My hen looks like she's falling asleep standing up...

[Chicken Goddess]

She just stands in one place and starts to sleep still standing up. i need to know whats wronge with her.
I dont want her to dye, she is the only chicken i have and will ever love. PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[FrozenWings]

My 15 month old laying hen has the same symptoms. She just stands there and starts to fall asleep. When she manages to stabilize herself and actually sleep, she moves her head from side to side? All my other birds are fine. It started yesterday, I noticed her sleeping in the flower garden while the others were off in my vegetable garden. She lets me pick her up, which is completely not normal. I am giving her a warm bath now, in hopes she is just egg bound. That being said the outcome seems to be fatal with these other posts.

-Frozen Wings

 

[Keeper]

This is an old thread but I wanted to respond for anyone who has this happening now.

My 1 yr old hen started to do this last week, and when I examined her I could not find any sign of what was bothering her. No external parasites, no obvious injuries, didn't feel an egg, crop seemed a bit empty, but normal. The only thing I could think of was a respiratory issue because I had just changed their bedding the day before.

She wasn't eating or drinking, and she was being very still. After I brought her inside she started to pant and hold her wings out, even though it was only 70. I gave her some nutridrench and that seemed to perk her up a little, but not much. I cooled her down with an ice bucket and a gentle fan, though later I read that a chicken can act hot when they are just trying to lay an egg.

I decided to take her to the vet the next morning. They did a fecal smear, looked her over, listened to her lungs and exrayed her. They couldn't come up with anything obviously wrong, but they decided that she might be egg bound even though she had just laid an egg the day before.

They gave her calcium, antibiotics, and pain meds, and after a few hours she started eating, drinking, and being more active. They sent her home and she soon laid her egg. She has been fine ever since. The whole thing cost me about $150.

Some people can't afford this, or don't want to shell out that kind of money for a chicken, which I understand. She was my only blue layer, however, a rare and expensive breed and I am just plain fond of her. She is one of my friendlier girls, so for me, it was definitely worth it.

 

[Nattykuume]

I also noticed some layers in one particular cage were sleeping while standing. For me, it turned out that the nipple drinker in their cage was not dispensing water. So they were actually dehydrated.