Chicken unable to stand/walk

[flappityflippers]

Hi,

I have a 3ish year old chicken who has been unwell for almost a week. The first couple of days she seemed very unwell - just sat in the coop with laboured breathing and looked very off colour. Based on how unwell she looked I had thought she was on her way out, but she then perked up a bit. She now looks better in colour and alertness but she won't walk anywhere. She tries to stand occasionally but spreads her wings kind of strangely and then gives up.

I have tried feeding her by hand - she will eat leafy greens but nothing else it seems. She is also barely drinking. I can get her to take a couple of sips when I put water right in front of her but it's not much.

I guess my question is should I just be thinking about euthanasing at this stage. I have done so before but didn't love the experience so was trying to avoid if possible but she doesn't seem to be improving and I don't want to go to a vet.

Its worth saying she hasn't laid eggs for more than 6 months (all of our other chickens have moulted and begun laying again a while ago) so I don't think it is directly an egg problem. We also got 2 new chickens a couple of days before she got sick but they had been kept separate so don't see it being related other than maybe they gave her some illness.

Any advice on possible actions greatly appreciated!

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have any pictures of her? Since she hasn’t laid eggs in 6 months, it could be a reproductive disorder such as salpingitis, cancer, infection, or water belly. Does she have any swelling in her lower belly under her vent area, or any weight loss and prominent breast bone/keel? How does her crop feel—empty and flat, partly full, firm, doughy, or squishy? She may be so weak from not eating and drinking that she has not strength to stand and walk. The new chickens could have brought in something that could have been spread on shoes, clothing, or in the air. Hard to know for sure, though. Many times I have had to do a necropsy on a hen that died to try and figure out what was wrong. I would try and hold mushy wet chicken feed with a bit of scrambled egg, tuna, or plain yogurt in it, right up to her beak several times a day. Add water to it to keep it mushy. Tube feeding could also be done if her crop is emptying overnight. A chicken sling could get her upright and in front of food and water. Here is a good thread about examples of how to make a sling, especially on the first 2 pages:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/