My hen isn’t walking around and has diarrhoea

[ChickenKiera]

Hello, my hen normally runs around and eats the grass but today she is not really walking around and she has yellow diarrhoea. I washed her and she is just sitting down now. She seems like she is breathing heavily and sometimes breathes out of her mouth and she is closing her eyes as she is sitting down. But she is quite alert and looks around. I tried to give her some food but she only ate a bit and didn’t really drink. Is there any medicine or something I can get for her?

 

[Eggcessive]

How old is she, and does she normally lay eggs? Have you looked her over for any lice or mites under her vent and elsewhere on her skin? Is her crop emptying overnight? Poop pictures may be helpful. It is possible that she has a reproductive infection or disorder.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Is there any medicine or something I can get for her?

Assess her condition further first..

Is she egg bound? When was her last egg? This condition can be deadly fast.. within 48 hours. Usually checked by palpating the abdomen for hardness and/or inserting a (lubricated) gloved finger into the cloaca to feel for a stuck egg.

Is her crop blocked or sour? Is it squishy, empty, or hard?

Those are the top two conditions

What is her age? Does she have regular feed available usually aside from her normal grass behavior described?

 

[ChickenKiera]

Assess her condition further first..

Is she egg bound? When was her last egg? This condition can be deadly fast.. within 48 hours. Usually checked by palpating the abdomen for hardness and/or inserting a (lubricated) gloved finger into the cloaca to feel for a stuck egg.

Is her crop blocked or sour? Is it squishy, empty, or hard?

Those are the top two conditions

What is her age? Does she have regular feed available usually aside from her normal grass behavior described?

Thank you, I checked her abdomen and it was not hard and her crop was not hard either, it felt normal. She is around 4 years old and she does get corn as well.

 

[ChickenKiera]

How old is she, and does she normally lay eggs? Have you looked her over for any lice or mites under her vent and elsewhere on her skin? Is her crop emptying overnight? Poop pictures may be helpful. It is possible that she has a reproductive infection or disorder.

Thank you, she does normally lay eggs but has recently stopped (she has been laying for a while and stopping for a while for a long time). I checked her for notes but I didn’t see anything. I didn’t manage to get any photos of her poop sorry.

 

[Lizzy733]

She looks like a sexlink and now is the time they generally start to go down hill from tumors etc, though it's usually a bit more gradual than healthy one day and sick the next. What color are her poos? Are the urates white or yellowed? The latter can indicate organ failure - particularly liver. Green poos are generally a sign of starvation.

Her color looks okay from the pics. Keep an eye out for a blue tinge to the comb, this would be poor circulation or breathing difficulties.

How is her condition at the breast? Sexlinks tend to be a bit thin, but should still be meaty with the keel not too prominent. Compare with a healthy girl of the same breed to be sure. Also compare her temperature to the other bird while you're at it and check for hot spots. Chickens do rin hotter than us in general, but localized fever tends to be pretty obvious by touch alone.

 

[Opiumbrella]

She looks like a sexlink and now is the time they generally start to go down hill from tumors etc, though it's usually a bit more gradual than healthy one day and sick the next. What color are her poos? Are the urates white or yellowed? The latter can indicate organ failure - particularly liver. Green poos are generally a sign of starvation.

Her color looks okay from the pics. Keep an eye out for a blue tinge to the comb, this would be poor circulation or breathing difficulties.

How is her condition at the breast? Sexlinks tend to be a bit thin, but should still be meaty with the keel not too prominent. Compare with a healthy girl of the same breed to be sure. Also compare her temperature to the other bird while you're at it and check for hot spots. Chickens do rin hotter than us in general, but localized fever tends to be pretty obvious by touch alone.

This is sadly true. One of the reasons I will no longer get sex links. They are bred to lay more than they naturally should and it destroys their bodies. So sad. I have several going through it right now. However I have also noticed that my older sex links are WAY more prone to cocci at this age, than ANY of my other adult chickens I’ve ever had. They get lethargic, lose their appetite, and have runny poop. I would personally say that it may very well be that. Corridor is what is needed for that. I would also get her on a oregano supplement, in her water after corrid treatment, and get her to eat wet cat food as soon as she will take it, and mix in some turmeric. It will help with inflammation from any reproductive issues likely at her age. And the oregano will help to fight infections like salmonella which they are also prone too.

 

[ChickenKiera]

She looks like a sexlink and now is the time they generally start to go down hill from tumors etc, though it's usually a bit more gradual than healthy one day and sick the next. What color are her poos? Are the urates white or yellowed? The latter can indicate organ failure - particularly liver. Green poos are generally a sign of starvation.

Her color looks okay from the pics. Keep an eye out for a blue tinge to the comb, this would be poor circulation or breathing difficulties.

How is her condition at the breast? Sexlinks tend to be a bit thin, but should still be meaty with the keel not too prominent. Compare with a healthy girl of the same breed to be sure. Also compare her temperature to the other bird while you're at it and check for hot spots. Chickens do rin hotter than us in general, but localized fever tends to be pretty obvious by touch alone.

Thank you, yeah I thought it was weird that one day she was fine and the next she is sick, her colour is normal to what it normally is. Her poop was a runny yellow colour

 

[Lizzy733]

Thank you, yeah I thought it was weird that one day she was fine and the next she is sick, her colour is normal to what it normally is. Her poop was a runny yellow colour

Yellow in the urates or the actual poo part of it? Yellow or beige poo can be diet related and not have anything to do with liver function if the whites are still clear.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

She is around 4 years old and she does get corn as well.

So no formulated layer or other chicken ration? Just corn and what she get free ranging?

Are you in the US?