Not sure whats going on

[henryholub]

I'm new to chicken owning and recently have had an issue with a rhode island red come up. Her eyes look good and her comb is still bright red, but she's lethargic and wouldn't even take a meal worm out of my hand when i held it right up to her beak. I was able to reach down and pick her up off the ground without her flinching and thats not normal. I checked to see if she was egg-bound and it didn't seem like it, but I'm not entirely sure what to look for. No signs of lice or mites either. She went from 5-6 eggs a week to no eggs for the last week. I'd think she's broody, but she's not trying to sit on the other birds' eggs or the golf balls. I don't know what to do next. Help!

 

[kari_dawn]

is her belly (Between her legs) squishy or firm? From a hatchery? I have heard that hatchery RIR and NH have more of a tendancy to become internal layers...have you lubed up a finger and checked her vent for a stuck egg?

 

[henryholub]

The area between her legs is squishy. Her vent appeared moist. What do you mean by "internal layer?"

 

[Country4ever]

What does her crop feel like?
Her abdomen should feel soft........not hard or swollen.
Maybe she fell off the roost and got a concussion. That happened to a couple of mine once (I think). They slowly improved.
I would isolate her and keep track of her input and output and what her poop looks like.

 

[henryholub]

I'll have to fel the crop when I go check on her in the morning. During the day I'll isolate her and see how she does. I don't think it's a concussion. The lack of egglaying came several days before the lethargic symptoms. Thanks for the advice

 

[Lacy Blues]

If she's not interested in food, can you get her to drink? You have to keep them eating when they get like that. What are the night time temperatures in Texas right now? You might want to bring her in for the night to keep her warm. A dog crate or box with a lid that lets air flow would be all you need if you keep your house warm at night, otherwise she will need some kind of a heat source, just so she's warm. That way, you can tell what her droppings are like. If she's in the coop, you won't know hers from everybody else's.

 

[kari_dawn]

do a search on BYC for egg peritonites too...its a possibility...I would also do a BYC search for egg bound, and internal layer...are there any other symptoms?

 

[henryholub]

She was over the water dish drinking earlier. I'll separate her into our dog crate on the back porch. Its almost like she's had a stroke. She looks fine but acts dazed. The symptoms I've read for egg peritonitis fit well to what I'm seeing though i really hope thats not it. I hope to have more information for y'all later this evening. Thanks for the help.

 

[henryholub]

I've just separated her and while i was at it, picked up another chicken for comparison and felt around. The sick chicken seems to have extra fluid in both her abdomen and crop, doesn't seem interested in food, water, or moving at all anymore. Any ideas would be helpful

 

[kari_dawn]

...sounds like it might be renal failure...I really don't know!