Help? Possibly sick hen.

[Cornishboyraptor]

So, I have a cream legbar hen that has been sleeping a lot today. Paleish comb. Shrugging or shaking. I'll show you here in the picture. Is she ill. If so how can I treat it?

 

[Eggcessive]

She looks like she may have been pecked or run into fencing by the dark spots on her comb and face. Does she have any eye or nasal drainage? Has she been drinking water or eating? Can you feel of her crop and tell us if it is empty, full, hard or puffy? Then check it again in the early morning before she eats or drinks, when it should be empty.

Does she lay eggs? Have they been normal with hard shells? Is her tail position up or down? Can you look her over for mites and lice under her vent and belly. Is her belly enlarged or has she lost weight in her breast? Make sure that she is drinking water, give Poultry NutriDrench or electrolytes orally, and offer some wet chicken feed and scrambled egg.

 

[Cornishboyraptor]

She looks like she may have been pecked or run into fencing by the dark spots on her comb and face. Does she have any eye or nasal drainage? Has she been drinking water or eating? Can you feel of her crop and tell us if it is empty, full, hard or puffy? Then check it again in the early morning before she eats or drinks, when it should be empty.

Does she lay eggs? Have they been normal with hard shells? Is her tail position up or down? Can you look her over for mites and lice under her vent and belly. Is her belly enlarged or has she lost weight in her breast? Make sure that she is drinking water, give Poultry NutriDrench or electrolytes orally, and offer some wet chicken feed and scrambled egg.

A couple of my chickens has black dots on their combs. No drainage in mouth or nose. Her crop feels normal. Maybe just a bit on the small side. I believe she has laid and it was quite hard. I'll check for mites. She has lost her appetite and isn't drinking much. I encouraged her to eat and drink a bit ago. Where could I get electrolytes and nutridrench? Her tail is facing downwards. And I'll offer some egg to her.

 

[Eggcessive]

How old is she? You can check for a stuck egg inside by inserting a clean finger into her vent about 2 inches. You can get chick electrolytes or Poultry NutriDrench at feed stores, pedialyte from the grocery store, and even use Gatorade or water with 1/4 tsp of sugar per cup. PND is very good because it has vitamins, electrolytes, and other nutrients. Dosage is 2 ml per day given orally into the beak. Hold water up to her beak in a small lid, cup or scoop.

Check her crop again in the early morning to make sure that it is emptying. If she is over 2, she might be having some reproductive infection or problems. Is she close to having a molt?

 

[Cornishboyraptor]

How old is she? You can check for a stuck egg inside by inserting a clean finger into her vent about 2 inches. You can get chick electrolytes or Poultry NutriDrench at feed stores, pedialyte from the grocery store, and even use Gatorade or water with 1/4 tsp of sugar per cup. PND is very good because it has vitamins, electrolytes, and other nutrients. Dosage is 2 ml per day given orally into the beak. Hold water up to her beak in a small lid, cup or scoop.

Check her crop again in the early morning to make sure that it is emptying. If she is over 2, she might be having some reproductive infection or problems. Is she close to having a molt?

I've checked her thoroughly for mites and found loads. Do you have any any homemade remedies that may help as I'll try to get stuff to clear the mites.

 

[Redbrew]

Her behavior is definitely ill behavior. By the time birds are low enough to stop eating/ drinking, could have been sick for days. Your best friend is keen observation. Spend 15 minutes just watching and noticing her and what she's doing/acting. Many times you'll spot something that indicates what could be going on. You can also do a physical exam. Look her over thoroughly, feel her feet, rub hands down over her bones hip to foot, down her wings, feel for how thin she is (each side of keel bone), look for wounds, broken feathers, any particular discharge (beak, nose, vent, eyes), notice behavior (shaking head, sneezing, sleeping), are her eyes clear. Priority is to isolate her, provide warmth and water. Watch her long enough to confirm if she's drinking, once she's comfy and warmed and away from other birds. If she's not drinking, you need to hydrate her via drops at side of her beak (room temp water, not cold), 30-40 ml every couple hours (*only if she's not drinking on her own). Many times they will drink once away from everyone, warmed, and water sat where they don't have to walk to it.

 

[Redbrew]

Mites: check forums lots of info on treating!

 

[Cornishboyraptor]

Her behavior is definitely ill behavior. By the time birds are low enough to stop eating/ drinking, could have been sick for days. Your best friend is keen observation. Spend 15 minutes just watching and noticing her and what she's doing/acting. Many times you'll spot something that indicates what could be going on. You can also do a physical exam. Look her over thoroughly, feel her feet, rub hands down over her bones hip to foot, down her wings, feel for how thin she is (each side of keel bone), look for wounds, broken feathers, any particular discharge (beak, nose, vent, eyes), notice behavior (shaking head, sneezing, sleeping), are her eyes clear. Priority is to isolate her, provide warmth and water. Watch her long enough to confirm if she's drinking, once she's comfy and warmed and away from other birds. If she's not drinking, you need to hydrate her via drops at side of her beak (room temp water, not cold), 30-40 ml every couple hours (*only if she's not drinking on her own). Many times they will drink once away from everyone, warmed, and water sat where they don't have to walk to it.

I have discovered its mites. I'm out to get stuff to treat it. This morning she looked completely normal. She is the only one with mites. No sign of it on other chickens and coop (will still be sorting those out tho), any guesses why she's the only one? Btw she has a lot of mites.

 

[Redbrew]

Some birds are great about taking care of themselves, and others are not. Sometimes it's bossy birds bothering everyone else and being super annoying to lower birds attempts to do daily business. I would start by assessing dustbathing area, bossy hens can guard areas and prevent her from having adequate eating, bathing, preening time. Again, sit and observe flock and see if you have some birds being neighborhood bullies. If you do, check into ways to disrupt that pecking order to get bossy hens to calm. Every bird should spend a little time preening before roosting. If they aren't, they need a protected place to preen without being bullied.

 

[Cornishboyraptor]

Some birds are great about taking care of themselves, and others are not. Sometimes it's bossy birds bothering everyone else and being super annoying to lower birds attempts to do daily business. I would start by assessing dustbathing area, bossy hens can guard areas and prevent her from having adequate eating, bathing, preening time. Again, sit and observe flock and see if you have some birds being neighborhood bullies. If you do, check into ways to disrupt that pecking order to get bossy hens to calm. Every bird should spend a little time preening before roosting. If they aren't, they need a protected place to preen without being bullied.

The hen that is I'll is the 2nd top hen and I watched them all dustbathing earlier. The reason she is 2nd top hen is because she was raised with younger chicks so she put them in their place (mind she is 3 weeks older) and she isn't mean and let's them do what they want unless they annoy her. She is a favourite of 2 roosters though so that may have a factor.