First Health Scare!

[Patinas]

I feel very fortunate that up to this point all my chickens have been healthy and happy with no early losses. I put a lot of time and effort into my flock to keep them that way but....

Last night, as they were heading back into the chicken to run to enter the coop, one of my Ameracauna's was sitting just inside the gate to the run. Her tail was down, head hanging down and eyes shut! Clearly something was wrong with her and I became even more alarmed when I picked her up and she didn't fight it or make a sound. She just went limp.

I took her in the house and put her in a dog kennel with some shavings, a little feed and some water with electrolytes added. She just moved to the back of the kennel and was completely out of it and completely listless. Since I didn't know the last time she had eaten or drank anything I decided to let her be for the night and I'd check in the morning and decide the next move.

I checked her last night before I brought her in and she did not have any parasites visible, vent was clear, crop was fine and no coughing, sneezing or wheezing. She's also not laying yet and daytime temperature high was only around 72 degrees. So I had no clue what was causing her illness. I started suspecting maybe she ate something she shouldn't have but again, no clue what.

I honestly wasn't confident she would make it through the night, that's how sick she looked. It also happened so fast! She was fine yesterday morning in the run and when I let them out to free range yesterday afternoon but 5-6 hours later, there she was looking like she wasn't going to make it. The short time between looking fine and being sick also has me thinking she ate something she shouldn't.

I've been up with her this morning for about an hour and she's definitely feeling better. Her eyes are open, she's eating a bit of feed and water and she's made some soft clucking noises. Not super active like "let me out of here!" but at least moving around.

I have checked her poop and it's white, runny with small darker chunks in it so not complete diarrhea. No blood. But, it looks like she has only pooped twice since putting her in the kennel almost 24 hours ago. That seems like too little poop right?

The small amount of poop could be that she hasn't been eating much or some sort of blockage maybe? I have no idea.

I am planning to keep her in the kennel awhile longer and see if she perks up more. She doesn't appear to be upset that she's by herself. I don't want to put her back with the flock until I'm sure she's over whatever caused this. I'm also concerned that if she appears sick or weak to the flock that they will attack her and/or that she actually does have something contagious.

I'm still hopeful at this point she will pull out of it.

I didn't think I'd be that upset and worried about one of my hens but I tossed and turned all night worrying about her! Geesh!

 

[rIrs roost]

I feel very fortunate that up to this point all my chickens have been healthy and happy with no early losses. I put a lot of time and effort into my flock to keep them that way but....

Last night, as they were heading back into the chicken to run to enter the coop, one of my Ameracauna's was sitting just inside the gate to the run. Her tail was down, head hanging down and eyes shut! Clearly something was wrong with her and I became even more alarmed when I picked her up and she didn't fight it or make a sound. She just went limp.

I took her in the house and put her in a dog kennel with some shavings, a little feed and some water with electrolytes added. She just moved to the back of the kennel and was completely out of it and completely listless. Since I didn't know the last time she had eaten or drank anything I decided to let her be for the night and I'd check in the morning and decide the next move.

I checked her last night before I brought her in and she did not have any parasites visible, vent was clear, crop was fine and no coughing, sneezing or wheezing. She's also not laying yet and daytime temperature high was only around 72 degrees. So I had no clue what was causing her illness. I started suspecting maybe she ate something she shouldn't have but again, no clue what.

I honestly wasn't confident she would make it through the night, that's how sick she looked. It also happened so fast! She was fine yesterday morning in the run and when I let them out to free range yesterday afternoon but 5-6 hours later, there she was looking like she wasn't going to make it. The short time between looking fine and being sick also has me thinking she ate something she shouldn't.

I've been up with her this morning for about an hour and she's definitely feeling better. Her eyes are open, she's eating a bit of feed and water and she's made some soft clucking noises. Not super active like "let me out of here!" but at least moving around.

I have checked her poop and it's white, runny with small darker chunks in it so not complete diarrhea. No blood. But, it looks like she has only pooped twice since putting her in the kennel almost 24 hours ago. That seems like too little poop right?

The small amount of poop could be that she hasn't been eating much or some sort of blockage maybe? I have no idea.

I am planning to keep her in the kennel awhile longer and see if she perks up more. She doesn't appear to be upset that she's by herself. I don't want to put her back with the flock until I'm sure she's over whatever caused this. I'm also concerned that if she appears sick or weak to the flock that they will attack her and/or that she actually does have something contagious.

I'm still hopeful at this point she will pull out of it.

I didn't think I'd be that upset and worried about one of my hens but I tossed and turned all night worrying about her! Geesh!

Have you wormed them? Sure hope that she gets better.

 

[Eggcessive]

How old are your chickens, especially the sick one? Is it very hot there? Summertime heat is stressful on some chickens especially if they are overweight, or if they do not have a lot of shaded areas and shaded water. She also might be egg bound. I would insert a finger into her vent an inch or two to feel for a stuck egg. Normal is just feeling soft tissue. Give her some electrolytes in her water or a little pedialyte or Gatorade. Look her skin over around and under her vent and neck for any tiny bugs such as lice or mites. Feel of her crop to see if it is empty, full, soft, or firm, or puffy. Chicken crops should be empty in early morning after not eating overnight. Telephone your vet and ask if they will do a fecal test on her fresh droppings without seeing her.

 

[Patinas]

Thanks for all the advice! I can't explain it but by mid morning she snapped out of it and was looking and acting near 100% normal. She still seemed a little slow moving but otherwise alert, eating and drinking.

Late afternoon I put her back with the flock while they were free ranging and she immediately joined them and started eating grass. I watched her the rest of the day and it was as if nothing had happened to her. So weird!!

I have come to the conclusion she must have ate something and it just needed time to digest/pass. I never saw anything weird in her poop so I'm thinking she ate some sort of plant that wasn't good for chickens. I had read a story on here from a gal whose chicken had the same symptoms and she was from my area and she said hers had eaten mushrooms. We get tons of mushrooms here but not in July but it is still possible she found one. The thing is, she was acting really groggy and she couldn't keep her eyes open as if she was drugged.

I'll just keep an eye on her and the rest of them and pay more attention to where they are going and what they are eating when they are out foraging over the next few days.