favorite hen is sick--help please!

[deepbluesea]

Elena, my favorite girl, is a blue copper marans. She's about 4 yrs old and yesterday I noticed she was acting off: tail tucked, lethargic, sitting all the time. Very unlike her. She also squirted out some bright yellow poop. I got her to drink some water and eat a few blueberries and worms, but she's pretty out of it.

This morning she didn't bustle out of the coop first the way she usually does; she stayed in on the top roosting bar. When I lifted her out, she rested her head on my arm. She's pretty tame in general, but this is different. I put her in the cool hedge where they all hang out during the day--nice cool dirt--with water, but I'm really worried. Any ideas??

 

[21hens-incharge]

I am really surprised no one has responded yet.

Could she be egg bound?

I have had a couple go that way in behavior and then pass on quickly. Mine were egg bound.

I really hope this has not found you with the loss of your hen.

Giving this a bump in hopes someone will chime in with more experience.

 

[deepbluesea]

Thanks for responding! I'm kind of bummed that no one answered me, too. Don't know why.

She's not egg-bound--i went in and checked the way the site explained it and nothing's up there. Could have been though--her shells are sometimes weak, so thanks.

I'm not sure what else to do. I got some antibiotics in case it's bacterial, but she's still lethargic, head drooping and not eating, even tuna. I've gotten her to drink a little but not nearly enough. I put a frozen water bottle with her and isolated her from my other four, who are fine. I really really hope she makes it.

If any one else has ideas, suggestions, I'd be grateful.

 

[aswartzalso]

Could be coccidia

 

[deepbluesea]

Thanks--that one didn't show up when I looked at the poultry symptom checker. I'll look at that now. Appreciate it!

 

[kgb6days]

I wish I knew what to tell you, but I'm a newbie too. Sounds like some type of diarrhea if it's yellow poo. Could she have an infection? Is it possible she laid a shell-less egg and has gotten infected?
Kristy

 

[deepbluesea]

Thank you! It's hard being a newbie--I've had them for three years now, but they've been healthy thus far minus a case of bumblefoot, so I'm flailing.

here's a pic of her today and one when she was feeling like herself--she's my window peeper


. Her head is always drooping and she's not moving much at all. She didn't mind the epsom salt bath, though, and she did drink a bit more water.

 

[Eggsitter]

Feel her body for lumps. I just had one who had sour crop from tumors, she had the squirts too, hunched and out of it. But she would take hand-feeding a bit. Sour crop you can treat, tumors you can't but you can save her from suffering. My girl was my darling who I hatched from an egg. I hope your girl feels better soon.

 

[deepbluesea]

Thanks everyone for your help. She died overnight--I found her in the coop on Saturday morning. I'm really sad, she was my favorite.

 

[Eggsitter]

I know how you feel. So sorry. It's like a pure delight in your life is gone.