Need help diagnoising hen

[eggsontheway]

I found this hen listless a few days ago. The other hens began to pick on her so I brought her in. She was in the house for 3 days and has been in the garage for 3 days. She seemed to not change much until yesterday after I started giving her an antibiotic. She can still stand but looks a little drunk when she tries to walk. She is still deinking or as least was yesterday and pooping. She was opening her eyes until today. Any ideas?

 

[Eggcessive]

Has been molting? She looks like she has some missing feathers, flakey dry skin, and pin feathers coming in. When did she lay eggs last? Is her crop empty, full, soft or hard? What antibiotic are you using? Molting can be hard on them, and that can be a time when sickness shows up. I would check her vent area, neck, and elsewhere for tiny bugs (lice and mites.) Is there any nasal or eye drainage, or labored breathing? Has she lost weight through her chest and breast bone? What do her poops look like. I would give her a bit of plain yogurt daily for probiotics, some chopped egg for extra protein, and plenty of clean water and chicken feed. Keep her warm if she is chilling. It may be a good time to worm her with Valbazen or SafeGuard Liquid Goat wormer.

 

[rebrascora]

She looks like she is on her last legs! First and foremost she needs warmth. Bring her back into the house and put her in a box in a warm draught free area. You might also consider a heat pad. Next step is to ensure that she is well hydrated. I would also offer poultry drops either directly into her mouth or via water once you have her drinking. Warm water with electrolytes and then start offering her warm soft mushy food once you are sure she has had plenty of fluids....be careful she doesn't aspirate if you decide to syringe fluids into her.

She does look like she is moulting but as Eggcessive says, there is obviously something much more serious going on. How old is she? Is she showing any respiratory problems? Check her crop for possible impaction or sour crop, her breast bone for body condition and abdomen for any swelling or abnormality. Also check her vent and report back with findings. It might be worth bathing her eyes very gently with a warm saline solution, just to be sure they aren't matted shut.

Personally I would not attempt to deworm a chicken that looked so ill, until you at least have her stabilised and eating and drinking well on her own.

Good luck with her

Regards

Barbara

 

[eggsontheway]

Thanks for the responses. I have checked her for mites and don't see any but I have given her a dust anyway. Her crop is empty. She is about 9 months old. He eye did clean up with saline. The antibiotic is called duramycin-10. It has been added to her water for 3 days. She was wormed about a week ago, right when I noticed her getting lethargic. He main symptom is just unable to keep her head up. She just lays and sleeps. When I move her around to check on her, she is fairy alert but quickly puts head down again.

 

[eggsontheway]

Oh I forgot - she was pooping up until today not she is excreting a liquid yellowish, almost a liquid diarrhea I would say.

 

[Eggcessive]

Give her a teaspoonful of plain yogurt every day in her food, mixed with chopped egg for probiotics. The duramycin could be causing the runny stools or she may have coccidiosis. In order for the antibiotic or cocci treatment (Corid,) she really needs to take enough orally. I would probably take her to a vet in the morning for testing of her droppings. They could give her some fluids with a neddle or tube feed her fluids.