Help With Sick Chicken in Subzero Temps

[Wyorp Rock]

She's been inside the garage now for about 5 hours and no poo. I syringe fed her garlic water cuz she won't eat or drink and I'm suspecting sour crop, but would that affect her this badly?

I just offered very lightly scrambled egg and she was excited and wanted to eat it, but acts like she can't. She did the same think with half a kernel of cooked corn this morning, like it is too big for her to put in her mouth.

Have you looked inside her beak for any lesions, yellow or white pasty material or obstruction?

 

[ChickensoftheHill]

Have you looked inside her beak for any lesions, yellow or white pasty material or obstruction?

Yep. I don't see anything. She looks totally normal, but acts really sick. I am wondering about a broken egg inside of her?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is she pooping?
What's that like?

It may be reproductive. It shouldn't hurt anything to give her 1 Calcium Citrate tablet once a day for a week.

Cancer, tumors, Salpingitis, EYP, etc. can be common in laying hens. She may be having problems with an egg laid internally. Hard to know.
Any discharge from the vent? You would likely have seen that if she had an egg broken, but you can always feel about an 1" inside the vent for an egg, but if she's pooping o.k. likely nothing is binding.

 

[ChickensoftheHill]

Is she pooping?
What's that like?

It may be reproductive. It shouldn't hurt anything to give her 1 Calcium Citrate tablet once a day for a week.

Cancer, tumors, Salpingitis, EYP, etc. can be common in laying hens. She may be having problems with an egg laid internally. Hard to know.
Any discharge from the vent? You would likely have seen that if she had an egg broken, but you can always feel about an 1" inside the vent for an egg, but if she's pooping o.k. likely nothing is binding.

Her poo is mostly clear liquid with some green substance in it. I checked her vent and felt nothing. My friend is a vet and he said maybe Marek's, sadly. He doesn't know for sure, but said to keep that in mind moving forward. She did just eat (devour) some cooked corn and peas...very little as I'm just testing her system. She also drank, so that's a good sign!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can your vet friend run a fecal float (poop sample) to see if she needs treatment for worms and/or coccidiosis?

I'd work on hydration. Electrolytes would be good to give for a couple of days. See if you can entice her to eat a wet mash of her normal feed. Tidbits of scrambled egg may be enticing.

I'd re-check her crop, look her over again for lice/mites. She may have laid internally, this can make them feel unwell.
Marek's is something to keep on the back burner, it's a common disease with some puzzling symptoms depending on what form. Her stance in the photo to me says crop/digestive + reproductive, but I'm not there to see her behavior all the time either.

 

[ChickensoftheHill]

Can your vet friend run a fecal float (poop sample) to see if she needs treatment for worms and/or coccidiosis?

I'd work on hydration. Electrolytes would be good to give for a couple of days. See if you can entice her to eat a wet mash of her normal feed. Tidbits of scrambled egg may be enticing.

I'd re-check her crop, look her over again for lice/mites. She may have laid internally, this can make them feel unwell.
Marek's is something to keep on the back burner, it's a common disease with some puzzling symptoms depending on what form. Her stance in the photo to me says crop/digestive + reproductive, but I'm not there to see her behavior all the time either.

Thank you so much for your attention to my problem! Pompeii is all better after antibiotics. She must have had an infection as her crop and vent and feathers and belly all looked and felt fine. She just had her tail down and moved little and wouldn't eat or drink. I'm so thankful (and surprised) to see her back to normal!!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm glad to hear she's doing better