Lethargic hen **Update-Ophelia Passed tonight

[NeverFast]

Hello all,

I have a "black australorp" hen about 5 months or so old. The last week she has been acting a bit more lethargic than normal. She is an only backyard (underground) hen. She has a coop with roosting perch and is let out everyday at 2pm to run free in my yard. She routinely eats whatever is in my garden (mostly tomato fruits) and the usual bugs. I do not use pesticides she is the bug control. Her comb and face seems to have lost all its color its almost white. Her poops seem normal though have decreased significantly in size with each day. She is still eating small amounts of pellets and is drinking. I started her on Tetracycline Hydrochloride on Thursday night just in case as that is what the guys at the feed store recommended. She is drinking the meds in the water in small amounts and I am providing un-medicated water during the day.

I moved her indoors to a large dog crate with heating pad on Thursday as well. She follows me around the house sloooowwwllyyy and she is interested in things still like pecking around and noises and scratching. She does not seem to have any balance problems though she can walk perch and turn around though she does not seem to have the oohmf to get her but up onto a perch but she can jump down fine.

Any thoughts on what could be the cause?

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Well it's good that she's still eating and drinking.

Has she started laying yet? Have you palpated her abdomen to see if it's "squishy" and full? Does she walk a bit different - slower and kind of like a waddle? Since I've lost a couple hens to internal laying issues that's always my first suspicion when a chicken becomes lethargic.

 

[NeverFast]

I can feel her crop is full and firm but not hard and it seems even. She has not produced any eggs since I have had her and her age is an estimate. I can feel a pronounced V shape bone all the way down past her crop i cannot feel any masses or squishy areas though it is hard to get her to hold still one i start feeling around she gets ticked. I just flipped her on her side and felt around and other than feeling skinny kinda bony there was nothing out of the normal. she got wobbly when i let her up and layed down instantly i think it was that blood flow head rush though.

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

If you Search here on BYC for "Eggbound".. you will get some good info and how to check and treat it... she is at the age... between five and six months when they start laying... so.... she may be eggbound or having some laying issue.

She's a little young for worms yet... but, free range chickens do get them more often and earlier... So.. for now, watch her poop for worms and assume a laying problem.

Good luck.

 

[NeverFast]

I triple checked her abdomen and I there is no swelling no red no feather loss no messy area around the vent nothing.. I feel no eggs inside her either

I just want her to be all better

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

At this point I would take her to the vet if she is a cherished pet. Expensive, I know. So sorry - it's very hard to watch them suffer and not know what to do.

 

[NeverFast]

Hello All,

She is still holding on though she is still greatly lethargic and sleeping more. She is in the tub right now soaking and I have her set up on heating pad and heating light (also making sure she is not getting to hot.) She kind of picks at cooked oatmeal and is still on the tetracycline in the water. Not showing barely an interest in food.

Her poops are about the size of a dime and come about every 30 - 45 min. They have the normal green and white in them except for a couple last night 2 were very dark almost purple and two had a small (think pencil eraser) amount of what was the color of yolk. I checked her vent today and there were no signs of egg leaking out or anything of the sort.

I also noticed that she is leaning forward a bit now sort of a way and then she catches herself.

I am hoping she makes it but have seen no improvement and its been a week now.

 

[NeverFast]

Sadly Ophelia crossed the Rainbow Bridge tonight. She passed while sleeping quiet and calm.

Thank you for all your help, she was a good bird and will be missed.