Lucille is a RIR, will be 1 yr. old later this month. She's always been a normal healthy bird until 11 days ago when we had a very hot and humid day, temps in the mid-90s. I did what I always do on hot days - make sure everyone has shade, keep waterers full of cool water, a sprinkler in the chicken yard, baby pool with water, jugs of frozen water sitting in various places. All of the girls were struggling that day, but as I was giving each of them a "shower" (rubbing the cool water up under their wings and on their chests) in the sprinkler, I noticed that she did not struggle at all like most of the others did. Then I watched her and she slowly walked back into the shady area and just stood there with her head and tail both down and eyes closed.
I brought her inside the cool garage and let her rest in a dog crate, but she has not snapped out of it, so she's been in the garage ever since. I've been force-feeding her with a syringe every few hours - electrolyte and probiotics water and also egg yolk mixed with water and a little Poultry Cell. She does not eat or drink on her own. Still pooping, sometimes very watery with white globs, other times very dark greenish-black.
She keeps her eyes closed almost all of the time, but she'll open them when I squirt stuff into her beak. Then she'll keep them open and look around a bit - looks like she's high or something - and slowly walk around a very small area, then closes her eyes and shuts down again. I've also noticed a few times there are very small white chunky looking things on the edge of her lower eyelid when they are open. I was able to wipe one away with my finger.
I bring her crate out on the porch during the day when it's cool and breezy and I take her out and set her in the grass where she'll look around and walk slowly around for a few minutes and then shut down again. I'm positive the only reason she's still alive is because I'm syringe feeding her, which I will continue to do as long as I have to, but does anyone have any idea what this could be? Do you think she had a heat stroke that day and has brain damage? She doesn't seem to be suffering, but I have no idea. Thanks in advance for any ideas!
