see that she could be blind?

She's been making noises to the other girls too and loved to have some of the normal layers pellets this afternoon. But then she goes back to being sleepy and stood still. Maybe she's just knackered?

The other thing we have noticed is her tail is more up. Signs of getting better? Photo attached, (she's the one at the front) her stance is noticeably better at times.

Thanks for your help and advice!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Her stance does look a bit better.

Not sure about the eye, hopefully it's just trauma and needs time to heal. She may have gotten a good blow to the head. I think you are doing what you can. It sounds like she's interacting a bit with the others, even for a short while, that's good.

 

[davibirks]

Her stance does look a bit better.

Not sure about the eye, hopefully it's just trauma and needs time to heal. She may have gotten a good blow to the head. I think you are doing what you can. It sounds like she's interacting a bit with the others, even for a short while, that's good.

I think so too. Ever heard of a chicken going blind after shock?

 

[HollyWoozle]

Got my fingers crossed for your girl! So pleased to see her looking better in the later photo. I have one who currently looks just like your earlier pic with the odd stance and eyes closed, likely due to internal issues, but she has her eyes shut most of the time too. She’ll open them now and then and will eat voraciously for a very short time (if you offer something really tempting) then shuts her eyes and basically closes down again. Very odd!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I think so too. Ever heard of a chicken going blind after shock?

I don't think she would go blind just from shock, but from trauma, yes.

 

[davibirks]

Got my fingers crossed for your girl! So pleased to see her looking better in the later photo. I have one who currently looks just like your earlier pic with the odd stance and eyes closed, likely due to internal issues, but she has her eyes shut most of the time too. She’ll open them now and then and will eat voraciously for a very short time (if you offer something really tempting) then shuts her eyes and basically closes down again. Very odd!

This is exactly what we are experiencing. How are your other chickens reacting to her? Do they leave her alone or are they 'bullying' her?

 

[HollyWoozle]

This is exactly what we are experiencing. How are your other chickens reacting to her? Do they leave her alone or are they 'bullying' her?

The others were not bullying her but our rooster did try to mount her, so she is separate now. Another hen has also been showing the same symptoms and prior to being separate they were mostly just stood together, looking like your chicken in her eyes shut photo.

The second chicken looks a bit brighter this morning and is out with the others, but I expect that the first hen, Frida, will not survive. From asking on here it seems that she likely has issues with her reproductive system which I can't help with, common in hens bred for commercial laying (she is an ex-battery hen). She does not seem to be egg bound or have any crop issues and she still eats regularly, but is fussy and can only eat a small amount before she seems exhausted and shuts her eyes again. I have not seen her drink in a long time... I tried to get her to swallow some water yesterday and she had a bit, but I am also not sure it's worth forcing her when she appears to be dying. She has produced very watery droppings in small amounts for maybe 10 days now and her stance is continuously penguin-like.

I hope your hen improves - perhaps the shock just set something off. We had a parasite infestation here and I can't decide if the stress of that started something in the hens here OR if the two sick hens here just showed parasites (I haven't actually seen any on the others) because their health was already compromised.

 

[davibirks]

The others were not bullying her but our rooster did try to mount her, so she is separate now. Another hen has also been showing the same symptoms and prior to being separate they were mostly just stood together, looking like your chicken in her eyes shut photo.

The second chicken looks a bit brighter this morning and is out with the others, but I expect that the first hen, Frida, will not survive. From asking on here it seems that she likely has issues with her reproductive system which I can't help with, common in hens bred for commercial laying (she is an ex-battery hen). She does not seem to be egg bound or have any crop issues and she still eats regularly, but is fussy and can only eat a small amount before she seems exhausted and shuts her eyes again. I have not seen her drink in a long time... I tried to get her to swallow some water yesterday and she had a bit, but I am also not sure it's worth forcing her when she appears to be dying. She has produced very watery droppings in small amounts for maybe 10 days now and her stance is continuously penguin-like.

I hope your hen improves - perhaps the shock just set something off. We had a parasite infestation here and I can't decide if the stress of that started something in the hens here OR if the two sick hens here just showed parasites (I haven't actually seen any on the others) because their health was already compromised.

Ours is just showing real symptoms of normality and life. I put her out with the other two today and both of them have had a peck/attack at her... I'm guessing they are just re-confirming the pecking order?