One of the hens started walking around with just one slightly droopy wing about a week ago. Her comb fell over about then, too, but stayed red. A few days ago she started sleeping in the nest box instead of the roost, then yesterday she started refusing to come out of the coop and our roo Doc started keeping close by. (Guess how he got that name...yep, he watches over sick hens.) Yesterday I brought her inside for observation. Other than both wings drooping, comb drooping but red, alert but not really energetic, refusing to eat and no eggs, I can't find any other symptoms.
Her crop is absolutely empty, no sign of blockage. She can walk fine (even made me chase her bit, but slowly, to catch her) and I don't feel any hardness in her abdomen or near her vent. Her breastbone seems pretty prominent and I don't think she has eaten in several days. No sign of mites on her feet, wings or neck. No sneezing, wheezing, coughing or rattley breathing. Her eyes look good, but her face seems a bit dirty. Other than that she is still clean, no poo clinging anywhere. When I brought her in yesterday I gave her a chick waterer with electrolytes and some chopped egg, but she ignored both. I didn't want her to get dehydrated so I've been giving her the electrolytes with a syringe. This morning her poo was just a little white glob like toothpaste, which I guess seems about right for a hen that hasn't had anything but liquid the day before. No sign of worms. Now I just don't know what else to look for. Any ideas?
She was pretty cooperative about the syringe, so I think I might try to make a very watery crumble porrige for her and see if I can get her to eat some of that.
Her crop is absolutely empty, no sign of blockage. She can walk fine (even made me chase her bit, but slowly, to catch her) and I don't feel any hardness in her abdomen or near her vent. Her breastbone seems pretty prominent and I don't think she has eaten in several days. No sign of mites on her feet, wings or neck. No sneezing, wheezing, coughing or rattley breathing. Her eyes look good, but her face seems a bit dirty. Other than that she is still clean, no poo clinging anywhere. When I brought her in yesterday I gave her a chick waterer with electrolytes and some chopped egg, but she ignored both. I didn't want her to get dehydrated so I've been giving her the electrolytes with a syringe. This morning her poo was just a little white glob like toothpaste, which I guess seems about right for a hen that hasn't had anything but liquid the day before. No sign of worms. Now I just don't know what else to look for. Any ideas?
She was pretty cooperative about the syringe, so I think I might try to make a very watery crumble porrige for her and see if I can get her to eat some of that.
