HELP! Sick chicken!

BarkerChickens

Microbrewing Chickenologist
12 Years
Nov 25, 2007
3,508
24
244
High Desert, CA
This morning when I checked on my girls all of them were fine and acting normal. This evening, however, one of my hens is very sick! For the most part she just squats and sits there. When she does walk, she is really slow. I don't think she is egg bound (not sure how it would feel, but it feels normal down there). She doesn't have any discharge, her eyes are clear too (and she looks around alert (though She's clearly lethargic). Her crop feels normal...not too full and not hard. She will drink water, so I gave her two syringefuls of water with Aureomycin in it (just in case it is a fast spreading antibiotic). She took it no problem. She pooped shortly thereafter and it was really watery (probably from the water she just ingested). When she squats down, she leans to the side a little, but she has been known to lay on her side in the sun too, so I am not sure it is anything to worry about. Whatever she has came on VERY quick! Any one have any ideas? It rained here recently, but there food remained dry. However, she may have pecked at something on the ground that was bad.
 
Oh...no apparent paralysis either. While she is squatting pretty much the whole time, she did stand for a few seconds and flap her wings (and she did stand to poop).
 
Is there anything I should look for? Is there something that I should be giving her instead (or with) her antibiotic? She occasionally open her mouth to breath, but no wheezing or chest congestion.

She has been separated from the chickens...she is inside now (mostly on my lap).
 
When she squats, does she spread her wings? If she does, she's simply submitting. It's the breeding season and some hens submit to anything. I have one hen who submits forever. I have to pick her up and move her to make her stop.

If that's not the case, and there are no other obvious symptoms, isolate her, keep her warm, and practice good supportive therapy. Don't treat with an antibiotic until you know what it is, you could make it worse treating blindly. This may help you: http://sites.google.com/site/moodysbantams/poultry-health-1/supportive-therapy
 

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