Buff Orphington suddenly lethargic and periodically opens mouth

[chinjon]

I had a chicken do this when they started laying the first couple of times..just make sure she is eating and drinking

Thank you for this @Lenny loves chickens I'll keep monitoring her and report back.

I truly appreciate the response and reassurance!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

What does her crop feel like? Check her crop first thing in the morning before she's had anything to eat or drink - it should be empty/flat.

The beak action reminds me of a bird that is having some crop issues. Thin poop...partial blockage - crop/digestive - this is what I would look at first.

Any way you can get a fecal float performed by a vet to rule out worms as a possible issue as well? Most of the time you won't see worms in poop unless infestation is severe and it also depends on the type of worm - most you will never see.

 

[chinjon]

Welcome To BYC

What does her crop feel like? Check her crop first thing in the morning before she's had anything to eat or drink - it should be empty/flat.

The beak action reminds me of a bird that is having some crop issues. Thin poop...partial blockage - crop/digestive - this is what I would look at first.

Any way you can get a fecal float performed by a vet to rule out worms as a possible issue as well? Most of the time you won't see worms in poop unless infestation is severe and it also depends on the type of worm - most you will never see.

Thank you for responding @Wyorp Rock

Her crop felt emptied this morning, she was eating last night, gave her feed and some soft noodles w/ vegetables. I also brought her inside to monitor her more closely and feed her.

Today shes more reluctant to eat this morning, still mouth opening periodically but not all the way when we try to feed her.

Here are her dropping from this morning, ones covered in wood shavings are the same set - they're the ones she made over night, and blue towel is an hour after.

---

Yes I think I can get one, Avian vet is a bit of a ways, but I'll try closer vets to see if they can process fecal tests for poultry. In the meantime is there anything I can do immediately for her if it is most likely worms? I do not have Safeguard on hand, but I did go ahead and order it as well as Corid.

The same for crop issues/blockage as well, what immediate steps would I be able to do.

 

[chinjon]

Welcome To BYC

What does her crop feel like? Check her crop first thing in the morning before she's had anything to eat or drink - it should be empty/flat.

The beak action reminds me of a bird that is having some crop issues. Thin poop...partial blockage - crop/digestive - this is what I would look at first.

Any way you can get a fecal float performed by a vet to rule out worms as a possible issue as well? Most of the time you won't see worms in poop unless infestation is severe and it also depends on the type of worm - most you will never see.

Also, a "symptom"/behavior I noticed is that she is having difficulty bowing her head forward to scratch her belly with her beak.

She'll make an attempt to bend forward but stop midway as if something is stopping her.

I have also started feeding her Harrison's Recovery formula, I've mixed up into a soupy consistency and feeding her via spoon

EDIT: I can also confirm that she also has a degree of difficultly pecking underneath her wing and her tail side. Both activities she was able to do without difficulty earlier in the week, pre-lethargicness/beak opening.

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

Also, a "symptom"/behavior I noticed is that she is having difficulty bowing her head forward to scratch her belly with her beak.

She'll make an attempt to bend forward but stop midway as if something is stopping her.

I have also started feeding her Harrison's Recovery formula, I've mixed up into a soupy consistency and feeding her via spoon

View attachment 2931807

EDIT: I can also confirm that she also has a degree of difficultly pecking underneath her wing and her tail side. Both activities she was able to do without difficulty earlier in the week, per-lethargicness/beak opening.

If you feel her neck can you feel anything stuck

 

[chinjon]

If you feel her neck can you feel anything stuck

her neck does feel a little bit more noticeable - like a curve, not sure if that is a breast bone?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

In the meantime is there anything I can do immediately for her if it is most likely worms? I do not have Safeguard on hand, but I did go ahead and order it as well as Corid.

The same for crop issues/blockage as well, what immediate steps would I be able to do.

Also, a "symptom"/behavior I noticed is that she is having difficulty bowing her head forward to scratch her belly with her beak.

She'll make an attempt to bend forward but stop midway as if something is stopping her.

Can she stand?
You mention she seems to have trouble moving the neck, do you see any bruising or injury along her neck or on her body along the back or under the wings?

You could deworm her with the Safeguard dose is 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days.
Treating for crop issues - this is the methods I use... https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

The neck is puzzling. I think I would offer her Vitamin E (400IU) and 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily as well. If you get the Corid and decide to treat for Coccidiosis, then eliminate the B-Complex until you finish the course of treatment.

 

[chinjon]

Can she stand?
You mention she seems to have trouble moving the neck, do you see any bruising or injury along her neck or on her body along the back or under the wings?

You could deworm her with the Safeguard dose is 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days.
Treating for crop issues - this is the methods I use... https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

The neck is puzzling. I think I would offer her Vitamin E (400IU) and 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily as well. If you get the Corid and decide to treat for Coccidiosis, then eliminate the B-Complex until you finish the course of treatment.

She is able to stand, and walk around - albeit she doesn't walk around much.

I was able to drop off poop samples for a fecal test, I collected hers and rest of the flock. So I will hold off on de-worming her.

Today is more-less the same, she hasn't been eating and drinking on her own, and we've been feeding her the Harrison's Recovery formula. I have not noticed any bruises, I've examined her body with my fingers and haven't seen her react with any pain.

In terms of behavior, she seems attentive, but lethargic, standing in one spot not moving much. I've taken outside to walk around a bit, she'd catch up with the flock but slowly. Inside while I'm with her, she instinctively crawls into my lap and stands on it.

I do have Nutri-Drench on hand, I've mixed a small squirt w/ less than 8oz of water and been feeding it to her via spoon, as well as Rooster Booster electrolytes.

Her crop this morning was empty and malleable (even squishy, maybe?). She didn't poop too much overnight, mostly white droppings. She did poop a bit before I put her to bed, mostly liquid.

I went to the poultry supply store (where I've purchased my flock) and mentioned her symptoms to the owner. He thinks she's eaten something wrong and said to wait for it to pass.

There is one thing that occurred a few days ago, a family member has a compost pile going in the backyard, that is fenced off from the flock. This past weekend the family member was turning over the pile and the smell was really pungent. I'm thinking Wheezy inhaled it and is that something that can affect chickens?

I have set up an appointment with the Avian vet after I had dropped off the droppings, but I am hoping her conditions improve where I don't have to go.

 

[chinjon]

I have taken a video of her this morning outside:

Her poops from today

I guess I would say she is squat-standing.

She has been positioning herself lower today. I have noticed some tail throbbing but it’s not too overt.


I do have liquid vitamin B-12 on hand and I have started to administer her some. Would just the -12 supplement work or a more general vitamin b supplement

---

She is also sleeping quite a lot, which makes me a bit more worried seeing her like this

 

[Wyorp Rock]

When is the last time she laid an egg? Any trouble with soft shelled eggs?

You mention her crop being empty this morning but squishy? Was it empty/flat or did it have something in there like fluid or doughy?

Is she drinking ok? I would still lean toward her crop not emptying or she's got a partial blockage somewhere in the digestive system. Sometimes there's another condition like reproductive problems causing inflammation and the whole system slows down.

Keep her drinking, the vitamins are fine to give for a few days. If she will eat that's good.

As for the compost, I don't think just a smell of compost out in the open air would cause problems for her, I'm sure the other chickens would have been symptomatic as well if that were the case.
IF She had consumed/eaten from the compost pile when it was turned and ate rotting material, then this could potentially cause some problems.