Please Help! My hen is very sick!

[SurferchickinSB]

So a few weeks ago my Rhode Island Red hen, Ginger, started acting weird. She wasn't as energetic as usual, and she was shaking her head a lot. I checked for lice, mites, etc.(didn't find anything), and thought that she might have coccidiosis, so I got some medicine and gave her a bath. She bounced back after the bath, so I didn't use the medicine.
She's barely eating, but I'm not sure if that is because she's sick or if she's being bullied. Then yesterday, I noticed that her legs were very far apart compared with the other hens, and when I felt underneath her, it was swollen(?) drastically. I've been looking up what this might mean, but I haven't really found anything, and I just don't have the means to take her to a poultry vet.
Any ideas on what this might be and how can I help her??

Sounds like she is egg bound. That is the reason she bounced back after you gave her a warm bath.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Is there a "home" cure or will I have to put her down?

If I was you I would give her Tums I had a hen that was doing that quite frequently and she was also laying soft shelled eggs and her whole behind between her legs was all swollen. Do you give your hens oyster shell?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

OP, I am sorry for your hen 's discomfort and your distress. I am here to learn, so please forgive me for intruding here a little bit and if I am out of line somebody please tell me and I will back out. But if in the future one of my hens has this problem I would just like to ask those who are helping you here, how exactly do you "clip" a hen's bum? Do you use scissors to trim the feathers, or clippers such as you would use on a dog or what? Pardon my ignorance. I hope you are able to save your hen and give her some relief.

Edited typos

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I can feel something between her legs, but her vent doesn't seem swollen. Her "backside" doesn't seem too swollen either, it's just a little behind her legs that I'm feeling the most swelling. She doesn't seem to be in pain, but then again, chickens are good at hiding their ailments...

I don’t think it looks really bad yet, my chicken looked a lot worse. I think she could just be egg bound and she needs calcium, that will help bring on contractions and will help her expel the egg.

 

[Simmons Homestead]

I don’t think it looks really bad yet, my chicken looked a lot worse. I think she could just be egg bound and she needs calcium, that will help bring on contractions and will help her expel the egg.

She could be, but if she is, she's got very different symptoms than what I saw in my first egg bound hen. I will give her a bath and massage around the area, as well as clip the feathers to check for injuries and discoloration.
I do not give them oyster shell, though I probably should. There is extra calcium in their feed, but that might not cut it. Like the antacid Tums? What would the proper dosage for a hen be? Would I just put it in water or give it to her straight?

 

[SurferchickinSB]

She could be, but if she is, she's got very different symptoms than what I saw in my first egg bound hen. I will give her a bath and massage around the area, as well as clip the feathers to check for injuries and discoloration.
I do not give them oyster shell, though I probably should. There is extra calcium in their feed, but that might not cut it. Like the antacid Tums? What would the proper dosage for a hen be? Would I just put it in water or give it to her straight?

Yes, the antacid Tums, it’s very high in calcium and will bring on contractions rather quickly. When I have done that, it usually helps them expel quickly and it comes out within an hour. I just take a tablet and break it up into about six pieces and open my chickens beak and put them in one by one. I think you need to pick up some oyster shell. It’s only about 10 bucks for a 20 pound sack and I just throw a handful down on the ground every evening before my girls go to bed.Also if you have the time, another warm bath with some Epson salt might be good as long as you have time to dry her.

 

[Simmons Homestead]

Yes, the antacid Tums, it’s very high in calcium and will bring on contractions rather quickly. When I have done that, it usually helps them expel quickly and it comes out within an hour. I just take a tablet and break it up into about six pieces and open my chickens beak and put them in one by one. I think you need to pick up some oyster shell. It’s only about 10 bucks for a 20 pound sack and I just throw a handful down on the ground every evening before my girls go to bed.Also if you have the time, another warm bath with some Epson salt might be good as long as you have time to dry her.

Alright, thank you. I will go pick some oyster and Tums up before I bathe her.

 

[Kiki]

Have you ever dewormed your flock?

 

[Simmons Homestead]

Have you ever dewormed your flock?

I have not, but I've been meaning to do so. When Ginger started acting strange, I looked up worms and de-wormers but her symptoms didn't really match, and I checked her for pests to the best of my ability.

Yes, the antacid Tums, it’s very high in calcium and will bring on contractions rather quickly. When I have done that, it usually helps them expel quickly and it comes out within an hour. I just take a tablet and break it up into about six pieces and open my chickens beak and put them in one by one. I think you need to pick up some oyster shell. It’s only about 10 bucks for a 20 pound sack and I just throw a handful down on the ground every evening before my girls go to bed.Also if you have the time, another warm bath with some Epson salt might be good as long as you have time to dry her.

Alright, I have oyster shells and 1,000 mg antacid tablets, fruit flavored, since that's all I could find. Would I still break the 1,000 mg tablet into 6 pieces or would I go for a lower dosage?

 

[casportpony]

Alright, I have oyster shells and 1,000 mg antacid tablets, fruit flavored, since that's all I could find. Would I still break the 1,000 mg tablet into 6 pieces or would I go for a lower dosage?

Are they 1000 mg calcium carbonate? If so, give her 1/3 of a tablet.