My hen is dying!

[BauerWFarm]

I found my Wyandotte, Lucille this morning laying on her side in the run….. she is dying….. and I don’t understand what really happened… she had been broody, her first time, and it was cute broody, unlike my others lol….. but I noticed this weekend her isolating herself…. And resting in odd places… I

I ALWAYS am very thorough with checking my hens…. Idk how this got by me, but I found her with a lot of poop on her… I immediately did a warm soak and clean her so I could see what the issue was…. As I was cleaning I also found a huge ulcer, but I think it’s a result of skin irritation from the feces…. She is sleeping now, lethargic, lost weight… idk if she is able to saved…. I need advice!!! Please!!

I have added a photo of the ulceration

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

Spray it with Vetericyn and treat for shock with sugar water if she is drinking. @Eggcessive @azygous @Wyorp Rock

 

[BauerWFarm]

Spray it with Vetericyn and treat for shock with sugar water if she is drinking. @Eggcessive @azygous @Wyorp Rock

I can try… she isn’t really drinking at the moment but I think the bath and blow dry helped her feel a little better… prior to this she has been broody… her first time actually, but I was able to break it… that could also be the result of weight loss… but I just don’t know about this… if it’s gangrene or able to heal…. She is just over two years old

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

Okay, I'll tag a few more people who know a lot more than me. @Jenbirdee @SmiYa0126 @luckycluk

 

[MarlaMac]

If she is not drinking, offer some of the sugar water to her beak in an eye dropper (cup water, tsp sugar, pinch of salt, pinch of baking soda is the recipe I see on here often - you can search for more information on this in the search bar). Just place a drop or two on her beak. Since it is sweet, it might entice her to drink more of the fluid. Your first goal must be to get her taking in fluids. If she doesn't readily take it, offer it to her beak often.

You can also try a little watermelon. It is almost all water and has an array of electrolytes (which the sugar water imitates).

Check the wound thoroughly to make sure the flies have not laid eggs which have hatched in the wound. They will continue to work their way into the hen's tissues and eventually kill her if they are not removed. Use a turkey baster to flush the wound thoroughly. If you have clorhexidine, use that otherwise, use a salt water mixture. Once you are convinced there are not maggot in the wound, pat dry and apply non-pain reliever triple antibiotic ointment to the wound. Keep the wound clean and moist with the antibiotic ointment. A moist wound will heal, a dry wound will have troubles.

Once she is drinking, offer her food. Regular feed wetted down into a mush is usually very appealing to chickens. If she won't eat that, try a poached or hard cooked egg.

Does the wound smell? If so, you have an infection and might want to seek antibiotics for her. I am not sure what antibiotics would be best, so I will tag someone who might. @Wyorp Rock any suggestions? Thank you.

Keep her separated in a darkened, quiet spot so she can rest and recover.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

@MarlaMac has given very suggestions that I would follow.

The wound below the vent looks to be fairly clean and I don't see maggots, but that is a typical area where Flystrike occurs. I'd definitely check for maggots and other wounds on the body.

You mention she was broody, could she have been unwell instead of broody? When was her last egg?

I'd work on hydration as suggested, treat the wound and see if she will perk up.

Photos of any poop that she has may be helpful too. I'm sorry she's not doing well.

 

[BauerWFarm]

@MarlaMac has given very suggestions that I would follow.

The wound below the vent looks to be fairly clean and I don't see maggots, but that is a typical area where Flystrike occurs. I'd definitely check for maggots and other wounds on the body.

You mention she was broody, could she have been unwell instead of broody? When was her last egg?

I'd work on hydration as suggested, treat the wound and see if she will perk up.

Photos of any poop that she has may be helpful too. I'm sorry she's not doing well.

She stopped laying when broody, and she felt absolutely fine… I have been away for a month and half, been back about 3-4 weeks…. She was broody when I returned… first time seeing her like that and she is absolutely the cutest I’ve seen while broody lol…. I just kept taking her out of the nesting boxes to break it, and she would eat and drink during then. I noticed odd behavior Friday or Saturday I think… she is has always had a unique personality so I hadn’t thought much of it… ex: trying to keep cool by laying areas she never has before but the ground was damp… I’m in Texas, on the border… it’s HOT… I have two industrial fans, and numerous water stations, with feed in shade and then their favorite scratch…. Yesterday she was walking the perimeter of the “hen yard” this is normal for her…. I always check my hens, handle them, to observe how they are doing and if there is any pecking, long talons etc…. I never even noticed a build up of feces on her. I can spot that real well on the others…

The wound is clean, I didn’t know anything at the time so I had bathed the lower half of her and used witch hazel as an antiseptic…. I’ve used the the vetericyn antimicrobal poultry care on the wound… but need to do the non pain reliever antibiotic ointment…. The vent isn’t loose or moist as normal as well….

I’ve tried pedialyte with a pointed syringe…. But she isn’t taking water on her own and definitely not eating….

She had improved with sugar water… and I thought things were looking hopeful…. But she has declined again… and I tell her body temperature is going down… idk if she will make it thru the night….

 

[BauerWFarm]

I just had to try do my best for her… I have had very fortunate luck with injured hens recover from situations unfavorable… ei: raccoon attack, the hen healed perfectly, it took a while but she did amazing…. This has been distressing, I don’t want her suffering but I wanted to at least try… it’s night, so idk if I should continue pushing the fluids or leave it??

I’ve noticed a bad odor occasionally after bath but I’m questioning if it’s from her mouth.. which is clean.

 

[BauerWFarm]

@MarlaMac has given very suggestions that I would follow.

The wound below the vent looks to be fairly clean and I don't see maggots, but that is a typical area where Flystrike occurs. I'd definitely check for maggots and other wounds on the body.

You mention she was broody, could she have been unwell instead of broody? When was her last egg?

I'd work on hydration as suggested, treat the wound and see if she will perk up.

Photos of any poop that she has may be helpful too. I'm sorry she's not doing well.

Nope she wasn’t unwell, I’ve cleaned the wound, it’s actually pretty clean just bad…

 

[BauerWFarm]

@MarlaMac has given very suggestions that I would follow.

The wound below the vent looks to be fairly clean and I don't see maggots, but that is a typical area where Flystrike occurs. I'd definitely check for maggots and other wounds on the body.

You mention she was broody, could she have been unwell instead of broody? When was her last egg?

I'd work on hydration as suggested, treat the wound and see if she will perk up.

Photos of any poop that she has may be helpful too. I'm sorry she's not doing well.

Flystrike?! I haven’t heard of that! I’ll have to look it up… your correct it seems pretty clean… I did bath her lower half and the. Discovered the ulceration after… sugar water perked her up quite a bit… and I was hopeful… but this evening she has started declining again. Not taking water on her own, and definitely not food..

I’m just trying to catch up on advice offered hear and appreciate the support. She is one of my favorite girls, and happens to lay the largest eggs too.