Help - I think my chicken is dying and miserable

[bny806]

We have new hamshire reds.. and they have all been pretty healthy for the most part (they are almost a year old).. this is our first chicken experience, so we are new at this...

A few weeks ago one of the chickens started acting odd - we also had a broken egg , but the shell was mostly missing - just a yolk.. she seemed to be swollen on the hind end and trying to pass something.. She had loose stools that got all over her backside and waddled around .. now she wont' even get up - her wings are spread out.. I think she is losing her eyesight as she looks at everything odd. and bit at me trying to get a treat (with a weak bite).. her comb is purple and pale.... We bathed her in warm water a few days ago, trimmed the heavy poppy feathers thinking it could relieve some of her discomfort... but to no avail. She looks really puffy and swollen all over... what do yall think happened (no worms that I could see in her stool btw, and no blood).... and now what - I think she is miserable.. is it time to put her out of her misery or could she turn around??

We have doctored a few injured (from a coyote) chickens and one internal layer back to health - the internal layer was then sterile.. but happy!

I just want to do what's best for her... help!

 

[rpar003]

From my not-so-great knowledge, it sounds like she might have an egg-bound vent. The solids of her poop could be trapped behind the egg. Or, I have heard that the egg can break up and get stuck inside - maybe that was the odd egg she laid? Google it and see what you think. I'm sure more knowledgeable people will have some good tips.

 

[ten chicks]

Your girl might be pass the point of no return,but if you want to try this is what you need to do. Put on gloves w lubricant and do a cloacal exam,insert finger into vent and see what you can feel.Possibly a stuck egg(egg bound)or broken egg.

If you feel a egg,give her a tums tablet or calcium tablet orally(break into pieces),keep her quiet and in a dark location. Normally we recommend a warm water soak,but in her condition it might not be a good idea.

If you feel broken pieces of shell,carefully remove,you do not want to cut her internally,flush out vent with a diluted vinegar/water solution,this helps to flush egg contents and bacteria,but with this often an infection sets in.

Give her electrolytes for shock.l

 

[Jchicken311]

I am sooo sorry about your chicken. Make sure none of the other chickens are pecking at her and making her bleed. I am not very knowledgeable so sorry. Also make sure she is eating and drinking enough so that she doesn't starve or become dehydrated. I just started having chickens so i do not know.

I really hope she gets better.

 

[bny806]

Thank yall so much - so two days ago when we gave her a warm soak - I did put a glove on and do that (ick!) but she had been going downhill so i thought well, it's worth a try.. I coudlnt' feel anything obvious, thought I"m not 100% sure I did it right either! we dried her off with a hair dryer so she wouldnt get chilled.. and now she is pretty much immobile hanging out under a heat lamp

What do the tums do? I worry we are prolonging her misery at this point.. but I want to make sure and give her a good chance of turning around too- we had one that turned around, though she wasn't to this point (legs behind her now under neath her and she acts blind or something strange)..

From what I read if she is egg bound or broken egg they say they die within 48 hours, but this is going on 3 weeks of steady slow decline - though all after the broken egg and she looked like she was trying to pass one for days and days after that.. is she just slowly getting septic you think?

I appreciate yalls help!

 

[Jchicken311]

It might not be an egg bound vent could you post a picture maybe someone will know more by looking at a picture

 

[bny806]

jchicken - thanks! they have outcasted her a bit this past week.. though part of that is that she physically can't keep up with them either.. but so far I haven't noticed any bullying at least... They have been able to tell something is up with her for a while though.. poor girl!

We had one chicken that had a huge laceration and chunk missing from her neck and breast from a coyote.. we doctored her up and though she looks odd, with a huge chunk out of her, the tissue granulated and healed! she layed every single day but one through all of that! I truly believe these chickens are tough, and smarter than I ever realized too! Makes it harder to loose them at this point!

 

[bny806]

I will try to take a pic tomorrow (though i truly fear she may be dead in the morning).. but she waddled around for a while and her tail was down... all my other chickens looked very different as their tails are always up... her waddling became worse and worse.. and when I checked her vent, it appeared swollen.. her whole body looks swollen and bloated.. She has continued to eat and drink just fine, in fact she drinks a lot of water.. though now she is having a hard time finding the food as she seems her vision is bad ....

She then started looking like a penguin.. with her bum all the way down to the ground, then her wings out.. and now her legs behind her underneath her with both wings out... she looks awful.. and I feel so guilty that i can't help it seems

 

[Jchicken311]

your welcome
Chicks can be bullies sometimes i only have chicks right now so i don't know a lot about older chickens but i have seen chicks bully other sick ones.

 

[ten chicks]

I will try to take a pic tomorrow (though i truly fear she may be dead in the morning).. but she waddled around for a while and her tail was down... all my other chickens looked very different as their tails are always up... her waddling became worse and worse.. and when I checked her vent, it appeared swollen.. her whole body looks swollen and bloated.. She has continued to eat and drink just fine, in fact she drinks a lot of water.. though now she is having a hard time finding the food as she seems her vision is bad ....

She then started looking like a penguin.. with her bum all the way down to the ground, then her wings out.. and now her legs behind her underneath her with both wings out... she looks awful.. and I feel so guilty that i can't help it seems

Have you done the cloacal exam,if not you need to do it now.