Hen Lethargic, Not Eating or Drinking, Eyes Closed, Laying In Box

[khind]

In most bird species, if egg bound they can’t poop I thought? I have a 3 year old hen with beautiful feathers that has never looked better just standing around and not foraging. At dusk, she didn’t coop up. Butt a little poopy and liquid poop... seemed to not have great balance. Any ideas? Her sister started with similar symptoms last fall and eventually died after I thought she was on the mend from 3 weeks in the house being hand fed. I never could figure it out. Treated for worms and cocci and lost her a couple weeks after putting back outside. Any ideas?

I'm sorry I don't have ideas, but I just want to say that from what I'm reading, an egg bound hen will either have very runny stools, none, or hardly any at all. In other words, sometimes the egg blocks poop from exiting the body, but sometimes not.
I just read that last night because I have a sweet girl I'm trying to save at this very moment. (It's not looking good. ) I hope the best for you. You might also want to post this as a completely separate post, being that the thread is so old? You might get more replies.

 

[morrelindow]

Hold up her wing and blow the skin. If you see little red mites or blonde/brown lice run around, that's what the problem is. I had this happen to my chicks recently. With them being so skidding I just attributed it to the cold weather and a late hatch. It may be to late for this one bird but immidiatly get some Diatomacous Earth and give your chickens a nice dusting. A lot of people don't know this but if enough mites or live bite a chicken it can be fatal. These external parasites are extremely toxic to the birds and can come from outside and other wild birds.

thank you so much i think you may have saved my louie, my friend was convinced it was a cold but the sympdoms didn't make match enough. i am so glad i found this page because i would never have thought it was lice, let alone to check for them.

 

[morrelindow]

Hold up her wing and blow the skin. If you see little red mites or blonde/brown lice run around, that's what the problem is. I had this happen to my chicks recently. With them being so skidding I just attributed it to the cold weather and a late hatch. It may be to late for this one bird but immidiatly get some Diatomacous Earth and give your chickens a nice dusting. A lot of people don't know this but if enough mites or live bite a chicken it can be fatal. These external parasites are extremely toxic to the birds and can come from outside and other wild birds.

thank you so much, i would never have thought to check for lice. i think you may have saved my rooster's life

 

[connie kindle Tinney]

Hello Everyone,

So it may be too late already, although I'm hoping it's not...

One of our three hens is very sick!

Over the last few days, one of our hens has been progressively getting more sick.

Symptoms:

Lethargic: Will stand wherever you set her, won't move at all. Even when it gets dark outside, and the other chicken's go in their coop -she still stands (hunched and puffed up) in the same spot.

Not eating: We feed chicken food (can't think of the name, just an all around food), corn, and oyster shell. She has not been interested in eating at all.

Not drinking

She has gotten worse this morning, we currently have her in a box, and she is just laying in there with her eyes shut -very mellow, not very responsive. Our chickens are reasonably friendly, but not this friendly.

She is definitely sick, but I am not versed on chicken illnesses. They have a large coop, and outdoor run (dirt, concrete, wood). Clean water (changed frequently AND we just scrubbed them down last week.) We keep shavings in their coop, and clean out the coop / yard frequently.

I just don't know what this could be, or how to help the poor thing.

Doesn't seem to be any discharge -breathing is shallow but no rattling or perceived difficulties.

I don't know what her poo is like, I'm hoping she goes in the box -but at this point I doubt it.

Any ideas / suggestions?

Thanks

I have a hen doing the same thing. She just stared today.

 

[connie kindle Tinney]

Hello Everyone,

So it may be too late already, although I'm hoping it's not...

One of our three hens is very sick!

Over the last few days, one of our hens has been progressively getting more sick.

Symptoms:

Lethargic: Will stand wherever you set her, won't move at all. Even when it gets dark outside, and the other chicken's go in their coop -she still stands (hunched and puffed up) in the same spot.

Not eating: We feed chicken food (can't think of the name, just an all around food), corn, and oyster shell. She has not been interested in eating at all.

Not drinking

She has gotten worse this morning, we currently have her in a box, and she is just laying in there with her eyes shut -very mellow, not very responsive. Our chickens are reasonably friendly, but not this friendly.

She is definitely sick, but I am not versed on chicken illnesses. They have a large coop, and outdoor run (dirt, concrete, wood). Clean water (changed frequently AND we just scrubbed them down last week.) We keep shavings in their coop, and clean out the coop / yard frequently.

I just don't know what this could be, or how to help the poor thing.

Doesn't seem to be any discharge -breathing is shallow but no rattling or perceived difficulties.

I don't know what her poo is like, I'm hoping she goes in the box -but at this point I doubt it.

Any ideas / suggestions?

Thanks

I have one doing the same thing.

 

[Kayte27]

I have a silkie chicken who was egg bound. I got a plastic tote a small plastic tote put in warm water and Epson salt and put her in it and gently put the water over her back for probably 5 to 10 minutes then dried her off really well till she was dry.
the next day she passed the egg.. I believe the Epson salts really relaxed her.