I think my hen is lethargic! PLEASE HELP!!

[Marlene Bravo]

I live in California and the city i live at goes up to high 80s and 90s right now. So i will definitely stop the scratch since its hot out. And we also have separated her already since she wont go out on her own to eat.

Well, that sounds like very good progress. Watch her closely for a few days, for any more signs of problems. I don't know where you're located, but if it's very warm out, they can often drink much more than they eat, just to try to stay cool. You can help that by cutting out the cracked corn, and changing them to layer crumbles, or flock crumbles with calcium on the side for the layers who want it. Corn makes their body temperature run higher (which makes it a good late afternoon treat for winter time), so it's really a no-no in summer time. The flock crumbles will give them the best nutrition they can possibly have, and will help prevent any fatty liver problems. Just offer calcium in a separate container.

If she continues to act "off" you should separate her from the flock, put her in her own little crate, with food and water where she can easily reach them, and you can keep a better watch on her, what she eats and drinks, how her poop looks, see if her tummy is swollen, etc...

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[Marlene Bravo]

Well, that sounds like very good progress. Watch her closely for a few days, for any more signs of problems. I don't know where you're located, but if it's very warm out, they can often drink much more than they eat, just to try to stay cool. You can help that by cutting out the cracked corn, and changing them to layer crumbles, or flock crumbles with calcium on the side for the layers who want it. Corn makes their body temperature run higher (which makes it a good late afternoon treat for winter time), so it's really a no-no in summer time. The flock crumbles will give them the best nutrition they can possibly have, and will help prevent any fatty liver problems. Just offer calcium in a separate container.

If she continues to act "off" you should separate her from the flock, put her in her own little crate, with food and water where she can easily reach them, and you can keep a better watch on her, what she eats and drinks, how her poop looks, see if her tummy is swollen, etc...

She poopef again today. Its really smelly. And she is still breathing with her beak open and closing her eyes while breathing. Could she possibly have a cold?

 

[BirdGal]

Not sure if I overlooked this somewhere in the posts,but do you have grit or small gravel available for your birds ?

 

[Marlene Bravo]

Not sure if I overlooked this somewhere in the posts,but do you have grit or small gravel available for your birds ?

Yes we have a bag of gravel but ive never gave it to them. They always just eat the little rocks that are in the dirt since we let them free range.

 

[Marlene Bravo]

Can you check her abdomen for any heat, bloat or swelling..... cup your hand between her legs and then compare with a healthy hen of the same breed. I am concerned that it may be Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome... larger birds like Buff Orps are more prone to it. The drinking water may indicate that she is haemorrhaging and a fluid build up inside is putting pressure on her lungs. Unfortunately I'm not sure there is anything you can do at this late stage if that's what it is. You can try to give her some Nutri drench... a few drops directly into her mouth one at a time, so that she doesn't aspirate them but the colour of her comb suggests that she is struggling with oxygenation.
What do you feed your hens as FLHS can be linked to diet and obesity too. Too much corn or scratch or whole grain feeds can add to the problem.

I now believe something is wrong with her liver. She started feeling swollen yesterday and we took her to the vet and there wasn’t anything they said they could do. She looks to be in pain and it breaks my heart. She can barely walk now.

 

[rebrascora]

I'm so sorry. She does look a bad colour which suggests her heart or respiratory system is struggling, maybe both.
Many of us have been through the heartbreak of having a sick chicken that we cannot fix. When they lose interest in food I usually end it for them. It takes a lot of psyching myself up to do it and I cry during and after but the important thing for me is to end her suffering as quickly as possible. Everyone has their own views on this though and you have to make your own mind up. What I will say is that if you do euthanize her yourself, do plenty of research and remember that what is easiest for you may not be easiest for her and she should be your priority. Also, be prepared for the after spasms that usually occur even when they are despatched very quickly. They can go on for as long as a minute, even in an apparently weak bird.
I know this all sounds horrific and it is, but as with everything in life, there are the good bits and the bad bits and death is an inevitable part of life and occurs much more often in poultry keeping than we would like.
I wish you well in making a difficult decision for her.

 

[Marlene Bravo]

I'm so sorry. She does look a bad colour which suggests her heart or respiratory system is struggling, maybe both.
Many of us have been through the heartbreak of having a sick chicken that we cannot fix. When they lose interest in food I usually end it for them. It takes a lot of psyching myself up to do it and I cry during and after but the important thing for me is to end her suffering as quickly as possible. Everyone has their own views on this though and you have to make your own mind up. What I will say is that if you do euthanize her yourself, do plenty of research and remember that what is easiest for you may not be easiest for her and she should be your priority. Also, be prepared for the after spasms that usually occur even when they are despatched very quickly. They can go on for as long as a minute, even in an apparently weak bird.
I know this all sounds horrific and it is, but as with everything in life, there are the good bits and the bad bits and death is an inevitable part of life and occurs much more often in poultry keeping than we would like.
I wish you well in making a difficult decision for her.

She just passed away an hour ago. We couldn’t euthanize our chicken even though we new she was suffering it was just too hard. We did the best we could to take care of her and she was sick for 17 days and she’s now in a better place. We love her so much!

 

[rebrascora]

I'm so sorry you lost her but at least she is no longer suffering.