Drunk chicken?

[4flock]

I have four chickens who are in a chicken pen 80% of the time, I let them free range the yard every 3 days or so for 30 minutes while I do some chores in the yard. Point being, they don’t wander far or eat much that I can’t observe.

Yesterday the chickens came out the their pen to eat some bugs or weeds and all seemed normal. Today, one chicken seemed drunk. Obviously not, but wobbly and her eyes were half open. She didn’t feel warm when I picked her up. (She was my only hen to go broody on me last year so the fever isn’t happening) However she did seem to pluck out some undercarriage feathers. She let me hold her for several minutes without cooing or flapping her wings. She just seemed exhausted.

I found her just standing below the feeder and she didn’t come out at all when I opened the doors to allow some free time. After I held her and inspected her body I pet her a bit just to see how she’s react and got nothing. She more or less fell out of my arms when I went to let her down. Again checked her out, she waddled under their coop where their “dust bath” area is and I assumed spent the day there.

When I got home from work at ten pm she had enough wherewithal to get herself in the coop for the night but she didn’t make it to the roost. She chose the nest box. Her eyes are closed and she keeps nodding her head down to the pine flakes. Like a kid nodding off. Her bottom seemed a little “messy” though, almost not enough to even mention as another symptom, but just in case I will.

She’s had access to food and water, all the others seem completely fine. I’m assuming she was exposed to everything the others were in the yard.

Any thoughts?
Do I just watch from the side and let the animal do it’s thing or does this need human attention?

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

When is the last time she laid an egg? What is her poop like? She doesn't sound drunk, she sounds sick or egg bound.

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

Do I just watch from the side and let the animal do it’s thing or does this need human attention?

She definitely needs attention.

You say she "waddled"... if she had an upright, "penguin" stance she is likely egg bound or has ascites (water belly). If she feels really squishy underneath behind her legs that's ascites. If she feels normal but has a penguin stance I'd treat for egg binding by giving a calcium supplement (calcium citrate or Tums) and soaking her in a warm bath for about 15 minutes.

If she's just slow and tired looking (no penguin stance) I would check her crop. It should be flat and empty first thing in the morning or after not having eaten/drunk anything in several hours. If it seems like there is a hard ball in there it's probably impacted and if it's large and squishy suspect sour crop. Here is a good article about treating crop issues if you need: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Depending on what's going on and how long it's been since she's eaten/drunk anything she may be getting weak. If she's not seeming very responsive I'd try getting a little sugar water in her.

 

[4flock]

She definitely needs attention.

You say she "waddled"... if she had an upright, "penguin" stance she is likely egg bound or has ascites (water belly). If she feels really squishy underneath behind her legs that's ascites. If she feels normal but has a penguin stance I'd treat for egg binding by giving a calcium supplement (calcium citrate or Tums) and soaking her in a warm bath for about 15 minutes.

If she's just slow and tired looking (no penguin stance) I would check her crop. It should be flat and empty first thing in the morning or after not having eaten/drunk anything in several hours. If it seems like there is a hard ball in there it's probably impacted and if it's large and squishy suspect sour crop. Here is a good article about treating crop issues if you need: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Depending on what's going on and how long it's been since she's eaten/drunk anything she may be getting weak. If she's not seeming very responsive I'd try getting a little sugar water in her.

Thanks, it’s nearly sunup- so I’ll be checking on her here in a moment.

 

[4flock]

When is the last time she laid an egg? What is her poop like? She doesn't sound drunk, she sounds sick or egg bound.

She was still lethargic this morning. I took her inside and gave her a warm bath. Her belly seemed “watery” or squishy. Ascities? After cleaning I tried have it her naw on a grape but no luck. She’s not interested. Came home just now on my lunch break and I found her in the coop floor with an egg laid under her that had a bit of “snot” around it. Not mucus like but clear. She’s in my kitchen sink currently in an inch of warm water just sitting.

Keep her away from the others?

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

Keep her away from the others?

You only need to separate her if the others start pecking and bullying her.

It sounds like she has a reproductive disorder and the "snot" around the egg was albumen (the egg whites). The fluid you feel in her belly may also be egg material that is leaking into the abdominal cavity rather than passing out through the oviduct. Prognosis isn't great with reproductive issues. You could give her a daily calcium supplement for a week or so to see if that helps correct her system. (I have my doubts that it would help in this case, but I don't think it could hurt.) Also with ascites once the fluid building up in the abdomen becomes enough that the hen has trouble walking it needs to be drained off. Not only is it uncomfortable for the bird, but the internal pressure starts building up on her other organs and causes problems and eventually death.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would get some calcium tablets with vitamin D3, such as calcium citrate 600mg, and give one daily orally for the next week. It sounds like some hens that I have had who were experiencing reproductive disorders. Water belly or ascites can be very common with reproductive disorders, and also can occur with liver disease, and heart failure. I would encourage drinking fluids and offer both wet and dry feed plus some scrambled egg. Most hens will take that.

 

[4flock]

Thanks for the tips- she doesn’t seem to be able to take to any water or food. I will keep trying

 

[Eggcessive]

Is she awake or able to stand? Torpedo feeding of small bits of moistened feed can be done on birds who can swallow. Here is a thread about that:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...eeding-what-is-it-and-when-to-use-it.1532744/

Tube feeding is another method of getting fluids and thin foods into them. You can give some fluids down the chicken‘s right side of the throat safely with a syringe as in this picture:
https://i0.wp.com/www.smithersites.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/dosing_1_-609x588-300x290.jpg?resize=300,290

 

[4flock]

Update:
She’s still pretty lethargic, we kept her inside all day to monitor her. We just fed her 3ml of a baby bird feed via a syringe. She did not open her eyes but when I pulled her neck up and opened her beak she began to swallow. Hoping some fluid and sustenance will bring better news tomorrow. I’ve seen some information out there pointing to epsom salt baths for 5 minutes. Has anyone heard of this? We are keeping her vent cleaned and I no longer believe she has a squishy bottom. I did some further inspection tonight and was able to look at her belly - aside from the plucked feathers that looks okay.