Chicken Immobile and incredibly lethargic, need help

[Trashpanda13]

On Monday around noon, one of my barred rocks was found laying on her side not making any effort to get up. This came about suddenly, as the rest of the flock is healthy. She wants to only lean to the right side and keeps lulling her head off to her right. I gave her water with a dropper to keep her hydrated throughout the night. She would occasionally get a burst of energy, but she would just end up laying horribly like a ragdoll.

She is not paralyzed. Her legs show response, as well as her wings. She cannot seem to keep her head up, though. Tuesday, she defecated twice, both of which had normal color or texture. She also laid an egg, which surprised me. I have been trying to keep her hydrated with electrolytes and mashed up some of her food in some water to make a mash. I offered her hard food and she showed interest but had no strength. I feed her with a dropper. She will occasionally get enough energy to try to stand but cannot make any progress other then just jerking up.

I did notice when she settles to sleep, she has a minor twitch before she passes out. She has so little energy, she will shut her eyes right after I feed/water her. Her pupils are responding normally, her mouth looks good to me. Her skin seems kind of sallow, and she has one small abrasion on her side. I do smell kind of a sour smell but I am not sure if it's from her poop or somewhere else. Her condition does not seem to be improving and I desperately need help.

I do not have access to a vet that will take her or is qualified to look at her, it's just me out here.

 

[Eggcessive]

How old is she? Can you feel of her crop in her upper right neck and tell us if there is any food in it, if it is empty, full, soft and mushy, doughy, or firm? Then again early tomorrow, feel it again when it should normally be empty. Holding a small lid or cup up to her beak to sip fluids or eat mushy chicken feed and cooked eggs is good. Anything to entice her to eat and drink. Electrolytes or Gatorade, or water with sugar 1 tsp per cup, are good. How hot is it? Some possibilities are dehydration, a crop disorder, Mareks disease, or getting hold of a toxin such as moldy feed, something dead or poisonous. I would prop her in a normal position with rolled towels or bedding. A chicken sling might be good if she tolerates one. Here is posts 5, 11-13 are some good ones:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[Trashpanda13]

How old is she? Can you feel of her crop in her upper right neck and tell us if there is any food in it, if it is empty, full, soft and mushy, doughy, or firm? Then again early tomorrow, feel it again when it should normally be empty. Holding a small lid or cup up to her beak to sip fluids or eat mushy chicken feed and cooked eggs is good. Anything to entice her to eat and drink. Electrolytes or Gatorade, or water with sugar 1 tsp per cup, are good. How hot is it? Some possibilities are dehydration, a crop disorder, Mareks disease, or getting hold of a toxin such as moldy feed, something dead or poisonous. I would prop her in a normal position with rolled towels or bedding. A chicken sling might be good if she tolerates one.

I just felt her crop about two hours ago. It does feel like a little water balloon. She does not have the energy to eat on her own and she just lulls her head if I assist her to a bowl. So I have been using a syringe with a mix of coconut water and water, plus another treatment of ACV mixed with water in case it's something like parasites or infection.

The temps have been dropping and I have her on rolled up towels and rags so that she is upright as though she were nesting. She still continues to lull her head.

What is a chicken sling? Never used one. Also, she is about a year old, if not a few months younger.

 

[Eggcessive]

I just posted a link above of examples of slings. They are for getting them upright, for periods throughout the day, and in front of food and water. They may try to get out of them, and if that is the case, they may not work.

 

[Eggcessive]

Note if she has a sour or bad odor from her beak if you touch her crop. See if it empties by morning.

 

[Trashpanda13]

I just posted a link above of examples of slings. They are for getting them upright, for periods throughout the day, and in front of food and water. They may try to get out of them, and if that is the case, they may not work.

Oh, I see that now. Thank you!

Do you think she potentially has sour crop? I can't imagine why her head keeps falling to the side the way it is. I don't think she has Marek's because there's no other symptoms in line with Mareks. No paralysis, no lesions or swellings, no tumors or eye issues...just extremely fatigued.

 

[Trashpanda13]

Note if she has a sour or bad odor from her beak if you touch her crop. See if it empties by morning.

She's so weak and without regular water her mouth seems to have a thick saliva in it. I'm concerned if I don't give her food or water she will die. Is it safe to give her an Epsom salt treatment? It's been about 2 and half days of this.

 

[Eggcessive]

It still could be Mareks or dehydration. Could she have suffered a head injury? You could try to tube feed some fluids by taking a 12-14 inch length of aquarium air tubing, and a large 35 ml syringe from the feed store. You place it in her right side of the back of her throat and pass it down to her crop. In the link below in the 4th picture, it shows where to pass a feeding tube.
https://unitedpeafowlassociation.org/articles/oral-medication-dosing-of-peafowl/
Measure from her beak to the middle of her crop for the length of tube to go down. This size tube works for water, raw egg and yogurt. Smooth one tip of the feeding tube with a lighter so it is not sharp.

 

[nuthatched]

I just felt her crop about two hours ago. It does feel like a little water balloon. She does not have the energy to eat on her own and she just lulls her head if I assist her to a bowl. So I have been using a syringe with a mix of coconut water and water, plus another treatment of ACV mixed with water in case it's something like parasites or infection.

The temps have been dropping and I have her on rolled up towels and rags so that she is upright as though she were nesting. She still continues to lull her head.

What is a chicken sling? Never used one. Also, she is about a year old, if not a few months younger.

Acv won't do a thing for parasites.
Follow the advice eggcessive has given you.
I'd also get some vitamins in her.

 

[Eggcessive]

She's so weak and without regular water her mouth seems to have a thick saliva in it. I'm concerned if I don't give her food or water she will die. Is it safe to give her an Epsom salt treatment? It's been about 2 and half days of this.

I would probably not do the Epsom salt treatment, since it has been more than a couple of days, and that might increase dehydration.