My Serama hen is ill. I'd appreciate guidance.

[SulkyBantam]

Anyone?

This morning, she ate a few grains, now she's sitting there breathing strangely. Her eyes are almost going back into her head they are now little slits.

 

[SulkyBantam]

Could she be severely dehydrated?

Her skin is now dry and wrinkled and dark.
Her breath is almost rasping.
She really wants water, but she'll only drink drops from my finger, not even when I dip her beak in the water!

I'm so worried.

 

[SulkyBantam]

I am sorry your hen is unwell.

How is her breathing, do you hear any kind of gurgling sound? How does her breath smell? Did you look into her beak, do you see any mucous or yellowish or whitish scabs?

I'm grasping at straws here...
No scabs that I can see. Breath doesn't smell that I can tell.

 

[SulkyBantam]

You probably look at this thread and say 'Gloo-omy. I'm going somewhere cheerier,' but If you've had a similar experience anyone, I'd just like to hear about it. Thanks!
@Eggcessive? @duckiemum? @Weeg? @Wyorp Rock? @TwoCrows? @LaFleche? @ANYONE?

 

[FluffyBottomBantams]

even if your chicken isn’t sick specifically from dehydration she needs water. She won’t eat if she’s dehydrated. Perhaps dip her beak in a cap full of it, if she’s lucid enough she’ll start drinking it on her own.Give her as much as she’ll take. You could also take a small syringe and slowly squirt water into the side of her beak. I’ve seen people open up the chickens mouth and squirt it directly into the esophagus so they can’t inhale it, but I found that if you squirt it slowly enough onto the side of her beak she’ll just swallow it, but still just be aware of what she’s doing so she can’t somehow inhale it. Hope someone comes along to help more.

 

[SulkyBantam]

I've been giving her drops of it. I have dipped her beak but she won't drink from the container.

I'm taking her to the vet tonight, wish me luck. They scream if parted for a few minutes and get stressed, should I bring them both on the way do you think?

 

[SulkyBantam]

I think I'll take both so they are not uncomfortable. Wow I'm even answering my own posts now.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She is in bed now but for a time in the day I watched her:

• She stood there hunched, not walking or pecking, tail low and rocking up and down with her breath
• She rocked and wandered to the food and pecked a few grains
• She turned away and stood there again
• She shifted slightly to follow her sister
• All the time she's purple-combed, slightly ruffled, occasionally on one foot.

Mostly she just stands there.

I think I'll take both so they are not uncomfortable. Wow I'm even answering my own posts now.

Thanks for your patience and understanding. Most of are in the US and aren't on all the time, we are just chicken keepers like you. We have our own families and birds to take care of as well.

It sounds like she's in bad shape so hopefully the vet can see her.
If both do better together, then take both, they are small birds.

Still hard to know what's going on with her, she may have a reproductive issue, but if she's not been drinking then getting fluids into her is a good idea.
I'm sorry she's not well. Keep us posted.

 

[SulkyBantam]

Thank you @Wyorp Rock !

 

[Eggcessive]

Let us know what the vet has to say. Sorry that she is sick, but a dark comb could be due to dehydration, heart failure, or she could be suffering from ascites or reproductive problems. Very hard to know which, but getting her to drink and eating some feed mixed with water would be good.