Ill hen sleeping all day

[SomeChookLover]

Hi everyone, I’ve noticed today that my hen Kucheli has been acting odd. Mostly that virtually all of today she’s been sleeping, which is unlike her usual energetic self. She does seem to be eating, though she’s a little thin at the moment, as are some of my other hens (probably going to worm them just in case.) However when I gave her some wet chicken food, she only took small bites which is unusual for her. I haven’t been able to see any of her poop yet but if I do I’ll inform you all of what.
She’s also occasionally opened her mouth to breath and has been hiding in corners, though she did make it onto the perch tonight to sleep.
She is going through some other health struggles at the moment that I’m in the process of treating, including bumble foot, scaly leg might (terrible combination) and a mild case of lice. I treated her for bumble last night and had some tape on her feet so I worry I might be paranoid and she just didn’t sleep well because of the tape, but if this is something sinister, I’d rather know about it then assume she’s fine.
Thank you.

 

[nuthatched]

What's her age and diet? Have you checked her for injuries?

 

[orelsi]

Lice infestation often causes them to sleep on their feet during the day, because they get exhausted during the night when the bugs are active. Remove the lice and see if she improves.

 

[SomeChookLover]

she’s around two or three and is still laying. I give them pellets for laying hens (not sure of the brand) but they contain all the nutrients chooks need in the pellet. However they are free range, so they get some of their food scratching around. I couldn’t find any injuries on her.

 

[SomeChookLover]

Lice infestation often causes them to sleep on their feet during the day, because they get exhausted during the night when the bugs are active. Remove the lice and see if she improves.

Thanks for the advice! I’ll give them a dust once they’ve all gone to bed. She is sleeping sitting down though and I’ve noticed she’s virtually always keeping her right eye closed, though it doesn’t seem injured.

 

[BDutch]

Im afraid your chicken is very weak because she has so much problems with injuries (bumble foot) and parasites.

What lice did you see? Feather lice?
Do your chickens have access to a dust bath? Put a couple of spoons with DE in there. It helps s bit against feather lice and scaly leg mites too and is harmless.
If you have red mites you should clean out your coop and do a lot more to prevent a horrible future.

Be careful not to give too much medicines/pesticides. Too much can kill a chicken just as well as some parasites can. Only give worm medicines after a test with an outcome of a mayor worm infestation!

I would give her extra high protein food now and chick feed instead of laying pellets. + some dried mealworms, yoghurt, …

 

[SomeChookLover]

Im afraid your chicken is very weak because she has so much problems with injuries (bumble foot) and parasites.

What lice did you see? Feather lice?
Do your chickens have access to a dust bath? Put a couple of spoons with DE in there. It helps s bit against feather lice and scaly leg mites too and is harmless.
If you have red mites you should clean out your coop and do a lot more to prevent a horrible future.

Be careful not to give too much medicines/pesticides. Too much can kill a chicken just as well as some parasites can. Only give worm medicines after a test with an outcome of a mayor worm infestation!

I would give her extra high protein food now and chick feed instead of laying pellets. + some dried mealworms, yoghurt, …

Thanks to much for the advice! After a little googling I believe she has poultry lice, which I’ll be treating tonight. They do have access to dust bathes but being free range it would be difficult to put DE in them.
I haven’t seen evidence of red mites and we just made some new perches today but I’ll keep my eye out.
We’ve had to worm them before and it worked well but I will wait for her to improve a bit before we worm the flock. I’ve also been waiting ti treat the scaly until after the bumblefoot is gone.
I’ve actually already switched her to chick food this morning, but I said the laying pellets because that’s her usual diet. I was trying to explain that she wouldn’t we lacking anything but I phrased it quite poorly!
Thanks again for the advice!

 

[BDutch]

I’ve also been waiting ti treat the scaly until after the bumblefoot is gone.

You don’t need to wait with the SLM. You can use a petroleum jelly on her feet to suffocate the tiny spiders.
petroleum jelly is completely harmless.

 

[SomeChookLover]

You don’t need to wait with the SLM. You can use a petroleum jelly on her feet to suffocate the tiny spiders.

Oh I was a bit worried that the jelly would prevent the wound from breathing. If that’s not an issue though thanks for letting me know! One this is that her breathing is a bit laboured, she’s panting and it seems to have gotten worse over the course of the day. I’m a bit paranoid that there might be something else affecting her as well?

 

[BDutch]

Oh I was a bit worried that the jelly would prevent the wound from breathing. If that’s not an issue though thanks for letting me know! One this is that her breathing is a bit laboured, she’s panting and it seems to have gotten worse over the course of the day. I’m a bit paranoid that there might be something else affecting her as well?

SLM is on her legs, not under her foot.
Can you post some photos please of the chicken, her legs, the bumble foot?
And a video (post on youtube or similar first) of her breathing?

@azygous @Eggcessive