Hen Depressed - She Died

[Catalina]

My hen Honey has been acting strange.
She looks healthy - bright eyes, no nasal discharge, red comb.

But she doesn't want to scratch around, she just sits and naps. She will get up and move to different spots during the day.

She is not limping - I checked her legs/feet - they are OK.
She doesn't feel egg bound - but I gave her a warm bath yesterday, just in case.
She eats, but food doesn't really interest her. I gave her yogurt and raisins and oatmeal mixed with a little olive oil. She ate it, but usually she would gobble it down.
I checked her mouth and it looks OK.
Her crop feels normal - not too big and it's not liquidy.

What's wrong?
She looks depressed.

 

[Mahonri]

It's probably the heat!

 

[Catalina]

Quote:
I wish that was it, but it's pretty nice here right now. About 75 during the day with a nice breeze.
Last week it was 95! I wouldn't have even noticed her then, they were all laying around in the shade.

 

[NotTheMomma]

I agree, most likely the heat. In the early morning, when it's still out, is she OK then? How about in the late evening? Mine seem to be lots more active during those times. From about 11am until 4 pm, they just seem lazy and hot. I've been letting them out of their run just to graze in the yard during those hours, and it really peps them up. They find the cool parts of the yard, and dig them a little hole to lie down in. Some are laying in my monkey grass.

Make sure to offer them cool water during the hottest period of the day if you're home and can. Otherwise, maybe put some ice in their water, or freeze a 20oz drink bottle with water, and put that into their waterer . I'm finding chickens are just like us, and don't like the heat all that much.

 

[Catalina]

She acts depressed all the time and she puts herself to bed 2 hours before everyone else - which is really strange.
And her tail is droopy.......IDK maybe she has some pain internally that I can't see.

 

[NotTheMomma]

Ok, now you're posting symptoms, the droopy tail. Go to the sticky link at the top of this forum, and answer those questions to give us a more detailed look into what could be going on. Thanks!

 

[Catalina]

Ok, now you're posting symptoms, the droopy tail. Go to the sticky link at the top of this forum, and answer those questions to give us a more detailed look into what could be going on. Thanks!

She will be 2 years old on August 1st. Delaware hen. I don't know how much she weighs.
Poop normal.
Droopy tail.
Wood shavings in the coop, but she spends 90% of her time outside in the dirt run.​

 

[Judy]

It could very easily be a laying problem. She could also be going into a moult, although she should not seem so sick over that. You need to tell us whether she is laying, and whether the eggs are different.

 

[Catalina]

She isn't laying, but she hasn't been laying for a long time.
Maybe 6 months?
Her vent isn't red and her abdomen is soft.

She was the last one out of the coop this morning, but she did want to get out.

She had a big drink of water and then pooped - water with white uric acid.

I think that is normal if a hen has been drinking a lot of water?

 

[Catalina]

She is starting to lose weight.
I brought her into the house and made her a bed in a dog crate.

She doesn't want to eat.
I mixed her up some scrambled eggs. She wouldn't eat them, but when I mixed some water into the eggs she drank the water/egg mixture. Not very much, about 3 Tablespoons.

I then mixed some crumbles with some olive oil and added some water mixed with "Vitamins and Electrolytes Plus". She liked that and ate about 2 Tablespoons.

I think I'll keep her inside, hopefully she gets better or just goes to sleep.