Chicken is sick and nodding off all day

[Meggnar]

I noticed immediately today my usual fiesty girl (who is the last one to be caught or picked up) was hunched under coop, standing but not moving. I went in and grabbed her and she was super docile (never before has she acted like this). Her crop wasn’t huge but hard and I started massaging and she immediately started nodding off. I wrapped her in towel
And she has been sleeping inside with me for about 2 hours. I got her to drink water and got the crop worked through I believe. She went to the bathroom twice but when she went back into the coop she wasn’t moving around so I grabbed her again. She is currently sleeping on my lap. Her color doesn’t seem off. We were up late last night entertaining but I can’t imagine it affected her bc all the chickens would be tired? Help! New time chicken owner and I don’t know if this will pass or when to take her to vet.

* she layed an egg this morning and didnt act like this at all yesterday.

 

[rebrascora]

There is definitely something amiss and it is not just being disturbed by your late night visitors. A photo of her all wrapped up really doesn't give us a lot to go on. Can you get a close up one of her standing?

What does her body condition feel like..... feel her breast area. Does her breast bone feel sharp under the skin or does she have some breast muscle padding it out?

Crops can be hard through the day or soft, it doesn't mean anything. The important thing is to check it at night and it should be full and then remove access to food and check her first thing in the morning. If it is not empty in the morning then that indicates there is a problem. For her to be lethargic like this, a crop problem would generally have been going on for some time and she would have lost a lot of breast muscle and feel thin.

Another thing to check would be her abdomen. Cup your hand between her legs and compare to a similar breed healthy chicken.... if you do it whilst they are roosting at night, you can compare one to the other side by side and it will be obvious if there is any swelling or bloat. Check the vent for any swelling or prolapse or discharge.
You may find that she has lice. Usually I find that sick chickens become a magnate for lice and because they can't be bothered to dust bath they soon become overrun.

Do you have any idea when she last laid an egg?

What do you normally feed them.... main feed and treats?
How old is she and how long have you had her? Have you added any new flock members recently?

Is she standing hunched up? If so, is it her front end (neck pulled in) or her tail down and back rounded or both?

Usually a chicken that is ill will pretend to be normal until they are too weak to be bothered, so by the time you notice something is amiss, they are often pretty sick.
Knowing answers to some of my questions above might indicate if she is not too far gone to be treated at home, but if she is a much loved pet and you can afford veterinary treatment then that might be best straight away. It is hard enough to diagnose a chicken when they are in front of you and you can see and feel them yourself but trying to do it over the internet is much less reliable, especially when you have so little information to go on, so don't leave it too late waiting for responses before seeking a vets help.

 

[Meggnar]

I got them all in October 2017, no new members.

I have had her drink water 2 different times and she took it.

She is hunched but standing rounded back and neck pulled in. Currently in towel sleeping on couch. She almost seemed off blanace and you can hold her any odd angle at the moment and it doesnt phase her.

Organic layer pellets (soy and corn free) plus kitchen and garden scraps. We dont have really any grass up here. Treats are dried meal worms on occasion.

Nothing abnormal on body, like I said I massaged crop this morning and it has since loosened but it was not very big like I have seen on some videos.

She layed an egg this morning but was very clumsy coming out of the nesting box.

 

[rebrascora]

Are the pellets real pellets or grain fragments. I know many of those organic soy and corn free products like Scratch and Peck are grain mixes rather than actual pellets and some people don't understand the difference.... apologies if you are not one of them.
The clumsiness could just be weakness or something else.
She could be struggling to pass a shell less egg. That can really take it out of them. Usually you will see them straining occasionally if that is the case. The fact that she laid an egg today doesn't rule it out as sometimes 2 yolks are released from the ovary in close succession but suggests it is not a crop issue. Often by the time you notice a crop problem they are not getting enough nutrients through their system to produce eggs and have lost a lot of body weight.

 

[Meggnar]

Here she is bundled up neck out and hanging down. They are pellets.

 

[rebrascora]

If you have the funds for a vet, now would be the time to spend them although I think she may be too far gone.

 

[Meggnar]

if she laid an egg this morning could she still have egg binding?

 

[Meggnar]

UPDATE! Saturday to Friday we kept her inside and warm, hand fed her with syringe and held her as much as possible. She could hardly walk. Took her to vet Friday and she said she could feel something in crop but wasnt sure if that was 100% the problem and that she would do surgery through the throat on Monday but only if I could get her strength up. Kept her warm and safe and fed and monday morning items had passed and she was showing major improvement. A few more days she was fully back to normal and back with the flock. I am amazed she survived bc it did not look good but she is great and thriving and now she jumps up on us constantly bc I think she is so thankful! Just wanted to let you all know bc when I was searching for what was wrong I didnt see many happy endings!

 

[rebrascora]

Thank you so much for the happy update and well done for nursing her back to health.
Can you elaborate on this....

Kept her warm and safe and fed and monday morning items had passed and she was showing major improvement

ie. what were the items? Had she eaten something she shouldn't have?