Plz help, I think my chicken is sick

[elise406]

Hello, this is my first post on BYC. I'm sorry if I'm not posting in the right forum. I joined because I think one of my hens is sick and I want to help her.

This is Frannie. She has been acting weird the last couple of weeks- walking very slowly, not wanting to really eat or drink, and she's been sticking close to me- like she's asking for help. Her eyes look tired and sickly. And her feathers, on the top of her head and neck, seem sparse and thin. Please see the photos.

Does anyone have any suggestions for what I can do? All of my other chickens (approx 35 in the flock) are healthy and are not acting this way.

 

[chickcrack]

Has she been pecked? And is she normally that pale? I suggest you post under emergencies for faster reply and give more info

What type of food and treats does she normally get
How hot has it been
How old is she
Does she free range
Any new additions to coop
Do you have a rooster
Is she laying
What's her poop look like (post pic if u can)
What's her crop feel like

Meantime I would separate her somewhere cool and provide water until someone can respond with more info
Good luck

 

[elise406]

Thank you for your response.

She gets layer pellets and scratch grain. We give her eggs shells and greens as treats. She is paler than normal.
I live in western Montana, so it hasn't been very hot, in the 70s.
She is either 5 or 6 years old.
Yes she free ranges.
No, no new additions to the coop.
Yes we have a few roosters.
I don't believe she is laying.
I will separate her to get a look at her poop and crop.

I think the most important piece of info is that she started looking/acting this way after weeks of sitting on eggs that never hatched. She came off that clutch about 2-3 weeks ago and has since been acting sick.

 

[elise406]

Also, her beak is crusty and looks dry.

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Welcome to BYC elsie. I am sorry to meet you under these circumstances, your old bird is clearly not feeling well and we want to help. At the moment based on the info you have provided the most common of problems we can rule out. Can you say what breed she is?

Here are a few threads that may offer you some insight while we try to narrow the list of possible ailments.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/599584/lethargic-chicken
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/840563/lethargic-chicken

Let us know about the poo. Best Wishes.

 

[elise406]

Hello, Frannie is a partridge chantecler.

A little background:
I am new to raising chickens. This flock is my father's, who has had chickens since 2007, when he moved to Montana. I have recently moved to live with him here. So, my father knows much more about chickens than I do. Everything I've told you about Frannie, I've gotten from him.
All that being said, I had to go to the BYC glossary page to verify what I thought a crop actually was. So, please forgive my lack of knowledge here: I felt her crop and I didn't really feel...anything? Nothing other than feathers. Maybe a small hard lump there but that was it. I'll feel again in a while, I just don't want to stress her a lot since she's obviously not feeling well. Frannie is not usually handled. And actually, my father says it's unusual that she's letting us touch her and sticking so close to me. (Sorry for the minutia, I just want to share the details about her as it may be a clue about what's going on).
I haven't seen any poo from her as of yet, but I'm keeping an eye on her and will report any findings.
She is also having balance issues which leads me to think its nerological but that's just based on raising baby squirrels with head trauma.

 

[Raisingmsdaisy]

I have never seen a chick do this before, so I segregated her. She eats, drinks, keeps up with her other two mates but over the last couple of days has developed an alarming head shake/wobble. All of the forums I have read on this sight suggest it might be neurological since all of her other functions are completely normal.
I checked her ears for blockage, she doesn't have mites or lice.
I am posting this in hopes that maybe someone will have some experience with this. Thanks.
By the way, she is about 6-7 weeks old. Silkie. From a local show breeder.

 

[elise406]

I think you accidentally posted on my thread instead of starting a new one.

I would still like anyone's input on what's going on with Frannie. Thank you.

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Hello, Frannie is a partridge chantecler.

A little background:
I am new to raising chickens. This flock is my father's, who has had chickens since 2007, when he moved to Montana. I have recently moved to live with him here. So, my father knows much more about chickens than I do. Everything I've told you about Frannie, I've gotten from him.
All that being said, I had to go to the BYC glossary page to verify what I thought a crop actually was. So, please forgive my lack of knowledge here: I felt her crop and I didn't really feel...anything? Nothing other than feathers. Maybe a small hard lump there but that was it. I'll feel again in a while, I just don't want to stress her a lot since she's obviously not feeling well. Frannie is not usually handled. And actually, my father says it's unusual that she's letting us touch her and sticking so close to me. (Sorry for the minutia, I just want to share the details about her as it may be a clue about what's going on).
I haven't seen any poo from her as of yet, but I'm keeping an eye on her and will report any findings.
She is also having balance issues which leads me to think its nerological but that's just based on raising baby squirrels with head trauma.

i don't have any good suggestion ad to what is wrong yet my apologies. She is clearly not well it could be s couple things depending on what hey poo tells us. I'm watching this thread closely.

 

[chickcrack]

Hi again. I'm sorry I do t have much to offer. I know that being broody can take a lot out of a chicken especially if she sat extra long with no success. Have you been able to seperate her in a quiet place? Stumbling/poor bAlance could be a sign she hasn't eaten or drank water in some time. Could you try dribbling some water on her beak to see if she will take some in? Or try her with a treat high in water contenot like melon or cucumber? It's most important to try to get some liquids into her. I think the crusty beak may be a sign of something. Will look at get back if I see anything. I'm sorry I can't offer more advice. Poor girl.