Needing help understanding this lethargy with hen

[LalaBuckholtz]

So I have a Rhode Island Red hen named Basil.
I live in a metropolitan area so I have a tiny flock of only 3 hens, all RIR. In the summer they all laid an egg a day and were champion eaters. Chili is definitely the lead hen, she is at the top of the pecking order, super healthy, etc. Basil was kind of the beta, but I think she was recently demoted and the youngest, Rosemary, seems to be above her in the pecking order now. I got all 3 of them as grown chickens, no chicks or pullets. Basil clearly seems to be the oldest (size, wisdom, etc) and Rosemary the youngest.

We had a cold spell come through about 10 days ago and Basil got super lethargic. I first thought she was eggbound because she stopped laying, gave her a warm bath, massage, felt for an egg but there was none. Then the weather warmed up again and she perked back up, but her appetite hasn't returned and her lethargy hasn't improved.

She does eat, but very little. And she doesn't want to eat with the other chickens anymore even though they aren't bullying her (they just kind of ignore her)
She does drink, but not guzzle.
She is pooping, but not laying. Her poops are just fine, a little browner than the other two hens, but normal in consistency, color, and the ratio of caecal droppings to normal. Urites are fine.
She will get up and move, but she's not scratching around like normal and will just lay down and sleep at the sides of the yard.
Her crop is not large and hard, nor is it large and squishy. It is a little squishy, but very small, about the size of a golf ball in the evenings (compared to Chili's which is a full orange in the evenings). In the morning it always feels empty, but still the area feels squishier than the other two chickens.
I did notice some poultry lice on Basil (the cold spell came with rain that temporarily decimated their dust bath, so I treated ALL of them with DE.)
No signs of worms in any of the chickens feces or pen.


I. Am. Flummoxed.

Any thoughts?
Is she fine, just not a fan of the weather change?
Is she just older than I realize (farm store had NO IDEA how old she was)?
Is she depressed about her demotion/shunning?

 

[Eggcessive]

Has Basil molted this year, or is she looking like she may be? If that isn’t her problem, she might be showing signs of a reproductive issue, worms, or something else. It can be hard to figure it out. Sometime we don’t until a necropsy can be done if we lose them. I would worm her with Valbazen 1/2 ml orally, and repeat it in 10 days. You could also use SafeGuard horse paste or goat wormer 1/4 ml per pound once and then again in 10 days for roundworms and cecal worms. Or use it for 5 straight days to also treat capillary and gapeworms. The Valbazen does that will just the 2 treatments. Most find that one online, but some feed stores sell it.

If you don’t mind using an antibiotic, such as Aqua Mox amoxicillin, that can treat a reproductive infection. I would keep checking her crop early each morning to see if it is emptying, and try to get her eating some mushy wet chicken feed and scrambled egg. Vitamins, such as Poultry NutriDrench or even b complex might also give a boost. If you try the antibiotic, dosage is 250 mg orally twice a day for 7-10 days. Then some probiotic plain yogurt would be helpful.

 

[Eggcessive]

I wouldn’t rely on DE to kill lice. I would use either Permethrin garden dust or the permethrin spray on the birds. If you buy a small bottle of Permethrin 10 concentrate, that can be mixed with water 1 tsp per quart in a spray bottle for chickens, and in a garden sprayer for treating the coop once bedding is removed.

 

[LalaBuckholtz]

Has Bail molted this year, or is she looking like she may be? If that isn’t her problem, she might be showing signs of a reproductive issue, worms, or something else. It can be hard to figure it out. Sometime we don’t until a necropsy can be done if we lose them. I would worm her with Valbazen 1/2 ml orally, and repeat it in 10 days. You could also use SafeGuard horse paste or goat wormer 1/4 ml per pound once and then again in 10 days for roundworms and cecal worms. Or use it for 5 straight days to also treat capillary and gapeworms. The Valbazen does that will just the 2 treatments. Most find that one online, but some feed stores sell it.

If you don’t mind using an antibiotic, such as Aqua Mox amoxicillin, that can treat a reproductive infection. I would keep checking her crop early each morning to see if it is emptying, and try to get her eating some mushy wet chicken feed and scrambled egg. Vitamins, such as Poultry NutriDrench or even b complex might also give a boost. If you try the antibiotic, dosage is 250 mg orally twice a day for 7-10 days. Then some probiotic plain yogurt would be helpful.

Thanks. I had considered that she might be getting ready for a molt. So far Rosemary is the only chicken to molt this season, Chili has shown no signs whatsoever of a molt. Basil hasn't been losing feather and when I treated her for the lice I didn't notice any new pin feathers forming. But I suppose she could be gearing up for it.

She clearly is looking for some sort of comfort. I don't treat my chickens like pets, so other than the daily inspection, they aren't used to being handled. But the last week or so when I pick up Basil to check her over she starts to purr and fall asleep. Either she's just that tired or she really feels puny.

I already give them vitamins, probiotics, and Verm-X on a regular schedule, but I'll try the dewormer just in case and go ahead and give them a round of antibiotics just in case. They handle fishbiotic very well.

 

[LalaBuckholtz]

I wouldn’t rely on DE to kill lice. I would use either Permethrin garden dust or the permethrin spray on the birds. If you buy a small bottle of Permethrin 10 concentrate, that can be mixed with water 1 tsp per quart in a spray bottle for chickens, and in a garden sprayer for treating the coop once bedding is removed.

I have permethrin spray that I used over the summer for flies. I know the bottle says it can be used directly on poultry. How does that work? Do I just spritz them? Is that enough to penetrate their feathers or do I need to try to get under their wings as well?