Help, sick Barred Rock!

[Hansen6dad]

I have a Barred Rock hen about 7 1/2 months old was fine when I left for work, but when I got home she is very lethargic can barely walk, has to use her wings on ground for balance while trying to walk. Comb and waddle still red but comb looks a little smaller like it is shrinking. Her legs are a pale color with some pink splotches in random spots mostly on her feet. it is about 90 degrees here and about 90% humidity. Found her in her coop lying flat mouth wide open but breathing normally. All my hens have there mouths open because of the heat. I thought at first she might be laying just not in the nest box, but when I walked away she tried to come out of the coop and rolled down the ramp. Any help is appreciated.


Hansen6dad

 

[ten chicks]

I have a Barred Rock hen about 7 1/2 months old was fine when I left for work, but when I got home she is very lethargic can barely walk, has to use her wings on ground for balance while trying to walk. Comb and waddle still red but comb looks a little smaller like it is shrinking. Her legs are a pale color with some pink splotches in random spots mostly on her feet. it is about 90 degrees here and about 90% humidity. Found her in her coop lying flat mouth wide open but breathing normally. All my hens have there mouths open because of the heat. I thought at first she might be laying just not in the nest box, but when I walked away she tried to come out of the coop and rolled down the ramp. Any help is appreciated.


Hansen6dad

Cool her down immediately,submerge her in a pail of COOL(NOT COLD-you will shock her)water up to her neck. She is suffering from heat stroke. Heat stroke/stress will kill,if not treated in time. Get some electrolytes into her,bring her inside keep her there for a couple of days. If heat stroke is severe,may take her a couple of days to recover,if not longer. Do not expect many eggs in high heat/humidity.

 

[Heidisgran]

I wet down the ground on very hot days...how is she doing

 

[Sunflower]

My barred rock has always had a hard time in the heat. She has had heat stroke twice. I have a fan in the chicken coop but it gets really hot in there even with the windows open. I put the dish part of a bird bath in their coop and fill it with water everyday when it's above 90 degrees. They'll just stand in it when they need to. It helps but the heat is hard on some of them more than the others, such as the heavier breeds. Good luck with her. Give them cool fruit and cucumbers to cool them off on the inside.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I don't think that it is heat stroke as much as it is Sun stroke. Chickens can stand a LOT of humid heat if they have shade, damp ground, and clean water. Check to see if your pen or coop is completely in the shade all day during the summer. Very hot direct Sunlight can kill the healthiest and strongest of chickens in as little as 5 minutes if the chicken can not escape.

 

[ten chicks]

I don't think that it is heat stroke as much as it is Sun stroke. Chickens can stand a LOT of humid heat if they have shade, damp ground, and clean water. Check to see if your pen or coop is completely in the shade all day during the summer. Very hot direct Sunlight can kill the healthiest and strongest of chickens in as little as 5 minutes if the chicken can not escape.

Chickens cannot tolerate heat/humidity at all,many do die because of heat stress/stroke. Some breeds tolerate it less than others. Heat stroke is from the sun.

 

[Hansen6dad]

My chickens can get out of the sun, my coop is about 2.5 feet off the ground and they can go under it, and my coop/run is only in direct sunlight till about noon and then it is in the shade for the rest of the day. I brought her in last night and put her in a big tupperware tub, with food and water. She is better today, but still has a hard time walking she still seems weak. but she is making lots of noise and she is eating and drinking. gave her some watermelon today and she ate it quickly, and poop looks pretty normal. I just put her back in the coop this evening, I am going to let her sleep there tonight and check on her in the morning. I dont thing she will be able get up on the roost but she can lay in the shavings. the thing that is weird to me is that it seems like her comb is shriveling up, it is still red but is looks a little smaller??? maybe it is not and I am just a hypochondriac, I dont know!

 

[Hansen6dad]

today I also put a pop-up canopy over a large part of the run for more shade during the day and I also put a small plastic swimming pool in there that they can get in if the choose to.

 

[Hansen6dad]

it's been about 48 hours since problem. Still eating and drinking well. I put her in the coop last night all was fine. Still pretty weak but a little stronger. It appears that she wants to be involved with everything. She rolled out of the coop this morning, after the rain, and is walking or trying to walk around and follow the other chickens and me. Still eating food and snacks, and still talking. Just very weak, and it looks like her comb might be a little scaly almost like peeling, but still red. Her poop shoot maybe a little swollen and yellowish pink? I dont know what to do except maybe just see what happens. She does slowly seem to be getting better. She seems to be acting normal except for her not being able to walk very well.

 

[Hansen6dad]

Does anyone know what the symptoms of a chicken that is egg bound are?