Need help: post-broody hen lethargic, wattles white, comb now pink, won't open eyes or move around..

[ZebraBus]

Hi! Just found this site recently; one of our hens goes broody for 55-56 days EACH TIME she goes broody. Acts like a normal broody hen (gets up to eat, poop and dust bathe, then back to nest) except for the excessive time in the nest. .
But this time after she broke broody, she won't eat or drink, OR open her eyes! She just sits by herself. The others come around and sit with her, but she won't open her eyes or move unless prodded. It's been three weeks (I can't believe she's still alive) and my husband has been hand-feeding her home-made pedialyte blended with scrambled egg, three or four times a day. She is no worse, and for the past two days has actually shown about 1 or 2% improvement. Nothing to brag about but at least she's holding her own and not getting worse.
Her wattles are now white, comb is a very pale pink, won't open her eyes, crop feels soft and small, poops daily, small amounts.
My husband holds a tiny cup of the pedialyte/egg mix to her beak, being careful to dip JUST THE TIP of her beak in it, and she will take 10-20 sips at a sitting. She is only getting maybe a total of 2-3 teaspoons a day, so I don't know how she's surviving, but she is pooping each morning. Yesterday for the first time in 3 weeks she opened her eyes just a tiny crack, but it's a start.
Any suggestions?

 

[coach723]

Have you checked her over for lice/mites? Broodies can sometimes be attractive to them since they don't move much and can be weakened by not eating and drinking well.
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/
I think I would tube fluids and then feed (fluids always first, you need to hydrate before feeding) since she's weak and not eating well on her own. More info here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/go-team-tube-feeding-updated-12-29-2019.805728/
And lastly, I would not let her sit and be broody this long ever. If you are not going to let her hatch eggs there is no reason to put her through the stress of it, it's hard on them. Next time I would break her, and everytime that you don't want hatched eggs. Best way is a wire crate in the run so she can still see and be seen, raised up on bricks or boards, no bedding or nesting material at all, so air can circulate all around her. She stays in there with her own food and water until she's no longer broody, most take a few days, some stubborn ones can take a week to change their minds. Some hens may go broody several times a year, so it may have to happen more than once, I generally only let mine hatch once a year, if I'm going to let them sit at all. Pictures below of examples:

 

[ZebraBus]

After the fact (unfortunately) we realize that her broodiness was excessive. THAT will not happen again, thank you for the info. Will check her for mites and lice and continue fluids then solids, and will advise.
Thank you so much for the info!!

 

[ZebraBus]

We have had a flock of 4 for the past 6 years. Have lost a few and replaced them, and each one who has died had a different situation going on... one was scared by a hawk overhead and ran into a post and knocked herself out and never recovered (which was unusual because they usually stand absolutely still in the presence of danger).
Hens are an absolute delight and don't regret one minute of the decision to have them!