Lethargic, tail down chicken

[lazychuckiepig]

Hello,

I am a bit worried about one of my chickens. The last few weeks she has spent a lot of time sitting down and relaxing but would get up to greet us (especially if we had treats) and she has been scratching around in her recently extended run.
Today she put herself to bed at about 6pm. I went out at 7.30ish as i thought it strange for her to be indoors so long. She let me lift her out no problem - she isnt usually difficult to handle but she didnt even flinch this evening. I put her on the lawn - usually this results in her nibbling at the grass but she didnt seem to want to stand and just sat there, i went inside to get some things and when i came back she was still just sat there. I gave her a cuddle, checked her over, seems ok but did have a dirty vent which i cleaned. I couldnt see any mites but we do struggle with them, however i powder the chicks and treat the coop regularly. Her eyes seem clear but she did keep closing her eyes like she was dosing off. I checked her feet and cant see any injury or sign of scaly leg mite. I did feel her crop and it feels large, (my other chuck did not want to be caught so i had nothing to compare with.) I gave her a small syringe of oil and massaged her neck but as it is the end of the day- i guess that could be why her crop seems large.
I am goign to start worm treatment tomorrow in case this is it.
It has also been really hot the last few days!
She is rather old. We got her from a commercial free range farm EOL at 16 months just over 2 years ago. I read in a magazine that comercial chickens are usually killed EOL so are only bred to live for 18months-2 years so maybe she is just getting old?
I dont know what breed she is as she is but a hybrid bred to lay. She hasnt layed for about 9 months, Her sisters that we bought at the same time all passed last winter - summer. She now lives with a bluebell chicken who is showing absolutely no signs of illness.
Any ideas?

 

[tim1975]

Hi. I am new here and just posted for help with my chicken who has VERY similiar symptoms to yours. Can your chicken walk? Or does she hobble and flap her wings?

Has she passed anything that looks like pieces of intestine or liver-like substance?

I live in Missouri and am desperately trying to figure out what is wrong with my hen...

Thanks,

Tim

 

[lazychuckiepig]

She can walk, but doesnt really want to, she has not passed anything unusual. She is mainly just very lethargic.

sorry i am not much help

 

[Smccau3]

One of my hens is acting in the same way. She has been like this for a month and seems to be ok. I also wormed her just in case.

The only thing that has gotten progressively worse is her holding her head up, though that comes and goes.

Was she recently stressed, or did you relocate her. I believe that's what brought this out in my hen.

 

[Uniontown Poultry]

This will sound dumb, but did you check the bottoms of her feet for bumblefoot? My rooster started laying down a lot, not being so active, and it turned out he had bumblefoot on both feet, but after we did his surgery, and it healed, he still limped. I took him to the vet, and he has arthritis in his one hip! He is 5 years old. So it could be something odd like that. As for her bedtime, I noticed that the older gals go to roost earlier, and they are easy to handle when you take them from the roost in the evening. Commercial birds are raised more intensively than regular backyard birds, so maybe they age faster, too.

 

[lazychuckiepig]

Thanks for all your help, unfortunately i came home yesterday to find she has passed. She was my only remaining original chicken so i will miss her! Her buddy bluebell keeps calling for her. I want to wait a bit to check Bluebell is OK and then i think i will get 2 more. I'm still not sure what was wrong with her.

 

[Katewward]

Oh I am sorry she passed. My condolences to you, your hen and your flock.
Kate