Help! Chicken dying, head and neck swollen

[Petra Pancake]

One of my hens, a broody with month old chicks who lives in a separate little run of her own fell ill suddenly. Yesterday she was perfectly fine. Today around noon I found her sitting on the rim of the water bowl in the run fluffed up, with her eyes closed and breathing very heavily. I noticed that her head and face were swollen almost like a balloon. She didn't react to anything. I left her alone because she looked as if she was about to die any moment and because my first thought was, yikes! Avian flu! I looked several times during the day and now in the evening she was still sitting there, looking worse, her neck also swollen and her face discolored dark brown, still breathing slowly. Her head is hanging down and she doesn't seem able to lift it up and doesn't react at all to calling, offering food or to being touched. The month old chicks are fine, so far. Oh, and I noticed that there was an egg in the sleeping box - her first egg since she hatched the chicks. No idea if that is connected somehow. And - last week another one of my hens died suddenly for unknown reasons. But she was in a different coop/run. What's going on? It's not the season for Avian flu. What disease could this be and what should I do about it?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry to hear she is not doing well.
Can you post some photos of her?
Did you look inside her beak for any swelling of the tongue?
Any possibility that she somehow got bitten by a spider, bee, snake, etc., that would cause swelling of the head (like an allergic reaction)?

 

[Petra Pancake]

I couldn't take photos earlier today (because of Sabbath, we're observant) and now it's dark out there. Also, she's huddled in a way that makes it difficult to get a good view of the head and I don't want to handle her much, to not increase her suffering and also in case it's something that's transmissible to humans. On the other hand, a snake bite or scorpion sting to the head could also be possible - we have both around the back garden occasionally. Actually, this morning I noticed that her sleeping box was knocked over - could have been due to a fight.... Didn't think of that, is there any way to help a chicken in case of snake bites or scorpion stings?
I'll try to get a good photo tomorrow morning first thing, whether she's still alive or dead.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Without knowing the cause, it would be hard to make a good guess on how to proceed.

If it's a sting or bite, giving her some Benadryl (Diphenhydramine HCl) may help.
General dosage is 1/2 a 25mg Benadryl tablet.
Since you saw her box knocked over, she may have been attacked by something. When you can check her out look for any wounds as well.

I hope you find that she is better in the morning. I understand it is worrisome since there are diseases like AI that are possibilities as well.

Please keep us posted.

http://avianmedicine.net/content/uploads/2013/03/18.pdf

 

[Petra Pancake]

She's dead. I took some pictures of her swollen head but can't upload them to this thread with my cell phone. Will do that in the evening from a computer. I spoke to a vet on the phone last night, he said he didn't think it was avian flu. There have also been no cases of AI anywhere near here for months. He thought it could have been Newcastle disease but of course no way to be sure without examining the bird. What I noticed this morning, the hen's neck was bent in a strange "s" shape, like wry neck or torticollis, in addition to the swollen balloon head. The month old chicks that were with her are still fine.

 

[DuckPro]

She's dead. I took some pictures of her swollen head but can't upload them to this thread with my cell phone. Will do that in the evening from a computer. I spoke to a vet on the phone last night, he said he didn't think it was avian flu. There have also been no cases of AI anywhere near here for months. He thought it could have been Newcastle disease but of course no way to be sure without examining the bird. What I noticed this morning, the hen's neck was bent in a strange "s" shape, like wry neck or torticollis, in addition to the swollen balloon head. The month old chicks that were with her are still fine.

Sorry for your loss
I have no idea what it could be!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She's dead. I took some pictures of her swollen head but can't upload them to this thread with my cell phone. Will do that in the evening from a computer. I spoke to a vet on the phone last night, he said he didn't think it was avian flu. There have also been no cases of AI anywhere near here for months. He thought it could have been Newcastle disease but of course no way to be sure without examining the bird. What I noticed this morning, the hen's neck was bent in a strange "s" shape, like wry neck or torticollis, in addition to the swollen balloon head. The month old chicks that were with her are still fine.

I'm so sorry for your loss

Is the vet willing to perform some testing for you to determine what she had? It would be Newcastle - the symptoms fit more than AI, especially the mention of Torticollis.

I hope the chicks still remain fine and don't succumb to illness.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/111/newcastle-disease-paramyxovirus-1/

 

[Petra Pancake]

Thank you, @TheCuteOrpington and @Wyorp Rock. I hope it's not going to spread through the flock... trying to keep them apart.

 

[DuckPro]

Thank you, @TheCuteOrpington and @Wyorp Rock. I hope it's not going to spread through the flock... trying to keep them apart.

Hope the others will be okay

 

[Petra Pancake]

Trying to post some pictures, [caution, graphic]. Maybe someone can "diagnose" from them? Does that look like Newcastle disease? The feet were okay, no bleeding under the skin (as in AI). Just the head was totally swollen up like a lump and the neck wry - it's a bit difficult to see because of the weird angle of the neck.

Just for comparison - that was poor old Marble in better days...