Please help I don’t know what’s wrong with my hen is she sick?

[Beloved Turkey]

I have a hen who has suddenly become ill, She is just laying down, and won’t move or do anything. The only thing that has lead up to this is her resting more Ty a usual yesterday, she was still moving and eating though. I found her this morning with her head tucked halfway under her, and when I came home today she was sitting drenched in the rain, she wouldn’t even move to get out of the rain. When I stand her up, it looks like her legs are really weak until she lays back down. For now, I have made her a nice place inside with immediate food and water. She is also breathing a little heavy. Is she sick, or is it just her time to go because she is very old, the oldest in my flock. I have felt her and done a check up, she doesn’t feel swollen, her crop seems fine and nothing is unordinary. In the picture he water has bubbles from some anyibiotics, but as I mention earlier she it could just be her time. What do you think?

 

[Tonyroo]

She looks as if she's having heart issues, her comb and wattle are very dark.

 

[azygous]

I think you're probably right. She has a dark, dusky comb, usually associated with organ shut-down. She may have tumors that are causing organ shut-down. But we can't know for sure unless she dies and you do a basic necropsy to see if you can see the cause.

Put a little sugar in her water. It might revive her if she's just weak from hunger or something simple like that. But from her appearance, she may be at the end of her journey.

 

[Beloved Turkey]

I think you're probably right. She has a dark, dusky comb, usually associated with organ shut-down. She may have tumors that are causing organ shut-down. But we can't know for sure unless she dies and you do a basic necropsy to see if you can see the cause.

Put a little sugar in her water. It might revive her if she's just weak from hunger or something simple like that. But from her appearance, she may be at the end of her journey.

Okay, she is drinking now, thank you for the help.

 

[Beloved Turkey]

Update, she is now eating and drinking. She is also moving her head around, she used to be completely still. And since she is not a socialized hen she is also now making little noises and moving away a little when I put my hand in her kennel, she used to not do anything. So progress!

 

[Eggcessive]

If she cannot get up on her own and water, she may have become dehydrated and starved, causing her weakness. I would try to get her eating and drinking, to see if she revives. How old is she? Has she laid eggs recently?

 

[azygous]

Sometimes a little sugar water can appear to work miracles. For many reasons a hen might become starved, then she becomes too weak to eat and drink. Elevating her glucose with sugar in her water gives her a jolt of energy, especially to the brain. Then she feels strong enough to drink and eat. Before long she could be back to her old self.

Time will tell. But it's a very good sign she's improving.

 

[Beloved Turkey]

If she cannot get up on her own and water, she may have become dehydrated and starved, causing her weakness. I would try to get her eating and drinking, to see if she revives. How old is she? Has she laid eggs recently?

She is very old, I can’t know for sure because she was a rescue, but she is around four or five i think.

 

[azygous]

It's been 24 hours. How is this hen doing at this time? Did she respond to the sugar water?

By the way four or five years is not "very" old. Maybe a bit past her prime, but not old per se. Old in a chicken is over age ten. I had several over age twelve, oldest one being nearly fourteen at the time of her death.

Meet Peanut, age twenty, the officially documented world's oldest chicken.

 

[Beloved Turkey]

It's been 24 hours. How is this hen doing at this time? Did she respond to the sugar water?

By the way four or five years is not "very" old. Maybe a bit past her prime, but not old per se. Old in a chicken is over age ten. I had several over age twelve, oldest one being nearly fourteen at the time of her death.

Meet Peanut, age twenty, the officially documented world's oldest chicken.

I understand that 5 isn’t very old, but for all I know she could be 8 I got her as a rescue and have had her for five years, I do not know her actual age