Help- lethargic, unbalanced hen (lice?)

[Briandavid]

Hello- My oldest laying hen has become lethargic and won’t move. I noticed it first yesterday and it happened suddenly as she was running around in the morning and down that evening. I moved her into our “chicken hospital” immediately. I’m not sure what bread she is or how old as she’s a rescue that escaped the processing plant by our house but I’ve had her for a year now. I examined her and she has lice which I treated her and my flock for this morning. Her one leg twitches when I pick her up and she lays with her legs sprawled out and one wing open. She can’t move as much as she tries. She also is still laying but the eggs are speckled and misshapen. She ate yesterday but hasn’t touched her food/water today. I have no idea if the lice can or did cause this or what to do. Appreciate any help! Thanks!

 

[grayjay11o]

Try checking her for parasites, you can do this by picking her up parting her feathers around her preen gland, vent, under the wings, etc, and look for tiny bugs running away from the light. You can also look for eggs along the feather shafts. If she doesn't have bugs she could be sick and you could try bringing her to a vet since you don't know her age she could also be dying of old age, but that's not as likely since she's still laying.

For her breed, she looks like a Silver-Laced Wyandotte, probably not breed standard though since it looks like she has a single comb.

 

[Briandavid]

Try checking her for parasites, you can do this by picking her up parting her feathers around her preen gland, vent, under the wings, etc, and look for tiny bugs running away from the light. You can also look for eggs along the feather shafts. If she doesn't have bugs she could be sick and you could try bringing her to a vet since you don't know her age she could also be dying of old age, but that's not as likely since she's still laying.

For her breed, she looks like a Silver-Laced Wyandotte, probably not breed standard though since it looks like she has a single comb.

Thank you for the breed info! I did find what appeared to be lice on her wings/by her vents. They were white with no debris or irritation. I gave her a dust bath with Diatomaceous earth but that was this morning, not sure how quick that works, or if that can cause this. May take her into the vet in the morning if she’s not better.

Update: she did just start eating.

 

[grayjay11o]

If one has lice they probably all do, so it might not be a bad idea to treat them all for lice(if you haven't already).

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hello- My oldest laying hen has become lethargic and won’t move. I noticed it first yesterday and it happened suddenly as she was running around in the morning and down that evening. I moved her into our “chicken hospital” immediately. I’m not sure what bread she is or how old as she’s a rescue that escaped the processing plant by our house but I’ve had her for a year now. I examined her and she has lice which I treated her and my flock for this morning. Her one leg twitches when I pick her up and she lays with her legs sprawled out and one wing open. She can’t move as much as she tries. She also is still laying but the eggs are speckled and misshapen. She ate yesterday but hasn’t touched her food/water today. I have no idea if the lice can or did cause this or what to do. Appreciate any help! Thanks! View attachment 2294915

Can you get some photos of her poop and of her eggs?
Have you felt her abdomen below the vent between her legs for swelling, fluid or bloat?
What do you feed including treats?
Have you added any new birds in the last 30 days?

If you are finding bugs on her, then treat with a Permethrin based poultry spray or dust.
Treat all your birds and housing too. DE is not going to take care of an infestation.

I would also check that her crop is emptying overnight.

With her being a rescue and you not knowing how old she is, she may be having some reproductive issues. Cancer, tumors, Peritonitis, Salpingitis, etc. can be common in laying hens.

 

[Briandavid]

Can you get some photos of her poop and of her eggs?
Have you felt her abdomen below the vent between her legs for swelling, fluid or bloat?
What do you feed including treats?
Have you added any new birds in the last 30 days?

If you are finding bugs on her, then treat with a Permethrin based poultry spray or dust.
Treat all your birds and housing too. DE is not going to take care of an infestation.

I would also check that her crop is emptying overnight.

With her being a rescue and you not knowing how old she is, she may be having some reproductive issues. Cancer, tumors, Peritonitis, Salpingitis, etc. can be common in laying hens.

There is no swelling that I was able to notice, however I did see today that her vent (I believe is there term for anus?) is pulsing. Yesterday she pooped prior to laying her egg and it was egg shaped/size and white/black. She hasn’t pooped since (around noon) so I don’t have a picture.

She was acclimated in with my pullets about a month ago so her food consists of equal amounts of starter feed, corn, egg mash and some calcium. Treats lately have been fresh apples and corn cobs from our garden (pesticide free).

I cleaned their coop top to bottom and covered it with DE. I also switched from shavings to sand for the ground bedding and from hay to dried grass for the nesting boxes. I’ll have to get a spray as i
had no idea that wasn’t able to get rid of it. (First time having this)

Thank you!!!!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

There is no swelling that I was able to notice, however I did see today that her vent (I believe is there term for anus?) is pulsing.

She was acclimated in with my pullets about a month ago so her food consists of equal amounts of starter feed, corn, egg mash and some calcium. Treats lately have been fresh apples and corn cobs from our garden (pesticide free).

Is she any better/able to walk?

You've had her about a month?
Can you collect some of her poop and take it to the vet for testing of Coccidiosis?

You are using the right term - "Vent" it does seems to be in motion a lot of times, so likely that is normal.

How did you actually come by her and know she was headed for processing?
She doesn't look like your typical battery hen and Wyandottes are not typically raised for production meat.
The quality of her eggs, I would say may be due to disease, but a change in diet might affect it.
I would feed her the starter feed with the egg mash, cut out the corn and provide oyster shell free choice.
The lameness/paralysis - could be Marek's disease or she may have a reproductive disorder that is causing it - sometimes it's very hard to know unless you lose them and have a necropsy performed.

 

[Briandavid]

Is she any better/able to walk?

You've had her about a month?
Can you collect some of her poop and take it to the vet for testing of Coccidiosis?

You are using the right term - "Vent" it does seems to be in motion a lot of times, so likely that is normal.

How did you actually come by her and know she was headed for processing?
She doesn't look like your typical battery hen and Wyandottes are not typically raised for production meat.
The quality of her eggs, I would say may be due to disease, but a change in diet might affect it.
I would feed her the starter feed with the egg mash, cut out the corn and provide oyster shell free choice.
The lameness/paralysis - could be Marek's disease or she may have a reproductive disorder that is causing it - sometimes it's very hard to know unless you lose them and have a necropsy performed.

She is still not able to walk. I’ve had her for a year but she and my other hen (also a rescue) had their own coop until my pullets were big enough to acclimate them together, which was a month ago.

I know she was headed for processing because now and again they come chasing them if they get out. The plant is right across the street from our old house. I’m guessing she is an old laying hen, but after about a month with me she started laying daily again.

I will remove the corn and add oyster shells. I’ll also take a sample into the vet! Hoping it’s not Mareks! The rest of the flock seems to be healthy.

Thank you!