Hen hunched over and looking sick! Please help!

[Suzie]

I have sent personal messages to two people who should be able to offer further help to you in trying to establish the problem with your chicken...they may be offline at the moment but they will respond ... just stay online as long as you can;;

It is 2.20am here in France and I should be asleep but I want to stay with you until somebody can help you further...

Hopefully one of the people I sent messages to will help you very soon!

 

[chickengirl234]

Oh my gosh I am so sorry for keeping you up! I will be online for a while but please don't worry! I don't want to keep you awake. I am going to keep her inside tonight because she seems much better in here.

 

[Suzie]

Oh my gosh I am so sorry for keeping you up! I will be online for a while but please don't worry! I don't want to keep you awake. I am going to keep her inside tonight because she seems much better in here.

You are not keeping me awake... it is about caring for one another...Two Crows has sent me a message...she has great knowledge and will look at your post!

 

[rIrs roost]

You are not keeping me awake... it is about caring for one another...Two Crows has sent me a message...she has great knowledge and will look at your post!

Two crows is one of the best. She's helped me so much. Sorry I haven't said much more but I'm still following this thread. Two crows will know what to do. Good luck.

 

[TwoCrows]

Sorry about your hen.

Have you actually checked her for egg binding? I always suspect this first with any hen and is easy to rule out. Put on a latex glove with so ky-jelly or vaseline on the index finger and insert your finger into her vent straight back. If there is a stuck egg, it will be within the first inch or so. At 2 inches, the egg is still in the uterus and she is not considered egg bound. At this point you would want to soak her in warm water as was suggested earlier. It is not advised to soak a sick bird otherwise. If she is egg bound, you will also want to get calcium into her to help with contractions. Tums or human calcium works well.

It is very possible she is being bullied away from eating and drinking. This will make them incredibly weak and cold. I always provide several feeding and watering stations because highet ranking birds can literally starve out the lower ranking birds.

She could also be suffering from Coccidiosis. This will have them off their feed and not drinking as well. If you have any Corid on hand, you might get some in the water.

Does her comb always flop over? If not, the color and floppiness could indicate heart or circulation issues. How old is she?

It never hurts to worm, but usually combs turn really pale. Dark color combs usually arent associated with worms.

I would keep her inside overnight and in some good heat, 80 to 85 degrees. Get lots of food and water into her and see if just some tlc doesnt perk her up.

So many things can be going on inside ours birds and sometimes it is very difficult to mske an exact diagnosis.

Keep us posted!!

 

[TwoCrows]

Sorry about all the typo's. LOL I am hunting and pecking on a small pad. LOL

 

[rIrs roost]

You hunt two crows?

 

[TwoCrows]

Only on this keyboard. Ha!

If she has not improved by this time tomorrow, I would get some Corid in her. Then you might get her wormed.

Check her crop in the morning to make sure it is emptying properly.

 

[chickengirl234]

Thank you all so much. I will check for egg binding and let you know. Her comb was always a little bit flopped over but not this much. I have two other hens with her and none of them have really wanted to go outside for fear of getting swooped up by a hawk. The other two hens are doing great. I will let you know about the egg binding!

 

[TwoCrows]

Also....right now, feel her abdomen. (the area from between the legs and back to the vent.)

It should not feel like a water balloon.