Can't figure out what is wrong with my hen

[smoore7489]

Hi! I have a year old hen who is acting strangely. She is very sluggish and isnt moving around much. Not eating a whole bunch either. Jus a few bites here and there. Her comb color is fine. Bright red. No sneezing, breathing problems, no runny eyes or nose or anything physically different besides her behaivor. She is kind of staying away from the flock too but every once in a while will go join them, but just for a few mins. I brought her in last night and started treating her as if she was egg bound. But as I was doing that I couldn't feel any egg stuck in the abdomen or vent area. I went ahead and did the treatment as if I had tho, just to be sure. I cant figure this out. In her little hospital box she has some droppings in there, they are a bit runny tho. Does anyone have any idea what is up? The rest of the flock seems fine. Thanks in advance!

 

[smoore7489]

She is still acting this way. Has since yesterday afternoon. Thoughts? Anyone?

 

[Eggcessive]

When they act sick, it is best to check them out all over for possible problems. First check inside the vent 1-2 inches with a finger (use disposable glove) for a stuck egg. Feel of the crop to check if it is empty, full, hard, or puffy. Crops should be empty first thing in the morning after not eating all night. Look her over for mites or lice on her skin. Make sure that she is able to stand and move her legs and wings normally. Check her vent for any stuck droppings. Offer some chicken feed, chopped egg, and water to see if she will take some. Is she breathing normally? Feel of her breast bone for any weight loss, and of her lower belly for fullness or tightness.

 

[smoore7489]

Checked the vent with finger like u said, no egg stuck. How do u tell if there is mites or lice? I use diatamaceous earth quite a bit in their coop and nesting boxes (and even put it on them) so that never occured to me. Her crop is pretty much empty. As it wqs yesterday too. Im making her a hard boiled egg right now hoping that would strike an appetite. And her breathing is normal.

 

[Eggcessive]

You can normally see lice or mites moving around under the vent, and sometimes on other parts of the body. Lice leave white clumps of eggs at the base of feathers, and mites leave tiny brown specks of droppings on the skin. If yousee any, you may want to skip the DE and get some permethrin 10% spray.

Your hen may be low in pecking order, and not getting enough to eat or drink. Or she could be suffering from a reproductive or other sickness. Getting her to drink water, and to eat something is really important. I will mix water, chicken feed, a tsp of yogurt, and some egg to tempt them to eat. Has she been laying normal eggs recently?

 

[smoore7489]

Some of them are going through a molt right now and Im thinking she is too. She hasnt laid an egg since ive kept an eye on her. She ate a whole boildd egg and just a tad bit of cheese so that made me feel a bit better but you can tell she still isnt feeling well. However, after she ate I could tell she perked up some. I go check for the mites and lice and see if I see anything. If she has them, do I need to be concerned with my dog or us? Should I prepare for that as well if it turns out to be true?

 

[smoore7489]

Checked for.mites. I couldn't really find anything. I did see a couple of tiny black dots that mightve been mites but I didnt see them move. Anyways, i went ahead and treated her as if it was tho just to be sure. And her sluggishness and anti-social behaivor is still happening this morning. The rest of the flock is still okay.