Lethargic, pale vent, dark comb, sleepy SICK HEN

[blackfishfin]

Please help!
This is for my bantam hen.
1) Weak, Sleeping. She is literally limp most of the time. If she manages to stand, she is shaky and cannot walk straight.
2) Her head is down and her feathers are fluffed out. Her eyes are closed.
3) Her comb is dark and shrunken.
4) Her vent is pale and yellow.
5) Her poop is like water, with a tiny dot of dark brown poop that looks like an inchworm.
6) If her head drops too low, she will raise up her head like she is drinking and swallow.
7) Not eating or drinking at all!
8) I have not noticed a difference in any of the eggs that have been laid and I don't know if she has been laying. We have a lot of hens.
9) She has no parasites around her vent or on the outside of her body, so probably not parasites unless they are inside her.

I noticed that she was sleeping a lot more often today. She is a mixed breed. Has some cochin and japanese bantam in her. She was lying on the ground, but I didn't want to disturb her because I just thought that she was taking a nap. Today, when I went to give the chickens dinner, she was not eating and climbed onto the lowest roost we have. I grabbed her, and she went limp in my arms. She is not underweight, just very sick. She has no wounds anywhere. I forcefed her some water with VET RX in it, but no difference so far. She is simply limp and sleepy. She barely opens her eyes and she closes them right back. I will get some pictures for you in a minute! I haven't seen anything different with any of the other hens, either, but I am keeping a close watch on them.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you get her drinking some Poultry NutriDrench, electrolyte water, Gatorade, Pedialyte, or water with a half spoonful of sugar? Offer chick feed with water to make it wet, and a little scrambled egg. How old is she? Has she laid eggs lately? How does her crop feel now, and then check it again in the morning.

 

[blackfishfin]

Can you get her drinking some Poultry NutriDrench, electrolyte water, Gatorade, Pedialyte, or water with a half spoonful of sugar? Offer chick feed with water to make it wet, and a little scrambled egg. How old is she? Has she laid eggs lately? How does her crop feel now, and then check it again in the morning.

I will get her Gatorade right away! Unfortunately, I don't have anything else. We have no chick feed. I've already checked and we've run out. She is about 7 months old. She just started laying about half a month ago. I do not know if she had laid eggs recently. I have not seen her lay. Her crop is rather large and feels just like any normal tissue. Nothing odd there, I don't think.

 

[Eggcessive]

You don’t have any chicken feed at all? I didn’t mean chick starter, but just the chicken feed you use.

 

[blackfishfin]

You don’t have any chicken feed at all? I didn’t mean chick starter, but just the chicken feed you use.

Oh yeah, we have chicken feed! I thought you meant chick feed. I have already tried to get her to eat, but she is refusing. Should I forcefeed her?

 

[blackfishfin]

Quick update!
I felt her crop. It's mushy and swollen. She is doing much better now and is drinking water with electrolytes in it. She is sleeping in a box in my room with some blankets. She is not eggbound, I know that, but I still don't know what to do. She is drinking water like crazy and I am going to go get her some feed. She is still very weak though and has not tried to stand since waking up.

 

[Eggcessive]

What time did you feel the crop? It normally should feel empty in early morning. If not, there could be a crop disorder. Is there a bad or sour odor from her beak? I like to prepare some foods and offer them up to the beak. First though, she needs to drink, and you can hold a small cup or scoop and see if she will take some. Drip it near the side of the beak if she won’t drink.

 

[blackfishfin]

What time did you feel the crop? It normally should feel empty in early morning. If not, there could be a crop disorder. Is there a bad or sour odor from her beak? I like to prepare some foods and offer them up to the beak. First though, she needs to drink, and you can hold a small cup or scoop and see if she will take some. Drip it near the side of the beak if she won’t drink.

Okay, update! She is doing much, much better. I felt her crop at about 10:00 at night. She then went to sleep and stayed in my room all day. Thank God when she woke up, she was eating well and drinking a LOT. We put Vet RX and some electrolytes in her water. She was not coughing, wheezing, or having any trouble breathing. She had no foul smell. By the end of the day, she was doing fine and was even trying to escape the box to leave the room. She was eating fine as well. We put her back in the coop with the other hens and there are no problems sense. Her comb returned to it's normal color as well.

 

[blackfishfin]

Okay, update! She is doing much, much better. I felt her crop at about 10:00 at night. She then went to sleep and stayed in my room all day. Thank God when she woke up, she was eating well and drinking a LOT. We put Vet RX and some electrolytes in her water. She was not coughing, wheezing, or having any trouble breathing. She had no foul smell. By the end of the day, she was doing fine and was even trying to escape the box to leave the room. She was eating fine as well. We put her back in the coop with the other hens and there are no problems sense. Her comb returned to it's normal color as well.

We are watching her very closely, still, though.

 

[arwoon]

So glad everything went well with your hen!