PLEASE HELP ME! My baby is dying!

[HauptsHenHouse]

My silkie hen is struggling. I don’t know what’s gotten her or what’s wrong. She is missing a ton of feathers and just laying on her side barely breathing. She’s not bleeding anywhere at all. She had her own feathers in her mouth, like she was pulling them out herself. I am giving her water with a syringe. Will
nutri drench help her?

 

[sylviethecochin]

If she's not drinking on her own, don't force it. She sounds like she's been attacked, and is probably in shock. Get her into a warm dark place and offer her some electrolytes instead of water. Don't force her to drink—you can choke her.
electrolytes:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp corn syrup/sugar/honey
2 qt water.

EDT: Good Luck.

 

[Sunny-Side Up]

Yes, give her Nutri Drench and see if she's eating or drinking. Separate her from the flock and give her a nice, comfortable place to rest. I'm so sorry! Maybe she was attacked by a predator or the chickens?

 

[micstrachan]

I would bring her inside and provide a warm, safe, quiet place for her to rest. I would do this first. Is her breathing labored? I agree she may have been attacked and may have squeezing injuries you can’t see.

 

[HauptsHenHouse]

well, she is our mama hen. she stays out every afternoon until all the others come in. we found a HUGE rat snake in our yard late yesterday afternoon. i’m thinking she may have been trying to protect my other girls, and she fought with it. her neck is so limp. she is drinking water and i was able to get her to take the nutri drench. i have had her inside all night, and so far, she is hanging on.

 

[Tiana's chickens]

I hope she's okay

 

[HauptsHenHouse]

Possible scenarios of injury:
There are only 2 situations that I can think of that may have happened:
- 2 of our silkie hens have been broody for nearly 5 weeks. In order to break them, I had a friend of mine give me some fertile eggs for them both to sit on (we have no Roos). It’s possible that they attacked her to protect their eggs, but not likely. She tends to leave them be, and she’s our head hen. She has not messed with them at all during this process, and the eggs are hatching now. I guess it’s possible.
- the other possible scenario: we found a HUGE chicken snake in our yard late yesterday afternoon. He was not near the coop but we’ve never had one in our yard until now. Even with keeping chickens. This is however the first time we’ve had eggs stay in the coop. I absolutely believe she would have defended her girls and the eggs against a snake. She always makes sure all of her girls are in the coop each night and fusses at them until they get inside. I don’t see any bite marks but if it wrapped around her, trying to fight and get away from her, I believe it could have really hurt her.

Update this morning: I’ve gotten up through the night to check on her. I have her in a small brooder by herself, away from any other chickens. I’ve given her water throughout the night, and have her laying on a blanket.

Just now as I checked on her, she had more of her own feathers in her mouth, and when I picked her up, I noticed blood on the blanket; that is new. There was no blood before. I looked her all over and found that she has pulled her own feathers out on her chest and crop, and pecked at her crop until it’s now bleeding.
It is dry and scaly. She is breathing and not gasping for air. However, her head is just hanging there. She doesn’t have her eyes open and when I move her from one side to the other (when I was checking her for blood), her little head just flopped over
I don’t know what to do! Is she suffering? I don’t know that. Am I being selfish by prolonging her life, in hoping she will pull through? This is going on day 3 like this. I’ve attached the photo that I took of her crop. Why would she be pecking and pulling feathers out until she bleeds? There are no signs of mites or any other parasites. I don’t know if I mentioned it but she is now molting. I believe the stress of whatever has happened to her has thrown her into molt.

 

[HauptsHenHouse]

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can she lift her head now or stand?

It looks like she may have some injuries, it's hard to tell. Give her a clean-up. You can flush those areas with saline or warm soapy water (rinse her well) and get a better look for broken skin, wounds, etc., if you find any apply some triple antibiotic ointment or vetericyn . While your at it, inspect her closely for any external parasites.

Do what you can to get her hydrated, if you have poultry vitamins or electrolytes that would be good. Once she is drinking, then see if she will eat a little wet feed.

Keep us posted.

 

[centrarchid]

If injury, not typical of chicken violence. Silkies hard to get a handle on based on picture because of all the down.