Chilly chicken panting and not moving

[lil bird lady1]

It's chilly here and my 1 year old hen who is used to much colder is suddenly panting with her mouth open, her wings away from her body, and when I walked in on her it looked like her mouth was watering. She's never done this before and she's refusing to move when I lifted her to isolate her from the other hens I didn't see any sign of an attack but she stiffened and didn't react to me at all besides that. She's my baby and I'm so worried I really need help

 

[azygous]

We sure would love to help, but you need to tell us more about the situation.

Where are you? Where is your hen living? What did she do today that might have led up to this? What did she eat today? How cold has it been? What has been the temperature extremes or has it been constantly cold?
Could a predator have tried to get into where your hen is kept? What other chickens do you have? Have you examined your hen for injuries? What is her poop like that might be different from normal? How is her balance? Is she having trouble standing? Are her eye wide open and alert or closed partway or all the way? How is her appetite? Will she drink water or eat if you offer them to her?

And anything else that can help us get the picture.

All I can tell you is panting in the absence of heat is a sign of stress.

 

[lil bird lady1]

We sure would love to help, but you need to tell us more about the situation.

Where are you? Where is your hen living? What did she do today that might have led up to this? What did she eat today? How cold has it been? What has been the temperature extremes or has it been constantly cold?
Could a predator have tried to get into where your hen is kept? What other chickens do you have? Have you examined your hen for injuries? What is her poop like that might be different from normal? How is her balance? Is she having trouble standing? Are her eye wide open and alert or closed partway or all the way? How is her appetite? Will she drink water or eat if you offer them to her?

And anything else that can help us get the picture.

All I can tell you is panting in the absence of heat is a sign of stress.

I'm in North Alabama, it's been in the 60's and 50's today and yesterday. She's a Dominique. I have her and four half rehode island red half leghorn hens in a large coop. She doesn't appear to have any injuries but she refuses to stand. She did not want to eat or drink so I dropped water on her beak to get her to drink. Her eyes are wide open and looking around.

 

[azygous]

It sounds like she could have gotten into something toxic. Do you have any idea what that might be? Have you had any chickens become sick and die mysteriously? Viruses can act very suddenly after being dormant in a flock.

 

[lil bird lady1]

Oh and I just got home and noticed this. Before she was just fine with no changed in behavior

 

[azygous]

So how long has it been since you last saw her normal? What could she have been doing between that time and when you got home and found her like this?

 

[lil bird lady1]

It sounds like she could have gotten into something toxic. Do you have any idea what that might be? Have you had any chickens become sick and die mysteriously? Viruses can act very suddenly after being dormant in a flock.

Two years back I had quite a few become sick and die suddenly. They have been in the coop the past two days and I checked, I didn't see anything she could have gotten a hold of

 

[lil bird lady1]

So how long has it been since you last saw her normal? What could she have been doing between that time and when you got home and found her like this?

I had to rush out of town for two days over a family emergency so Friday was when I last saw her. The flock still had plenty food and water when I got home and the coop was still locked up tight so nothing should have been able to get her. The only thing I could think of happening would be her getting sick suddenly. Oh and in the process of me being gone they manages to get their water a little dirty but I don't think it was bad enough to cause anything. I gave them fresh water ad soon as I got home

 

[azygous]

If this came on suddenly, and now she is unable to stand, and if I understand correctly, she is trying to support her self with her wings held out pressing on the floor for balance, then it sounds like poisoning of some kind. Something toxic entered the coop and somehow got into your hen.

Either someone stopped by and brought this into the coop, or it was a toxic insect that crawled in and your hen ate it. Have you noticed any darkling beetles in your coop. They usually will hide under things where it's kind of damp.

If this is what's making your hen sick, you might be able to make her better by giving her a molasses flush. If you think you can get her to eat it, you can put a tablespoon of molasses in a cup of very wet feed and mix it up.

If you can't get her to eat, then you might be able to get some water down her with some Epsom salt in it, one teaspoon in a cup of water. This will purge her intestines and make her poop out the poison that still in there. Then vitamin E 400iu with a sliver of selenium might repair the neurological damage.

 

[ChickNanny13]

&