Chicken is lethargic, sluggish and comb is flaccid

[mrosesull]

Hey everyone, my chicken Sumi hasn't been acting like herself for about 5 days. I'm not exactly sure what she is but she looks like a barred rock hybrid. She is 2 years old and right now weighs about 3 pounds.

On day 1 she was not moving from the brooding box, I assumed she was being broody but the next day she was outside, standing but not moving. I examined her and her stomach feathers were gone, and the feathers around her vent were also missing. Vent looks good otherwise. Her other feathers like wing/tail almost seem to be snapped off, but I am seeing no aggression from the other hens or rooster. The others look fantastic.

She has been eating her layer feed and some worms, a couple grapes too. But today she kind of pecked at the ground but looked uninterested. She has been pooping, solid but looks greener than usual.

So far I have given her a pea sized amount of ivermectin, 1 ml of ACV in her water, and gave her nutrient supplements. I took food and water away for a night 2 days ago to test for any crop issues, there was a little mass in the morning but I massaged it and it broke up.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[coach723]

Is her abdomen bloated, below the vent, between the legs? Her keel bone looks very prominent, she's thin. Her stance suggests a reproductive problem, she certainly looks like she feels very unwell. Those can also cause crop symptoms when the digestion slows or stops. The green droppings could be from not eating. Do you know when she last laid?

 

[mrosesull]

Is her abdomen bloated, below the vent, between the legs? Her keel bone looks very prominent, she's thin. Her stance suggests a reproductive problem, she certainly looks like she feels very unwell. Those can also cause crop symptoms when the digestion slows or stops. The green droppings could be from not eating. Do you know when she last laid?

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I just checked, and yes it is bloated and squishy. I haven't seen her egg for a week and a half now but she has had episodes of not laying so I didn't think much of it. I probably should have.

 

[coach723]

A bloated abdomen is often a sign of a reproductive problem. A history of egg issues or laying issues would also be a sign. Once they are bloated they usually don't recover. The bloat could be caused by fluid in the abdomen (ascites or waterbelly) if it feels water balloon like, or it could be infectious material if it feels more firm or hard. It could be a cancer, internal laying, EYP, or infection like salpingitis, or organ failure. If it's fluid then some people will drain the fluid, which can make them more comfortable for a time, but it usually recurs since the underlying condition will still be there. There are videos on youtube showing how to drain them, it's fairly simple, if that is something you want to try. It does come with some risk of shock if too much is drained to fast, or of infection from the needle stick. But sometimes it can help give them some comfort and maybe buy a little time. With her weight loss and prominent keel, I would guess that it's been going on for a little while. Weight loss is not always obvious unless you pick them up, the feathers really hide it, and they are very, very good at hiding illness, so you often don't know until it's advanced.