Hen's sudden decline: weak legs, can't stand, mouth breathing, disinterest in food/water

[Eggcessive]

So glad that she laid her egg, and is trying to get around more. Glad the antibiotics may help. Be sure to toss her eggs for 2 weeks after you finish the antibiotics. The one today may be fine to use.

 

[Tennessee Great Granny]

Blood poops look black and tarry but I have seen some that looked like coffee grounds too. I almost always start with antibiotics. If it is pneumonia the longer antibiotics aren't started the sicker they get and faster they can die. Antibiotics don't work with viruses, but they can prevent a secondary bacterial infection in anyone sick with a virus. She was having trouble breathing, and you were right it could have been the heat. Obviously you care deeply about this bird and want to do the best for her. If you ever do see blood poops look around for mouse and rat poison. It is a potent blood thinner. Cats eating mice that have consumed mouse poison can get poisoned from it. Chickens often will eat mice babies and rat babies in a nest. Mine like playing keep away with the other chickens using baby mice. The packets of poison containing grain based feed and looks very much like poultry pellet that have been sprayed with some greenish material (the poison I assume) . While you may not use rat poisons (I try using electric to get them) we all know rodents are attracted to bird feed and your neighbors might be using poisons on the rodent population. I know the antidote used to be vitamin K in people so they clot normally but I have no clue how to treat a chicken. I just know it is good to remove the source to protect the ones we can when we can. I think it is sweet your girl went to be close to you as she was feeling better. Some people think chickens are emotionless birds but they really do become attached to us.

 

[Cinnaminute]

I tried to update this sooner, but my internet has been deplorable since the 13th and I haven't been able to use it for more than a couple minutes at a time and I've been battling that alongside allergies and my hen who has chronic crop issues joining in on the chicken healthcare train. But I digress:

Tilly is doing wonderfully. I think she's made a near full recovery. Her appetite had returned shortly after laying the egg. Perhaps it's a reproductive issue and had to do with that egg. Really, the 6 EE chicks I got June of 2022 (including her) all seem to struggle from a range of needing calcium tablets once or twice a week during the summer to the one who sometimes expels lash material and has had ascites drained twice (but that girl, Cleo, is such an amazing fighter who doesn't want to go down without a fight). Whatever it was, I'm just happy to see Tilly back to her usual self. She's been dust bathing and sun bathing and generally just having a lovely time.



@Tennessee Great Granny Thank you for the poison info. Thankfully folks around here are pretty old-fashioned and seem to rely on the feral cats. Plus, our one neighbor has a cat that thinks our property is his, so he's always jumping the fence and prowling around our porches and such. I don't pickup chicken feed until my final flock check at 10:30pm and even in the morning, any feed spilled is still there on the ground. The girls are always eager to gobble it up while I go bring out their dishes. I have had an armadillo sneak in after dark from time to time to steal the occasional egg before I get out there. But pretty sure no rats. However, I'll definitely keep an eye out just in case. You never really can be too safe about stuff like that.

 

[Cinnaminute]

Just wanted to share:

Tilly had another episode yesterday/last night. I've been sick for a week with bad allergies and she's seemingly done fine at getting enough calcium. She's been laying 3-4 eggs a week. But I'll admit I haven't been as attentive.

I saw her nesting on the ground yesterday around 5pm. Thought that was a bit suspicious, but it was rainy and the coop & nesting boxes were crowded (she's low on the pecking order) so I figured maybe she might've just been enjoying her dry spot. She was pecking around at the straw in a nest-building type of behavior. I set some food by her and let her be.

Went out right after dark around 8pm and she was still on the ground. Gave her a calcium tablet and brought her in. I let her rest in a dark carrier until midnight. She wasn't getting weak fast or anything so I thought maybe she wasn't too bad. But at by midnight she was panting hard. Gave her an epsom salt bath, put some Vaseline on her vent, and then was up until 4am giving her some electrolyte water every 15 minutes because she was dehydrated. I did give her a bath just in case but I figured it was just a waiting game.

And she laid around 7:30am, egg had a weak shell. Then she ate and drank a ton. Been walking around like nothing happened thankfully.

So it looks like I might have to give her a regular supplement every week. They have oyster shell at the ready and no one else is having any issues (and I have a couple other hens that are low in rank or have a personal bully).

But overall, glad she's fine. I felt it was good to confirm though that she's definitely having calcium issues.

 

[Cinnaminute]

Update: Tilly is having another episode of this problem. They have plenty of oyster shell and I've been giving her about 2 or 3 calcium tablets every week. In fact, just gave her one this morning as part of my routine. Around the same time in the evening, she got weak in the knees and now can't stand, just lays there breathing heavily.

Got some nutridrench down her and I'll be doing my same routine: I'll give her an epsom salt bath later and keep her hydrated until I go to sleep.

I did the math and seems she's doing this on a pattern every 2.5 weeks. Wondering if there's anything I can do to prevent this. The poor dear suffers all night long until she gets the egg out.

 

[Eggcessive]

When she has this problem, it might be helpful to give her calcium citrate with D every day for 7 days. Walmart has that for $8.

 

[Cinnaminute]

When she has this problem, it might be helpful to give her calcium citrate with D every day for 7 days. Walmart has that for $8.

Thanks for your advice! I usually give her 2-3 per week since this started happening. If I can give her 7 days in a row without overdosing her on it, I'll gladly do it. I feel so bad for her going through this and am so frustrated, I was trying to prevent this from happening anymore.

 

[Eggcessive]

No it shouldn’t be given more than 7 days. There may be something wrong with her shell gland in the oviduct.

 

[Cinnaminute]

No it shouldn’t be given more than 7 days. There may be something wrong with her shell gland in the oviduct.

Thanks for the info. Maybe that is what's wrong. I know she typically lays normal, with normal shells. But she could be having a glitch or something.

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But she is doing great again. She was labored for about 15 hours before being normal again around 8am. Then she laid a few hours later around 12:30pm. Egg seemed fine, just had a heavier bloom than normal and some calcium deposits bumpies. Last time she did this, the egg was heavily bloomed but the outer shell was weak and somewhat soft.



I'm going to keep a really close eye on her since I did notice she pooped nothing but dirt again like the last two times. So she could also be getting bullied away from the food too often and is getting malnourished. I've been pulling her aside from the others in a safe spot to eat her fill a couple times a day.

 

[Cinnaminute]

Just updating for anyone following along:

Yeah, looks like I haven't been able to change anything. I've spent extra time ensuring she eats good and has plenty of access to oyster shell. I've even been supplementing everyone with a little nutridrench in a bowl of water once a week (helps my other two hens with some issues, as well).

But same thing again today with Tilly. Perfectly normal when I last saw her at 5:30ish pm. Been normal all day, eating and foraging and free ranging. Weather has been cool thanks to rain, only in the 60s-70s. But just a little after 6pm, she's standing with her rump fluffed up and staggered when someone bumped her. Gave her a calcium tablet and brought her inside to rest in the dog crate. I won't stress her with a bath this time. Doesn't seem to be what she needs.

Here's a bit of what she looks like at the worst, for those curious. The past three times she'd either be open mouthed panting or "passing out" asleep, similar to the video. She'd do this the entire night, breathing hard the whole time. I expect it to be the same this time. But it's scary to see and I'm always afraid she'll pass away.

Watch out for the volume, I didn't realize the nearby fan would pick up so loudly.