Help I Need An Answer In Fifteen Minutes!

[chicklover16]

My hen is acting very lethargic, when all the other chickens came out to free range she just stayed up on her roost until I forced her to come down, then she went and sat underneath a bush and has been there ever since (about 7 hours) she just sits there panting with her eyes closed, is this just because of the 100 degree weather or is she sick? why do I need an answer in fifteen minutes? because my mom said if I couldn't figure it out in fifteen minutes than we would just have to leave her and hope she makes it. please help me, I'm really worried, I've actually been crying about it

I know, everyone tells me I'm too emotional about my chickens, but I can't help it.

 

[viktoriacl]

Did you try to cool her down with really cold water or a fan? She could be just hot. Is she laying? Is she eating, pooping, drinking?

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Why don't you bring her in the house and give her a nice cool spot with food and water and see if she perks up. If she's sick you can observe her better and keep her away from the other chickens until you know what's going on. Hopefully someone can give you some other ideas.

How old is she? Is she laying? When did she lay last? Maybe answers to these question can help us figure it out.

Good luck with her.

 

[Frizzle4]

bring the chicken into a cool spot... (like the house or a shed) give her water and observe her she may need to cool of a bit... she could be egg bound or sick or just hot. make sure to seperate her from the other chickens in case she is sick. try feeling for an egg if ther is one follow directions for egg bound chickens
Hope she is okay
best wishes

 

[Nicole01]

Bring her inside and give her some electrolytes and vitamins. I hope she makes it!

 

[Bnemeth]

Run cold water on her belly and under her wings. Also give her nutra drench if you have it - or water with sugar and salt.

 

[UrbanFarmerGirl]

Sometimes when it's over 100 my chickens will lay out or stand in one spot with their wings slightly lifted, panting. They will also sit and pant and not move if they are taking a long time to lay an egg. In both cases the hens generally still react/move/respond quickly. Is yours doing that? If I walk over and try to touch or pick up one that is trying to cool off in the shade they will stand up or start moving around, and If I reach towards the one trying to lay she will stand up and nip towards my hand. The panting can be to cool down, or a sign of stress because of something else. When a cat chased our chicken and she was caught in a tree she was panting because she was in shock. She was not very responsive to our presence and seemed somewhat "stunned." There was a noticeable difference between the hen in shock and the ones just cooling down. If you think she may be in shock you may want to move her into a cool, quiet, darkened space- a corner of the garage or a shed maybe? Along with food and water. Then try to figure out why she is in shock by looking at her and at the coop/run/yard. Is there an injury? Is she stressed or sick because of the heat? Was she scared or attacked by something? Remedy the cause if possible. Does that help?

 

[ChickLover98]

It's probably because of the heat. Maybe bring her in the shade and give her ice cold water and a fan.

Cool, wet sponges work well too.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Mine was doing the same thing when my dad had two heat lamps on in a closed in area and we thought she was going to die. I sat her in the laundry room sink in a little cool water...not too deep. You have to cool off her legs and belly area. Then after she cools a bit in the sink I would put in a large box inside where its cool with some food and water. By the next day my chicken was MUCH better

I hope that's all that's wrong

Good luck! Let us know how it turns out. The most important thing is you MUST get her cooled down and then from there you can rule things out.