HELP! Not Sure What is Wrong with Hen...Here are Symptoms

[citychickinthecountry]

I have a Bantam Cochin Hen...about 4 years old that had been acting normal until about 3 days ago.

She starting acting like she was broody (laying on my other hen's eggs), so I didn't think anything of it.

Two days ago, when I picked her up to get the eggs from under her, I noticed that she felt a little lighter than normal and her comb and waddles looked pale. When I filled the chicken feeders, she ran over and started eating like normal. I put a small food and water container in the layer coop so she had access to food and water while she was broody.

Tonight, she was in the layer coop, but not sitting on the egg that one of my hens laid. When I picked her up out of the layer coop and set her on the ground, she almost fell over. I opened my feed container and put some in my hand. She tried to eat some, but seemed like it was hurting her throat or something. Once I added some water and made a mash, she ate more.

I put her in the layer coop with a heat lamp, water, mash, and closed the layer coop to quarrantine her from my other hens).

She has no sores, no oozing, her eyes are clear, she does seem weak, she has both legs on the ground (is standing), she has her feathers puffed out, she is not tucking her head under her wing, she wants to sleep, she had...that mosquito borne illness in the past...sorry the name is escaping me (this is one of my original hens and I hate to lose her).

Any ideas what is going on?

 

[citychickinthecountry]

I have to add, I feel her stool is normal. I am not exactly sure since she has been sitting on the same nest that my other two hens have been laying on. Her anus is clean though.

 

[citychickinthecountry]

I looked this morning and she somewhat had her head turned backward (not that this is necessarily a bad thing). He poo looked normal (no odd discoloration). I put more mash in front of her and she took a few bites but then wanted to go back to sleep.

When I got home for lunch today, I am going to give her some hamburger and cayenne and see if that helps any.

If anyone has any other suggestions or ideas, please respond. I am getting desperate here. There is only one local vet that treats chickens, so my options are limited.

 

[citychickinthecountry]

No change yet...she ate one tiny hamburger ball with cayenne. She was sitting the same spot where I left her this morning, but I did see two poops just to the side from where she was sitting (which means she moved to poop).

Any help is greatly appreciated. I am desperate here folks!

 

[chickenneighbor]

Has she been wormed recently? I've read that not all worms are visible.

 

[citychickinthecountry]

I have never "officially" wormed my chickens. I have given them hamburger with cayenne a couple of times, but never anything else. They cayenne was a trick that my boyfriend's dad told me (he's a country man that does things the old fashioned way).

I have done this when their combs and waddles start looking paler than normal. This hen's comb and waddles are almost white right now.

When I put the hamburger in a little while ago, she perked up and ate a piece, but afterward went back to sleep. Gives me hope, but is still depressing.

 

[dawg53]

Inspect her for lice/mites, especially around the vent area. She could be eggbound. Try soaking her in a container of warm water up to her sides and gently massage her underside for about 20 minutes while she's soaking. The warm water will relax and expand her innards, massaging will help move the egg along...if that's what the problem is.
It's possible that she needs to be wormed. However, I believe that she's too weak for chemical worming. Hamburger and cayenne pepper wont cut it neither (I might try it though!)

Try feeding her buttermilk/scrambled egg liquidy mixture, with a few drops of poultry nutri drench added into the mix just for a few days. Hopefully that'll bring her around.

 

[citychickinthecountry]

Thanks. Essentially, I should give her liquidy foods (your suggested mixture) until she regains strength and then treat her for worms (if she doesn't have mites or isn't egg bound), right?

 

[dawg53]

Thanks. Essentially, I should give her liquidy foods (your suggested mixture) until she regains strength and then treat her for worms (if she doesn't have mites or isn't egg bound), right?

Correct. In the meantime, look her over real well for external parasites, and try the soak in case she's eggbound. Good luck.