Hen very sick not sure what it is or how to treat it

[newchickgurl]

I have a hen that is walking very slow, her feet are turning inward almost pigeon toed, tail feathers down, feels very heavy and she can't jump to get into the coop. I can't find her exact symptoms in anything I have read on here.

 

[FancyAndFowl]

I'm not sure what that could be, but I hope your hen starts to improve. There's nothing worse than when our babies are sick.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have a hen that is walking very slow, her feet are turning inward almost pigeon toed, tail feathers down, feels very heavy and she can't jump to get into the coop. I can't find her exact symptoms in anything I have read on here.

How old is she, and has she been laying eggs recently? Can you bring her in or separate her with food and water? Will she drink or eat? Try feeding her some chopped egg, and add some water to a small bowl of her feed. Can you feel of her crop to check if it is empty and flat, or if it contains some food, and whether it feel soft or hard? How do her droppings look? Can you feel of her lower belly to check if it is full or spongy? One thing that can be common in older hens is egg yolk peritonitis. They may have trouble walking, preferring to sit. Also, there can be a loss of appetite, loss of weight through the breast area, runny poops, or poops that may contain egg-like material or be grren from not eating.

 

[newchickgurl]

Thank you i do too.

 

[newchickgurl]

I am not sure how old she is - we have had her for almost 3 years now. She does eat and drink - I have seen her do both. I can separate her from the rest of the flock. She does have poop on her feathers by her bottom. And no she hasn't been laying that I have seen. I thought because it was winter she slowed down. Her poop is a little runny but there is still some form to it. I only know that because when I went to check her she pooped.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would probably only separate her for a day, just to make sure she is eating if she has trouble getting around. They are usually more comfortable around the other chickens. Here is a little reading about internal laying, egg yolk peritonitis, salpingitis, and other reproductive problems:
http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/tag/laying-issues/
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/egg-laying-issues/index.aspx
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/12/salpingitis-lash-eggs-in-backyard.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/526089/egg-yolk-peritonitis

 

[newchickgurl]

Thank you very much for your help.

 

[Eggcessive]

You're welcome. We can only suggest possibilities, but it can help to get a real diagnosis from a vet, if you can find one comfortable with chickens.

 

[newchickgurl]

It is with a heavy heart that my little runaway passed in her sleep last night. Thank you for you help. I wish I could have caught this sooner.

 

[Eggcessive]

I'm sorry that you lost her. You may want to do a necropsy at home to look at her abdominal contents for fluid or egg matter, her liver and other organs, and open her crop, gizzard, and intestines to look for blockage or worms. It can be educational to see what has killed her, and if you take pictures, you can get help in what might have been wrong. Not everyone can do necropsies on a pet, and if you just bury her, that is fine too.