Lethargic Hen

[A.M. Eggs]

Hi! I posted a thread a few hours ago, but I got no response. I have a hen who is being lethargic and largely unresponsive. I saw her eat some scratch and drink some water, but then she continued to be lethargic. She was normal on Friday. I was gone yesterday. While I was feeding them, I found some wet moldy food in one of their feeders. Is it possible that she could have eaten some of the mold? Thank you for any help!

 

[chrissiemids]

View attachment 1705004 View attachment 1705003 Hi! I posted a thread a few hours ago, but I got no response. I have a hen who is being lethargic and largely unresponsive. I saw her eat some scratch and drink some water, but then she continued to be lethargic. She was normal on Friday. I was gone yesterday. While I was feeding them, I found some wet moldy food in one of their feeders. Is it possible that she could have eaten some of the mold? Thank you for any help!

Check her crop is it empty in morn and full at night. Not squishy. Not hard.

 

[chrissiemids]

I would check her crop. Is it empty in morn,full at night. Not too hard,not squishy. I've had these probs lately.

 

[A.M. Eggs]

I checked for a stuck egg but she is clear. Her crop has little to no food in it. I will check again in the morning.

 

[A.M. Eggs]

Checked her crop before they went to bed and it was empty and squishy. Could she have something wrong inside of her?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You have some responses on your other thread too https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chickens-accidentally-locked-outside-all-night.1297010/

Can you take a sample of her poop to be tested for worms?
How long have you had her?

Moldy feed can make them sick, so it would be good to clean that up.
Check her crop first thing in the morning to make sure it's empty.
Do you know when she last laid an egg? You checked to make sure she was not egg bound and that was the right thing to do. Feel her abdomen too - any bloat/swelling?
She may be developing a reproductive problem like EYP, internal laying or similar.
If she is lethargic, get her hydrated first to see if she will perk up. Poultry vitamins would be a good idea for a couple of days.
What do you normally feed your hens including treats?

 

[A.M. Eggs]

You have some responses on your other thread too https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chickens-accidentally-locked-outside-all-night.1297010/

Can you take a sample of her poop to be tested for worms?
How long have you had her?

Moldy feed can make them sick, so it would be good to clean that up.
Check her crop first thing in the morning to make sure it's empty.
Do you know when she last laid an egg? You checked to make sure she was not egg bound and that was the right thing to do. Feel her abdomen too - any bloat/swelling?
She may be developing a reproductive problem like EYP, internal laying or similar.
If she is lethargic, get her hydrated first to see if she will perk up. Poultry vitamins would be a good idea for a couple of days.
What do you normally feed your hens including treats?

I feed them dumor poultry crumbles and pellets. Once a day, I throw out scratch (usually in the afternoon). Every now and then I throw out lettuce and mealworms. I had been gone for almost a week and the care taker was told to only given them their crumbles/pellets and scratch.

She must have laid an egg while I was gone. She was normal the day I got back. She did eat some scratch today, but I didn't see her drink any water. What kind of vitamins and where can I find them?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How is she?
If her crop is empty in the morning, I would check to make sure she has not swelling/bloat or fluid in the abdomen. Check inside the vent to see if there is a collapsed egg as well. While your at it, look for any lice/mites.

You can find poultry vitamins at Tractor Supply. I like Poultry Cell, but they should have a selection.

 

[A.M. Eggs]

I wasn't able to check on her this morning but last night she managed to get into the coop by herself. She was able to get out this morning too. I watched her drink water. Then I saw her strain and then poop. The poop was almost all white with a small amount of green in the middle. She is acting lethargic still but is feeling better than yesterday. I am going to buy the vitamins today and then find a way to separate her. I'll check her crop and vent again.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I wasn't able to check on her this morning but last night she managed to get into the coop by herself. She was able to get out this morning too. I watched her drink water. Then I saw her strain and then poop. The poop was almost all white with a small amount of green in the middle. She is acting lethargic still but is feeling better than yesterday. I am going to buy the vitamins today and then find a way to separate her. I'll check her crop and vent again.

Can you get some photos of her and the poop?
If she is straining to poop, then I would take a guess to say she has some inflammation that is making it hard to go. What would be the big question - there are many causes - infection, worms, coccidiosis, excess fat and reproductive problems are a few that come to mind.
If you have examined her to make sure an egg isn't stuck, the next step would really be to get a fecal float to check for worms.