Questions about Lethargic Hen with Limp Comb

[swmalone]

Okay so I'm back again with some concerns about one of our hens. Last November our Black Australorp became very sluggish and wouldn't eat or drink for a couple of days but eventually just got better. So the same chicken has been very lethargic for the last few days and the comb is limp. I picked her up and she seems to way nothing. She has not laid in months but I checked to see if she is egg bound just to be sure. I checked the crop area and seems to be no problem there. I haven't noticed what her droppings look like so can't comment on that. She is about 2 1/2 years old. I am thinking I may have to track down a small pet carrier and put her in it with some food and water so I can monitor her intake and output. Here are the things I have done or plan to do. She doesn't seem to eat or drink much, although she will eat some of the fruits, yogurt, and mealworms I put out. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Here are the things I have done or plan to do.

Segregate her
Add some pedialyte to her water
give her soft foods/mealworms


Any ideas are always appreciated.

Thanks

Shaun

 

[Eggcessive]

Would she be starting to molt now? That can be a difficult time for some chickens, feeling poorly and losing weight. Has she been wormed with broad spectrum wormer that gets more than roundworms? Lice and mite eggs can be found under the vent sometimes, and they will make a chicken fairly ill. If she is low in the pecking order, she may eat better in confinement, but she might lose her place in the pecking order after a few days.

 

[swmalone]

She is pretty far up in the pecking order and I checked around her vent last night and didn't notice anything like mites or lice. We have decided not to worm our chickens since we have never noticed any in the droppings. We were wondering if it is a molt, but hope she perks up soon. I do have wazine on hand that I could use to de-worm. I am not sure without looking if it is more of a broad spectrum de-wormer.

 

[Wyandottes7]

She is pretty far up in the pecking order and I checked around her vent last night and didn't notice anything like mites or lice. We have decided not to worm our chickens since we have never noticed any in the droppings. We were wondering if it is a molt, but hope she perks up soon. I do have wazine on hand that I could use to de-worm. I am not sure without looking if it is more of a broad spectrum de-wormer.

Wazine only kills roundworms in chickens. Roundworms are the most common worms in chickens, but other worms like tapeworms can cause problems too. Some good broad spectrum dewormers are Valbazen and Safeguard.You can also get something called the Worminator, which I use. It kills almost all worms (I don't think it kills tapeworms, but I'd have to go check the instructions again). You can buy it online here:
http://www.twincitypoultrysupplies.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=584

 

[swmalone]

Well she seems to be getting worse. She didn't go up to the coop tonight so we grabbed her and put her in a crate in the house. We can't get her to eat but have been forcing small quantities of pedialyte down her. She seems to be layer slightly on her side too which seems odd.

 

[swmalone]

I was worried she wasn't going to be alive this morning but she is still acting about the same, just super sluggish. We are keeping her in the house in a pet carrier. She isn't eating or drinking, except when we force some pedialyte down her. I have added a heat lamp at quite a distance just to provide a bit more light and a small amount of heat. We will just keep her comfortable and hopefully things get better. I am trying to brace my wife for the worst because last time we had one pass away she did not handle it well at all.