Help! I don’t know how to help my five-year-old hen

[Lori J]

My five-year-old hen, my oldest, has been very lethargic last two days. She’s having trouble getting on the roost and she has been standing all by herself. I had noticed that she has not been as aggressive last two weeks and had lost her place at the top of the pecking order. I have asked for advice at several Facebook pages As well as a Tractor Supply employee and every person says something different. I’ve been advised to use dewormer, give Corid, give antibiotics, give B12 injections, Feed probiotics and chick starter and that it could be anything from worms, to Botulism, to old age, to impacted craw. If everyone has a different opinion, how can I ever figure this out? I can’t give her five different medications.

 

[coach723]

At 5 years old the possibilities are numerous.
Do you know when she last laid? What do droppings look like?
Is she eating and drinking?
I would crate her for a bit so you can observe and examine her. Check droppings, normal or not? Her crop should be empty first thing in the morning before access to food and water. If it's not, it could indicate a problem. Feel her abdomen below the vent and between the legs, does it feel bloated, either water balloon like or very firm? Check eyes, nares, beak for any discharge or lesions. Check her over for lice/mites. Do you have a vet that will do a fecal test for you, to check for internal parasites?
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

 

[Lori J]

At 5 years old the possibilities are numerous.
Do you know when she last laid? What do droppings look like?
Is she eating and drinking?
I would crate her for a bit so you can observe and examine her. Check droppings, normal or not? Her crop should be empty first thing in the morning before access to food and water. If it's not, it could indicate a problem. Feel her abdomen below the vent and between the legs, does it feel bloated, either water balloon like or very firm? Check eyes, nares, beak for any discharge or lesions. Check her over for lice/mites. Do you have a vet that will do a fecal test for you, to check for internal parasites?
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

No vet for chickens, But I can tell you that she is five years old and so she doesn’t lay very much, if it all. My 4 chickens have all stopped laying as of about a month and a half ago because of everyone was molting. But before that sometimes you can spend time in the nesting box...However they were never so many eggs that I could definitely say that she was still laying. I’ve seen her poops and I haven’t noticed anything different. No discharge, Although in the spring they did have fowl pox, but they’ve all recovered for several months now. I will check her crop.

 

[Lori J]

Also I just wanted to say thank you for replying it’s helpful to have a direction to go in

 

[coach723]

Is she molting? Sometimes molt can make them feel pretty bad. You can give her some vitamins, see if that helps some. Nutri drench for a couple of days, or some B comlplex (human) mixed in some moistened feed, won't hurt anything.

 

[Lori J]

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Is she molting? Sometimes molt can make them feel pretty bad. You can give her some vitamins, see if that helps some. Nutri drench for a couple of days, or some B comlplex (human) mixed in some moistened feed, won't hurt anything.

It’s possible. She Lots of feathers in August and I thought she was molting then, But she is continuing to lose a few feathers here and there maybe it’s like a molt that lasts a long time