Drooping comb and won’t eat or drink

[Bejep714]

Last night when I was putting my flock away I noticed one of our Rhode Island reds was acting funny and had a dropped crown. She had what looked like sweat on her face and neck and was panting heavily. It’s been very hot here recently and she has just turned 5 years old, so I’m not exactly sure if the heat was the reason but she didn’t seem injured in any other way. I brought her inside but since last night she hasn’t eaten and only drank when I forced her to through a syringe. This morning I noticed her panting has stopped which is a good sign but she still looks tired and her comb is obviously completely drooping. I inserted a before and after picture as well. What should I do now? I feel I shouldn’t just let her recover naturally because she looks miserable right now even though I also feel she is stable

 

[coach723]

What do her droppings look like? Is her crop empty, full, hard, soft and squishy, etc? At 5 years old, the possibilities are many. Older birds, fat birds, or birds with underlying health conditions can be more affected by the heat. It's possible that she has something else going on that the heat has just made more obvious. Do you know when she last laid? I would keep her in a cooler place for now, try to get her hydrated and taking fluids. Monitor droppings and crop function.

 

[Bejep714]

Her crop felt normal and I haven’t seen her poop yet but he backside is extremely clean so I don’t think it would be messy but I’ll keep an eye on it. I appreciate your insight, I mainly wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing anything or wasn’t doing anything I should. Im not sure the last time she laid, Im pretty sure she has slowed down since she has gotten older. I’ll keep an eye on that as well thank you!

 

[Bejep714]

She has just pooped and it is extremely watery does that mean anything?

 

[SouthDakotaLiving]

@Bejep714 I've been told here that means she hasn't eaten in awhile (I have a bird in similar circumstances but much more ill than yours and this is what was said to me). It's great that you're on top of this, as it's shocking how quickly these sweet birds can go downhill.

 

[Bejep714]

Is there a good way to get a chicken to eat? I was able to get her to drink but she won’t touch food right now

 

[SouthDakotaLiving]

You can look up torpedo food--I'll link it if I can find it--you basically make little pellets you can shove into the mouth. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...eeding-what-is-it-and-when-to-use-it.1532744/

For birds who can still eat, others on this forum have recommended wet cat food-- in moderation, just to get them going-- or tuna, as they apparently like it. Sometimes making a mash with their layer feed with some egg mixed in is appealing to them and easier to get down or just egg on its own.

You might also ask @Eggcessive about tube feeding. Here is the video I found on it that seemed helpful

If you have NutriDrench, the dosage is a 1 ml syringe per 3 lbs of body weight directly into the beak or follow directions on package for putting into water. It has molasses, glucose, extra vitamins and can be quite helpful within an hour in some cases.

 

[Bawkbok]

Try scrambled egg. If she is not drinking see if she'll eat some watermelon - a quick hydration. As others have suggested, she could benefit from some electrolytes and amino acids.
Have you felt her belly - between her legs below her vent. Does it feel normal or does she react when you feel it?
Has she undergone extreme stress lately - such as with loud fireworks the last couple of days?

 

[RedHillChicken]

Her crop felt normal and I haven’t seen her poop yet but he backside is extremely clean so I don’t think it would be messy but I’ll keep an eye on it. I appreciate your insight, I mainly wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing anything or wasn’t doing anything I should. Im not sure the last time she laid, Im pretty sure she has slowed down since she has gotten older. I’ll keep an eye on that as well thank you!

Post all pics of her poop, have you noticed any lash eggs, is her belly below the vent bloated?

 

[Bejep714]

Here are some pics of her and her poop. It’s just watery with a bit of yellow. I felt around everywhere and she feels normal. She doesn’t have a crop, which Im pretty sure is normal for a chicken that won’t eat but if it’s not let me know. She made a squeak when I picked her up but then she didnt do anything while I was touching her. She seems off balance and wonky when she tries to stand.