Lethargic, sneezing black sexlink hen

[CombNWattles]

A couple days ago I noticed that Caper was spending a lot of time in the nest box, even though it was later in the day; I assumed she was broody and moved her out.

Last night when I came to put them away she was sleeping on the floor next to the feeder. I put her on the perch, where she had no trouble balancing.

This afternoon, I noticed her standing alone under the chicken tractor while all the others had flown over the fence. They’ve been low on food the last couple days, but have access to lots of grass and grit. I made them some scrambled eggs and saved some to hand feed her. She avoided my first attempt to catch her but didn’t seem as fast as usual.

She is eating the egg, but not as voraciously as the others. She is sitting next to me on the porch, making no attempt to escape, which is uncharacteristic.

She is sneezing periodically, and has some clear discharge from her nostrils. Every so often she will breathe with her beak open and close her eyes.

She just pooped, very watery, possibly from lack of food. I’m working on getting a bag today.

I have a couple videos of her breathing/closing her eyes and eating egg slowly, but I don’t have a YouTube account and I’m not sure about getting one.

I’ve tried to get her to drink some Gatorade for electrolytes but she’s alert enough to refuse it. I’m feeling kind of overwhelmed because I know that this could be a lot of things. Any guesses? Thank you for reading.

 

[CombNWattles]

Caper wasn’t on the perch again tonight; she was standing on the floor nearby. I didn’t put her on the perch because I figured she didn’t want to have to jump. She is still lethargic, and didn’t walk around with the others when I shined the flashlight in the coop. I’m not sure what’s going on.

 

[CombNWattles]

Additional info:
-Labored breathing
-Green, watery droppings

 

[CombNWattles]

Unfortunately Caper passed away last night.
Rest in peace Caper.

In case this can help someone else with a similar situation: yesterday she started breathing very heavily and hanging her wings down. Based on this and the bright green poop, the prime suspects are mareks disease and lead poisoning, the latter being unlikely.

I’m considering getting a necropsy done, but I have a few hesitations:
-the cost $$$
-being ordered to cull the flock (in the case of mareks)
-not being allowed to bury her on the property

So, I’ll update when I either get the necropsy or bury her. Wishing better luck and health to anyone else experiencing these symptoms!

 

[CombNWattles]

A follow-up is long overdue...
I did not end up getting the necropsy; I decided to bury her. After a little more research I came to suspect a reproductive disorder. The greenish droppings can be a symptom, and her breed is prone to reproductive issues. None of the rest of the flock were affected. I saved a few feathers in a bag, because I had heard that a mareks test uses feathers. Even if I ever get around to sending them somewhere, they might be too old to show anything.