Help...collapsed chicken

[member 235178]

My hen is a 5 years old Australorp. I found her sitting under a bush this morning. This seemed unusual for her because she is usually robust and active. Upon picking her up, she basically collapsed and does not have the strength to sit upright or hold her head up (the bush was basically holding her upright a sitting position). I noticed she was sitting still a lot yesterday afternoon, but didn't realize something might be wrong.

The rest of my flock (6 others) seem fine, but I am concerned because 1) I don't know what is wrong and 2) want to make sure whatever she has is not contagious. She does not appear to be egg bound. Nor does she appear to have any visible wounds. As of now, she is in a plastic bin in my house.

I have been using a syringe to give her a little water and have added some pedialyte and poly-vi-sol. Most of the time her eyes are closed but she does open them when I pet her. Her comb has a slight purplish tinge to the back half. Not sure what that means.

Any thoughts or suggestions? My vet has someone who deals with chickens and that person is out right now. The vet they suggested is across town and I am not able to get there today or tomorrow.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Maybe she over heated? I’ll tag some people who can help. @KikisGirls @casportpony @Eggcessive @azygous

 

[HuskerHens18]

How does her poop look? What do you feed her? When was the last time she laid an egg? Does she feel skinny?

 

[rebrascora]

All good questions from @HuskersHens18.

Also, can you check her for any abdominal swelling... between her legs and below her vent..... compare with other chickens as it can be difficult to tell without comparison. Feeliing is necessary, not just looking. I check them when they are standing on the roost at night and cup my hand between their legs, comparing one bird to the next. It should be obvious if you check in this manner. Is her butt soiled?
It would be a good idea to check her crop function too. Feel it at night, remove access to feed and check it again in the morning when it should be flat and empty. If it is still full there is a blockage in her digestive tract somewhere.
Please get back to us with answers to these questions and hopefully we will be able to guide you from there. A close up photo always helps too...

 

[member 235178]

She has a very messy butt, but hasn't pooped since I found her today. I wouldn't say her abdomen feels like there any swelling. Crop seems a little squishy. It's not fully empty and she doesn't like it when I palpate it. Might that be the problem? If there is a blockage, how might I fix it?

She's not overheated and has been inside for a few hours. In fact, I was concerned the AC was making her cold.

 

[member 235178]

I thought about giving her a warm soak to relax her and clean up her vent area, but am worried it will cause additional stress, since she doesn't like to be picked up to begin with. She can barely hold her head up and after I give her some water, she closes her eyes as if she's exhausted. Also she seems to favor laying on her left side. I'm really concerned that she is too far gone to save.

 

[Izzychicky]

I saw that you mentioned that her comb has a slight purplish tinge, I’m not sure about this but doesn’t that go with respiratory or heart problems, please correct me if I’m wrong. I wish I could help more!

 

[lazy gardener]

She is 5 years old. The purple comb indicates that there may be some circulation issues. If she doesn't perk up soon, you might consider culling her, or taking her to a vet. But IMO, if she were in my flock, I'd be culling her at this point. Chickens weren't designed to live a long time.

 

[dotporter]

I saw that you mentioned that her comb has a slight purplish tinge, I’m not sure about this but doesn’t that go with respiratory or heart problems, please correct me if I’m wrong. I wish I could help more!

Yes, a dark comb can indicate low oxygen. Usually respiratory or heart.

 

[member 235178]

I'm wondering if she has sour crop. When I set her upright she doesn't not like this and leans to the left. I wonder is the pressure on her crop when she is upright makes her uncomfortable. It definitely feels squishy. Her head is listing to the left as well. Any thoughts on dealing with sour crop?