Depressed/sick chicken?

[chickenfyer]

Hi, I've been using Backyard Chickens for any of my chicken needs and I just made an account now because my chicken became ill.
I got her from a friend, and I don't know her breed. We used to have two chickens but one was sent away to a Sanctuary because of a possum attack. We have tried giving the second one chicks to raise, but the two times we tried they were both roosters and since we live in a big city we cannot keep them.
Lately, my only chicken got sick. One of her eyes are closed, and she is very lazy. She barely eats and so we normally force feed her bananas.
She used to have some discharge around her beak and nose, but that has disappeared. We are currently feeding her bananas and vitamin water.
Any help/answers to what illness this is?
Thank you.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi, I've been using Backyard Chickens for any of my chicken needs and I just made an account now because my chicken became ill.
I got her from a friend, and I don't know her breed. We used to have two chickens but one was sent away to a Sanctuary because of a possum attack. We have tried giving the second one chicks to raise, but the two times we tried they were both roosters and since we live in a big city we cannot keep them.
Lately, my only chicken got sick. One of her eyes are closed, and she is very lazy. She barely eats and so we normally force feed her bananas.
She used to have some discharge around her beak and nose, but that has disappeared. We are currently feeding her bananas and vitamin water.
Any help/answers to what illness this is?
Thank you.

Welcome to BYC.

How old is she?
Will she not eat regular poultry feed like layer pellets/crumbles or an all flock/flock raiser formula?
What does her poop look like?
Bananas and vitamin water may be ok for a day or so, but she really needs balanced nutrition that a poultry feed provides.

From some of the symptoms you describe, nasal discharge she may have had a respiratory illness.
It sounds like she is lethargic as well.

Offer some poultry vitamins in her water and regular poultry feed - you can make it into a mash by adding water.



Offer some poultry

 

[chickenfyer]

Ah, thank you for replying! To answer your questions:
She is four years old, and she refuses to eat her normal feed. As for her poop, it was watery and yellow, then it turned to normal poop, though slightly green. Because she doesn't eat her feed, is there any food she will like and eat? I'm thinking on giving up on laying feeds as her eggs are small and somewhat useless.
Also, a small update-
We had her at my cousin's house a couple days after her sickness started becoming obvious, (I had a vacation I couldn't cancel) and when we brought her back to my house, I found that her discharge had stopped and she would eat dried corn. She is more energetic and she explores the backyard more, while at my cousins she would stand in one place.
Thank you for your help! May I ask how I feed her the mashed feed?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Ah, thank you for replying! To answer your questions:
She is four years old, and she refuses to eat her normal feed. As for her poop, it was watery and yellow, then it turned to normal poop, though slightly green. Because she doesn't eat her feed, is there any food she will like and eat? I'm thinking on giving up on laying feeds as her eggs are small and somewhat useless.
Also, a small update-
We had her at my cousin's house a couple days after her sickness started becoming obvious, (I had a vacation I couldn't cancel) and when we brought her back to my house, I found that her discharge had stopped and she would eat dried corn. She is more energetic and she explores the backyard more, while at my cousins she would stand in one place.
Thank you for your help! May I ask how I feed her the mashed feed?

Can you post some photos of her and her poop?

What kind of discharge did she have and where was is coming from (vent or nostrils/beak)? Tell me about this.

If she won't eat layer feed, then you can try an all flock/flock raiser feed, this is higher in protein - this is my preferred feed. Offer oyster shell and poultry grit (crushed granite) free choice.

For making a "mash" - simply put some of her feed in bowl and add some water - enough to make it the consistency of oatmeal - she may prefer it a little more wet or pastier, so you may need to adjust your water. You can add a little scrambled/hard boiled egg, mackerel or tuna if you like. Give her a some of her beloved banana as a treat a little while after she has eaten her feed. (A girl's gotta have a treat

)

Slightly green poop can be an indication of a nutritional problem, so I'm hoping getting her on track with her nutrition will help some.
Watery and yellow poop - with her age she may have an internal laying or reproductive disorder, but it could also be worms. If you haven't wormed her this is something you may want to do.

Dried corn is ok for a small daily treat, but it doesn't have enough protein/vitamins/minerals, etc. for full nutrition.

Make sure she is drinking plenty of water.

Let me know how she is doing.

 

[chickenfyer]

AAh, sorry for taking forever to reply! I ran out of time/waited for the treatment to take effect. Anyway, a huuge thank you to you as my chicken is now back to regular health! Her eye is open, she is active once again, and all in all she is pretty much back to normal.
Thank you for your advice and for saving me the money to take her to a vet/get special medication food.
I will definitely be using this website again and again in case something like this happens again!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

AAh, sorry for taking forever to reply! I ran out of time/waited for the treatment to take effect. Anyway, a huuge thank you to you as my chicken is now back to regular health! Her eye is open, she is active once again, and all in all she is pretty much back to normal.
Thank you for your advice and for saving me the money to take her to a vet/get special medication food.
I will definitely be using this website again and again in case something like this happens again!

Glad she is doing well