Lethargic hen, hasn't laid in months

[farminbigs]

I need help with my Dorking... I have tried posting about her not laying eggs a couple of times and no one has helped, but now she has other symptoms. I began to notice she was rather lethargic, but still eating and grazing (they all free range,) then in the last couple of days her tail got droopy and her comb was pale. I isolated her to better monitor her. First I checked her for impaction. Yesterday it felt hard to me, so I massaged it and restricted her diet to rule out that problem. This morning it was noticeably smaller and it just felt like there was grit in there (she's been eating a lot of grit and oyster shells.) I did notice she had some poo caked to her feathers, but her vent looks good and is functioning well. I felt to see if she might be egg bound, but couldn't find anything that felt like an egg. I have been checking her poop and it is slightly stinky and the the unrates are pretty messy but the rest is nice, green and solid, and you can see seed shells and grass. Nothing unusual or eggy (like worm eggs) and no blood, no weird colors. To be on the safe side, I went out and bought dewormer as well as an antibacterial solution to cover all my bases, but I don't want to give her anything that she doesn't need. I gave her the dewormer, but not the solution. She is still droopy and doesn't move around much, though she perks up a tiny bit for food. When she was still in the yard with the others, she would follow them around and pretend to scratch for bugs, then would ruffle up and take a nap. I don't really know what else to do at this point and taking her to the vet is not an option (we just spent our spare money putting our dog down.) Could it be peritonitis that is making her this way?? She hasn't laid an egg since April or May, but was otherwise fine until recently. She does seem to have lost some weight, but her abdomen does not appear to be filled with fluid or swollen. I haven't noticed her trying to lay at all, either. I should also mention she is only about 1.5 yo. She was laying fine all last winter, then stopped for her molt, now this. *edited to note, I have looked at all of the chicken poo pictures and it does not look like any of the abnormal poos.

 

[farminbigs]

Help??? Anyone??

 

[aidensmomma]

i just bought "Chicken Health for Dummies" and according to it, her symptoms could be a sign of several things....i would look in it. Sorry i can't help more

 

[casportpony]

What did you worm her with? Have you checked the inside of her vent for an egg or masses?

-Kathy

 

[farminbigs]

I did, her vent looked good and clean and I couldn't feel anything that felt like a mass or an egg. I am really confused. She got really excited when she heard her friends this morning, so I let her out for a little bit and she doesn't seem quite so lethargic today, but she isn't really foraging, just kind o following the others around.

 

[saltandpepper2]

Does she have any external parasites?? I would check for that. I rescued a hen with all of those symptoms, and she was completely COVERED in lice.

 

[Toddrick]

Is she molting? My hen has been hiding under the nest boxes while the others are out free ranging due to a hard molt.

 

[farminbigs]

No lice or mites. She seems to be feeling a little bit better this afternoon and her tail isn't as droopy- I tossed some oats out for the girls and she ran over and ate as much as her belly could handle. I'm hoping either the de-wormer is doing it's job or she did have a slight impaction in her crop and my massages have slowly worked it out. I will update more as the day progresses. Your input is greatly appreciated!

 

[seminolewind]

I am a firm believer in examining everything, worming, then treating with sulfadimethoxine And either Tylan or a 'cillin antibiotic. That covers all the bases.

I've read that undigested food and stinky can be signs of enteritis. Enteritis can be caused by cocci, e.coli, c. perferens (sp), and types of worms that are not killed with what you use to worm them.

Of course this is my opinion, and others may say something that clicks as well.

 

[farminbigs]

Thank you, seminolewind

I am a firm believer in examining everything, worming, then treating with sulfadimethoxine And either Tylan or a 'cillin antibiotic. That covers all the bases.

I've read that undigested food and stinky can be signs of enteritis. Enteritis can be caused by cocci, e.coli, c. perferens (sp), and types of worms that are not killed with what you use to worm them.

Of course this is my opinion, and others may say something that clicks as well.

Thank you, I bought some of that, I will treat her with that, too.