EGG BOUND, LEG COLLAPSING

[SammyJoyMonte]

So, I'm currently at college and my mother has informed me that one of my hens (over two years old) hasn't laid an egg in about a week. She's also told me that she loses her balance a lot (almost as if her leg is giving out and she just collapses) and she is always the last one up at night and down in the morning. She won't jump on the perch at night. She has an appetite but only really walks around after being soaked in a bath, although my mother said today she was walking around a bit more. She also sent me these pictures of her poop and says she wags her tail a lot and it's not raised high but in the middle. And my mom has been spraying her for mites. It's really hard to help when I'm not home so anything to tell her would really help.

I just saw a video call of her and she's in a lot better spirits and is walking around to eat, drink and clean herself but she did collapse and lay down after.

 

[azygous]

The poop pics along with the description of the hen acting weak point to illness, not necessarily egg binding. But we really do need more information.

There are two kinds of collapsing and lying down. A hen that needs to rest will lower herself into a squat and rest on her belly and her eyes remain open. Then there is a chicken lying on its side with legs straight out to the side with eyes closed and that means the chicken is dying.

Leg weakness with trouble balancing can mean heat sickness or hypothermia. It can also mean the chicken has gotten into a toxic substance. Or in this hen's case, if she's been infested for any length of time by coop mites (as opposed to lice which feed on dead skin) she could be weak from blood loss (anemia).

The poop just tells us she's sick. You will need to ask your mother more questions such as how long this has been going on, has it been suddenly very hot or very cold, is it coop mites she's treating or is it lice, could the hen have drunk contaminated water or moldy food or eaten insects from a slimy level of a compost pile?

This isn't to say that you can't tell your mother what to do right now. Have her treat the hen for shock or low blood sugar by giving her one cup of tepid water with one teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt and baking soda mixed in. This can stabilize her and give her strength and maybe then your mother can give you more information for us to try to figure out how to further help.

 

[SammyJoyMonte]

The poop pics along with the description of the hen acting weak point to illness, not necessarily egg binding. But we really do need more information.

There are two kinds of collapsing and lying down. A hen that needs to rest will lower herself into a squat and rest on her belly and her eyes remain open. Then there is a chicken lying on its side with legs straight out to the side with eyes closed and that means the chicken is dying.

Leg weakness with trouble balancing can mean heat sickness or hypothermia. It can also mean the chicken has gotten into a toxic substance. Or in this hen's case, if she's been infested for any length of time by coop mites (as opposed to lice which feed on dead skin) she could be weak from blood loss (anemia).

The poop just tells us she's sick. You will need to ask your mother more questions such as how long this has been going on, has it been suddenly very hot or very cold, is it coop mites she's treating or is it lice, could the hen have drunk contaminated water or moldy food or eaten insects from a slimy level of a compost pile?

This isn't to say that you can't tell your mother what to do right now. Have her treat the hen for shock or low blood sugar by giving her one cup of tepid water with one teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt and baking soda mixed in. This can stabilize her and give her strength and maybe then your mother can give you more information for us to try to figure out how to further help.

I know the water sometimes has some mold or algae in it, and that she said she has been spraying her legs daily with anti-mite medicine. It was in the high 90s when it started and was raining one day with today being colder, and she started showing improvement today, although she pooped out a green liquid today as well.

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your help. She is sleeping now but I send her your comment to review in the morning.

 

[SammyJoyMonte]

The poop pics along with the description of the hen acting weak point to illness, not necessarily egg binding. But we really do need more information.

There are two kinds of collapsing and lying down. A hen that needs to rest will lower herself into a squat and rest on her belly and her eyes remain open. Then there is a chicken lying on its side with legs straight out to the side with eyes closed and that means the chicken is dying.

Leg weakness with trouble balancing can mean heat sickness or hypothermia. It can also mean the chicken has gotten into a toxic substance. Or in this hen's case, if she's been infested for any length of time by coop mites (as opposed to lice which feed on dead skin) she could be weak from blood loss (anemia).

The poop just tells us she's sick. You will need to ask your mother more questions such as how long this has been going on, has it been suddenly very hot or very cold, is it coop mites she's treating or is it lice, could the hen have drunk contaminated water or moldy food or eaten insects from a slimy level of a compost pile?

This isn't to say that you can't tell your mother what to do right now. Have her treat the hen for shock or low blood sugar by giving her one cup of tepid water with one teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt and baking soda mixed in. This can stabilize her and give her strength and maybe then your mother can give you more information for us to try to figure out how to further help.

My mom said "So she's been sitting around but I just gave them some lettuce and blueberries and she got up and eating. She pooped that green again today diarrhea
And when she sitting she sits regular. Her eyes are open but the other day she was sitting and she shut her eyes up for a little while"

 

[azygous]

Did your mom give the water/sugar solution? That revives but is also a diagnostic tool.

 

[SammyJoyMonte]

Did your mom give the water/sugar solution? That revives but is also a diagnostic tool.

She said "She's doing fine. You know she's eating. She's walking more now. She still hasn't laying egg but" and that yesterday there was green poop but nothing today, nor any collapsing

She also wants to know if she should give her any more of the solution? Thank you for your help.

 

[azygous]

As long as the hen is improving and eating and drinking and showing interest in chicken world, no need for special treatment other than to tempt her with high protein food for the next few days to get her back into the habit of eating. Canned mackerel is a big hit, tuna, scrambled egg. yogurt, tofu, etc. Goo to hear she's on the mend.

 

[SammyJoyMonte]

As long as the hen is improving and eating and drinking and showing interest in chicken world, no need for special treatment other than to tempt her with high protein food for the next few days to get her back into the habit of eating. Canned mackerel is a big hit, tuna, scrambled egg. yogurt, tofu, etc. Goo to hear she's on the mend.

Her comb is becoming "shriveled up," where there's whites and other specks of colors like black she said?

She also said she's been out in the rain in the corner by herself and not getting out of the rain, and the other chickens are beginning to attack her.

My mom said her eye is cloudy and that her right eye is constantly closed. And that she isn't really eating now or reacting.

And my mom is worried that her poop can cause a disease for the other chickens as apparently they also have some white spots. I attached the picture of the sick chicken that she sent me as well as a different breed (the darker one) that she said also has discoloration in the comb.

 

[azygous]

The hen probably should be euthanized. When there is no improvement, but deterioration instead, the prognosis is poor, especially since no one knows what is ailing this hen.

Does your mom have someone who can end it for the hen? After the hen is gone, it would be best to clean up all the poop and wipe down the coop with a disinfectant.

 

[SammyJoyMonte]

The hen probably should be euthanized. When there is no improvement, but deterioration instead, the prognosis is poor, especially since no one knows what is ailing this hen.

Does your mom have someone who can end it for the hen? After the hen is gone, it would be best to clean up all the poop and wipe down the coop with a disinfectant.

Is there any other option? She did show improvement but has just regressed