Chicken acting sick and getting worse.. UPDATE! Found dead

[The Red Rooster]

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) Penelope is a Silkie cross. She is about 8 months old. (just a guess). She does seem to be thinner then she was.

2) What is the behavior, exactly. Penelope has droopy wings and doesn't run away when I come up to her. She is acts tired and sick. Her mouth is open, and she is panting.

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? Two days.

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No.

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. No.

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Today is really cold, and it has been warm the last few days. It could be the sudden change in the weather?

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. She has been eating scratch and drinking water.

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. I haven't got the chance to look yet.

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? No treatment yet. I have put her inside of a box away from the other chickens with straw. Maybe I should take her inside of the house?

 

[The Red Rooster]

UPDATE

It's a wild guess, but I wonder if she's laying her first egg? She is laying down and breathing hard-really hard! Could it be?

Here are some pictures:

 

[The Red Rooster]

Penelope is panting now... yesterday she was breathing pretty hard... I gave her some raw garlic (it's a natural antibiotic)... her wings are still droopy...

Her bottom has some poop on it. Her poop looks a little runny.

Is all this because of the sudden change in the weather? Need some answers please. She is getting worse.

Thank you.

 

[coolcanoechic]

There are some chicken diseases that cause labored breathing and panting. There may also be a respiratory infection. I am no expert, but I wanted to reply to keep the thread at the top.
Go through the postings in this section to see if any of the symptoms match yours. There may be some answers there for you.
Are you new to this? I am. I took one of my girls to a vet this morning. It made me feel much better to have my hen thoroughly checked out by a vet and eliminate all of my questions and fears about her health.
You may have to call around to find a vet near you who will see chickens, but ya know what? That visit made me feel much better as I'm sure it will help my sick girl too.
I wish you the best and I hope everything comes out ok.

Please let us know how things turn out.

 

[The Red Rooster]

Quote:
Thank you! I was wondering about respiratory infection. The raw garlic should help with that. Not sure if it's true, but I heard that it was more powerful then antibiotics.

I'll look around, and thank you for responding.

Also, I was wondering about eggbound? I thought she might be laying her first egg, but nothing has come yet.

 

[Eggcessive]

If she had laid an egg before I might wonder if she has become broody, especially since she is part silkie. I would try to get her to eat some scrambled egg for extra protein. She needs layer feed which is 16% protein instead of scratch (8-10%.) It's possible she is just trying to start laying as you said. Hope you can figure out the problem since it could be many things.

 

[coolcanoechic]

Quote:
Thank you! I was wondering about respiratory infection. The raw garlic should help with that. Not sure if it's true, but I heard that it was more powerful then antibiotics.

I'll look around, and thank you for responding.

Also, I was wondering about eggbound? I thought she might be laying her first egg, but nothing has come yet.

Will she let you handle her without a fuss? I wonder if you can feel her tummy and see if it feels bloated. I heard it is a symptom of eggbound. Someone please step in and help here.
My biggest concern is that a chicken appears sick when they are really not doing well. They are good at hiding problems and when you finally realize they are sick, they are well into being sick.
I'm not sure garlic will be effective at this point. Please do yourself a favor and get some antibiotics for her. Like I said, I am a newbie and I only want to help and I am no expert. I have been reading these threads every day for months and months and from what it sounds like, you need to give her some antibiotics.
Please don't delay. Chickens get sick and die very quickly before you even know how bad they have gotten.

I hope someone will chime in soon to help you.

 

[coolcanoechic]

Did you find a vet?
I am hoping for the best for you.....

 

[The Red Rooster]

Quote:
Thank you! No, I haven't found a vet yet. Penelope is still the same. I'll go out and check on her real quick.

 

[The Red Rooster]

I just checked on her. She is relieved of her suffering.

Good by Penelope. You were a sweet chicken.