HELP Sick Chicken - lethargic, heavy breathing, eating & drinking fine...

[Leahy Compound]

My poor Frizzle Bantam (who is named chicken)!

Recently quite broody but no longer. I noticed was starting to have a hard time walking or standing. She did lay one egg after I noticed the beginning of this behavior but has stopped laying since it has gotten really bad.

Now she is more often than not having a hard time standing or walking. But at times she randomly decides she is fine and walks around to nibble on the grass. Then gets tired and you can see her body breath heavy. She is always puffy. May be unrelated but when I looked under her feathers on the top of her head/top area of her neck there is a puffy skin area, not hard almost like a blister. She is hungry as normal. Drinks water as normal. I am not too familiar with mites but I did check her and didn't see anything, not saying they aren't there. I have added immune booster to her water and today gave her first dose of deworming. I also placed her in the mud room to keep her away from the other chicken.

I have considered worms (hence the deworming) and also vitamin deficiency, in her water now. Is there anything else I should try? Epsom salts for Botulism? Antibiotics? Can I even do all these at once?

If she was just a normal chicken I likely wouldn't be so crazy about it but she and her sister are my pets. They hang out with me, follow me, come when called

Any advise would be greatly appreciated. (Please note I can't afford to take her to a vet with the fear of crazy cost :/ )

 

[Magical Garden Girl]

My poor chicken (who is named chicken)!

Recently quite broody but no longer. I noticed was starting to have a hard time walking or standing. She did lay one egg after I noticed the beginning of this behavior but has stopped laying since it has gotten really bad.

Now she is more often than not having a hard time standing or walking. But at times she randomly decides she is fine and walks around to nibble on the grass. Then gets tired and you can see her body breath heavy. She is always puffy. She is hungry as normal. Drinks water as normal. I am not too familiar with mites but I did check her and didn't see anything, not saying they aren't there. I have added immune booster to her water and today gave her first dose of deworming. I also placed her in the mud room to keep her away from the other chicken.

I have considered worms (hence the deworming) and also vitamin deficiency, in her water now. Is there anything else I should try? Epsom salts for Botulism? Antibiotics? Can I even do all these at once?

If she was just a normal chicken I likely wouldn't be so crazy about it but she and her sister are my pets. They hang out with me, follow me, come when called

Any advise would be greatly appreciated. (Please note I can't afford to take her to a vet with the fear of crazy cost :/ )

Im thinking someone with more experience should follow through with this but I was hoping to get some clarity that might help others help you

Sometimes it's hard to put these things down in a linear fashion when worried ----
Your description of egg laying and how long this has been going on Im having trouble grasping so...

How long has this been going on?

How many does still typically lay a week

When was her last egg laid (how many days ago)


What is the longest break in egg laying she typically takes (one day, two days, various) ?


What symptoms did she have that led you to think She has worms?


If she walks at all does she bear weight (stand without you holding her) does she stumble or fall?
Or is she just out right refusing to stand up.

She's lethargic? What is she doing that you believe is lethargic (aside from sitting)

I'm thinking since she's a Bantam she may have been too small to immunize. If she was immunized as a chick or Pullet what was it for?

EXCELLENT IDEA TO KEEP HER SEPERATED

Ok

 

[Leahy Compound]

Thank you so much for replying. I mentioned the egg laying because while she isn't laying now she was and the issues started prior to her stoping. To answer your questions:

How long has this been going on?
-first signs of anything I would say 4-5 days ago. Today is day 2 of VERY concerned.

How many does still typically lay a week
-usually averaging 1 to every day or other day.

When was her last egg laid (how many days ago)
-3 days ago

What symptoms did she have that led you to think She has worms?
-reading forums, googling symptoms. It was often a thing they listed and people mentioned doing it annually. Figured, couldn't hurt even if I was wrong?

If she walks at all does she bear weight (stand without you holding her) does she stumble or fall?
Or is she just out right refusing to stand up.
-That is what is weird. In most cases, 85% of the day, she won't even bother to get up. She will lay on her side, or in my lap and not try to move. Until randomly she decides, nope, and fly walks across the grass, slowly walks and feeds, she will stumble periodically after a bid and then walk back by her coop and just lay there. Fall to a side and that's it. Or this will also happen in the evening. She will put the effort to get up to her roosting area and thats it.

She's lethargic? What is she doing that you believe is lethargic (aside from sitting).
-She won't leave the coop when the other do. She beats to her own drum you could say. If she is with the other it is because the other followed her. She will just lay there to one side. Ruffled feathers. No interest in anything... which is odd because then she gets hungry or bored and that changes sometimes. I will say this, I came home to her today laying on one side and she had been there a while because there was a lot of poop on her caused by her laying down. Enough I had to bathe her. So it definitely isn't out of being bored

EXCELLENT IDEA TO KEEP HER SEPERATED - Thank you

 

[Leahy Compound]

Today, she woke up so that is good. She still is having a hard time standing and walking but again she woke up hungry and thirsty.
She did poop but unlike all the other days, today it is watery. By watery I mean no runny but water like.

 

[Magical Garden Girl]

Today, she woke up so that is good. She still is having a hard time standing and walking but again she woke up hungry and thirsty.
She did poop but unlike all the other days, today it is watery. By watery I mean no runny but water like.

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/exoti...ommon-infectious-diseases-in-backyard-poultry

Above is a link - information is not meant to diagnose. Trust me, the best diagnostic tool is experience but this helps with narrowing things down. You can search through out this resource.


OK - I'm getting she's had a decrease in egg production and hasn't laid in three days and now four counting today - the max she has typically gone for is one to two days- correct?
Her symptoms of sitting and reluctance to stand started before the egg laying issues. She's laying on her side more. She has water stools but is eating and drinking.

I'm thinking she may have an elevated temp. Her symptoms appear neurological and many times Mareks disease is a go to diagnosis in these cases. But she is holding herself up by flying

Don't know if she was immunized for Mareks - so it's best to look at that as worse case scenario, as it can only get better. There are other diseases and disorders that cause laying on the side but Mareks is the go to diagnosis. She's also eating and drinking so go figure.

This is what I'd do since these are your pets

- call the local feed store and ask if they can recommend a good affordable vet that treats poultry
- call a vet and just ask how much an initial physical exam is and tell them you are worried about cost and it's your pet and you are concerned it might be infectious (appease to their public health awareness) see if they can recommend someone or see your chicken. Maybe they will let you set up a payment plan as fear of cost is common and vets have identified this issue and may times will work something out for your Pet.
- Search this site for the symptoms of laying on side, reluctance to walk and Mareks disease. Also how to keep your other chicken from getting it if it's Mareks
- keep her away from others. Wash hands before and after handling her
- get your chickens immunized for it before you buy them or do it yourself, ask the feedstore where people get their vaccines etc

It's good you got to it right away and I'm sorry you are going through this. Since these are your pets it doesn't hurt to have them see a vet if it's this bad.

 

[Magical Garden Girl]

Today, she woke up so that is good. She still is having a hard time standing and walking but again she woke up hungry and thirsty.
She did poop but unlike all the other days, today it is watery. By watery I mean no runny but water like.

Another post with similar issues and good links

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-hen-will-not-walk-please-help.1198439/#post-18967336

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you have a video of her actions?
How old is she?
What type of food/treats do you feed?

Which de-wormer are you using - dosage?

You mentioned this in your opening thread """""when I looked under her feathers on the top of her head/top area of her neck there is a puffy skin area, not hard almost like a blister """" Is this still there? Any photos of it?

Check to make sure her crop is emptying overnight. Feel her abdomen for any bloat/swelling or feeling of fluid. It sounds like you are doing the best you can for her - see that she is eating/drinking well - adding the vitamins is a good idea.

Keep us posted.