Hen won't eat, stands still, weak

[chickenbutt]

My young adult Blue Andalusian has been acting lethargic and stands to herself. I noticed this behavior on Saturday after being away from home since Wednesday. On Wednesday, everybody (14 hens) was fine and happy. I keep them in the coop 12'x12' and run 12'x20' since the hawks are out.

She has been getting weaker, and was roosting on a lower bar than normal last night so I brought her inside to stay in the bathtub. I gave her a warm bath but no poop or egg came out. I brought her inside and inspected her in the bathroom. She is currently on a towel in the bathtub. Her poop is yellow and runny with a green blob in the middle. Another poop was all yellow. I poked through it and did not see worms. Her appearance and body seems fine, but she is weak and quiet. I felt for a bound up egg and felt her crop but I am not sure what to feel for.

She ate some yogurt with layer crumbles mixed in, but did not drink bath water or chicken vitamin water. I got the 5 Blue Andalusians for Xmas and they are young but fully grown and are laying. They were all happy and outgoing and played well with my flock. My coop has deep litter and I mix it often, and the run is deep with mulch and hay. I have not had any chicken disease problems. A few years ago at my last house, I had a Tyson hen act this way, but she was stomped to death by a Tyson rooster before figuring out the disease or the cure.

Details:
1) Blue Andalusian, 9 months, adult sized
2) She stands away from the flock, won’t scratch, slouches, won’t eat, drank some but not now
3) I noticed behavior 3 days ago after coming home from being away for 2 days
4) Vent clear, feathers fine, no wetness, no bugs, comb dark at edges, flopped over but it already flopped over
5) It has been freezing the past week, other 13 hens act fine
6) Layer crumbles, scratch, heated clean water available at all times
7) Poop is runny and yellow with a chunk of green goop – did not see worms in it
8) Fed her yogurt with layer crumbles mixed in, water with chicken vitamin powder
9 ) I can treat her and I have several feed stores in the area, not sure about vets available
10) Don’t have a picture and I’m stuck at work currently
11) Deep litter in the coop, 12’x12’, raked frequently, roost bars, hay/mulch in 12’x20’ run

Thank you so much for reading and offering advice.

 

[LilBizzy]

Do the yellow poops almost look like scrambled egg color?
One of my silkies was acting pretty much the same way- her poops were like scrambled egg color mixed with a green one here and there. From comments on here, it seemed like she may have had an infection cause by broken or misplanted egg. Has yours been laying lately?
Keep her inside and warm and quiet, and keep feeding her whatever she will eat, along with the vitamins. Hopefully someone will come in with much more experience than I. I gave my silkie antiobiotics, and she got better after a week. Yours may need antiobiotics also, but until someone else chimes in, keep doing what you are doing for her. Try dribbling some water on the side of her beak if she is not drinking anything.

 

[Country4ever]

Does her crop feel full?
Does her abdomen feel swollen?
If you can't find anything specifically wrong with her, I would give her antibiotics with yogurt in-between (not at the same time).

 

[chickenbutt]

Quote:
Thanks, LilBizzy. They do look like an egg yolk color. That was my first guess, like a cracked egg. Some internet searching found that yellow poop may be caused from not eating. There are green blobs in the middle, too. I got these 5 hens three weeks ago and they were laying white eggs, although I can't tell them apart and I don't know who is laying what egg. Now it is so cold, nobody is laying. She hasn't laid en egg in the two days she's been living in my guest bath tub. Last night she seemed to perk up and ate some crumbles, yogurt, and I force fed her water. I will try to find a feed store or farm vet with antibiotics. Where did you get your chicken antibiotics?

 

[chickenbutt]

Quote:
Hmm, I think her crop is pretty empty. It does stick out toward the bottom, but feels baggy. I feel the other birds' crops and they are much bigger. I have been feeding her yogurt with crumbles. I will find some antibiotics today. Thanks for your reply.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

you can try adding Organic Apple Cider Vinegar to her water, 1 teaspoon per Quart of water (plastic or glass dish only).
it aids in changing ph in digestion. it also helps with crop issues, and infections.

 

[LilBizzy]

I had goten my antiobiotics from First State Vet Supply online. I had Doxycycline left over from some bumblefoot treatment, and that is what I used. There are different antiobotics for different ailments though, and I do not know which one would be recommended. I just happened to use what was on hand.
You can also get some antiobiotics at Tractor Supply, or Southern States or a local feed store.

 

[chickenbutt]

Quote:
LilBizzy, I called around the Southern States and some other farm stores, and the SS in Smithfield had a really good selection of farm animal medicines. I got a bag of areomycin, mixed with water, and used a syringe to squirt several loads down the chicken's throat. She won't voluntarily drink and will only drink a little if you dip her beak in. I also injected some olive oil for calories. Later on in the evening she started eating her crumbles. This morning she was eating crumbles and was drinking the medicine water. The medicine seems to have perked her up. I should have had a bag of that stuff all along. While I was at it, I changed out the deep litter last night. The new chickens may not have liked something in my current chickens' poop so now they have a clean start.

 

[chickenbutt]

Quote:
Pandora, thanks for the tip. I will have to give this a try.