Poorly Chicken - any help would be appreciated!

[Jessica01]

Hi there, we have 3 ex-battery hens in our garden and yesterday I noticed one of them isn't moving around very well. She's eating and drinking ok - and she is pooping although it's quite green. She will wander around the garden a little but she looks uncomfortable and is all puffed up. I also noticed that she didn't jump up to her roost last night but instead slept at the bottom of the ladder. I added some cider vinegar in the water today but otherwise haven't tried anything. Very sad to see her like this .

Any ideas? Many thanks in advance!

 

[LoveDatChickenLife]

Don’t mean to scare you, but I had a hen that was eating and drinking, but wouldn’t walk around too. But sadly she died in the roost one morning, her name was Hope, a replacement of another bird that died. I named her Hope because I Hoped she would die.
Your chicken is hen correct? Old enough to lay eggs? Has she laid eggs yet? Check her stomach for any bumps and signs for egg bound. Give her healthy foods, and look up symptoms and how to help for an eggbound bird. Hope this helps!!

 

[LoveDatChickenLife]

Thanks for the response, yes, she's old enough to lay eggs. She's probably near 3 now and they don't lay all that much. Have checked for egg bound symptoms and may try an epsom salt bath tomorrow to see if that helps.

An epsom salt bath will help calm her. What rank in pecking order is she?

 

[LoveDatChickenLife]

Maybe try separating her from the flock, if she’s sick she may spread it. Put her in a cozy place. With food and water.

 

[BDutton036]

Is the chicken staying separate from the rest? When the flock is out scratching and foraging is it by itself? Removing a chicken in this condition from the flock is important as it may have something contagious. You may want to put it in a “hospital cage” away from others to keep an eye on it. It should be in a draft free area with access to electricity for a heat lamp if it gets cold. If a chicken is not eating or drinking it may be suffering from a blockage anywhere from its throat, crop, intestines, oviduct, to vent.
Hens can become egg bound completely blocking their digestive system. Poisons, disease, parasites and injury are possible causes of chicken lethargic. Offering a few drops of electrolyte/vitamin water should perk it up. If its one of your prize chickens you can have the dropping tested by a vet, otherwise just keep eye on it.

 

[Jessica01]

Is the chicken staying separate from the rest? When the flock is out scratching and foraging is it by itself? Removing a chicken in this condition from the flock is important as it may have something contagious. You may want to put it in a “hospital cage” away from others to keep an eye on it. It should be in a draft free area with access to electricity for a heat lamp if it gets cold. If a chicken is not eating or drinking it may be suffering from a blockage anywhere from its throat, crop, intestines, oviduct, to vent.
Hens can become egg bound completely blocking their digestive system. Poisons, disease, parasites and injury are possible causes of chicken lethargic. Offering a few drops of electrolyte/vitamin water should perk it up. If its one of your prize chickens you can have the dropping tested by a vet, otherwise just keep eye on it.

Thank you - no, she's not staying particularly separate from what I can tell (although I haven't been able to watch her very much during the day). I'll look into getting her somewhere on her own for a bit and will give some electrolytes and an epsom bath tomorrow. Will update on her condition.

 

[Jessica01]

An epsom salt bath will help calm her. What rank in pecking order is she?

Great, will try that. She's somewhere in the middle. We have a newer one who is very definitely the bottom - poor thing (she does fine though)!

 

[Jessica01]

Don’t mean to scare you, but I had a hen that was eating and drinking, but wouldn’t walk around too. But sadly she died in the roost one morning, her name was Hope, a replacement of another bird that died. I named her Hope because I Hoped she would die.
Your chicken is hen correct? Old enough to lay eggs? Has she laid eggs yet? Check her stomach for any bumps and signs for egg bound. Give her healthy foods, and look up symptoms and how to help for an eggbound bird. Hope this helps!!

Thanks for the response, yes, she's old enough to lay eggs. She's probably near 3 now and they don't lay all that much. Have checked for egg bound symptoms and may try an epsom salt bath tomorrow to see if that helps.

 

[Jessica01]

**UPDATE**

This girl is going downhill . I have given her two epsom baths and yesterday managed to get her to eat and drink - including olive oil and vitamin water. She seemed a little perkier after all that. Today though, she's hardly moving and won't really eat or drink.

Her abdomen is heavy feeling - like a water balloon - and I've deduced that this is either Ascites or she's egg bound.

She's safe and warm and doesn't appear stressed. She will also let me handle her and touch her chest and abdomen without protest so there doesn't seem to be specific pain. I cannot feel anything that maybe an egg though.

I'm going home to try to steam her vent and see if anything will pass but other than that, I'm out of ideas that I can do myself.

Anyone had this before or has an other ideas?