Rescued battery hen is not doing well, eyes closed, no energy/appetite

[weesy68]

Hi,
New member here. I just rescued two hens from a Vivero in the Bronx, and brought them to CT for a better life. They came home on Thursday. One is now crouched in the corner with her eyes shut, doesn't even try to get away when I touch her (she was shy and nervous, but full of feisty energy at first), and has no appetite. The area around her eyes appears swollen, and I saw her scratching at it. She is in a sheltered outdoor coop. She was kept in deplorable conditions, about ten to a cage, barely room to move. Both hens are around five months old, and I believe they are Australorps. Could the stress and change from being indoors to outdoors have made her sick? Are battery hens usually delicate? What can I do for her?

Please help! Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[jenni2142]

I have a hen that did have an allergic reaction to going outside, her eyes swelled and she looked miserable but not ill, it cleared up after I brought her in. I don't think that happens very often though. I would think maybe they have something that was dormant and now having a reaction due to stress. Are they eating? drinking? how does poo look? can you post pics? Hopeful someone with more knowledge will be along to help. Glad you rescued them and I hope they recover.
edited to add- I meant what kind of feed and when did they last eat?

 

[Southernbelle]

Swollen eyes could be infectious bronchitis or infectious coryza - chickens don't get "colds." I'd run a search on here for swollen eyes and see what pops up - you could compare her symptoms to some known diseases and see if you could narrow it down.

 

[weesy68]

Hi,

They are eating layer feed that I got from a reputable supply store (it's dark out now, so can't check the actual brand name), and drinking plenty of fresh water. I saw her eat and drink just a little today, she has very little energy. They seem to have slight diarrhea. They are sleeping on hay and wood shavings. I gave them some cracked corn to scratch around for, they have wandered around the garden a little but are still very unsure and hop right back into their coop when left alone.

Thanks for replying.

 

[giasmom]

What are you trying to feed her? Is she taking in any liquids? Maybe if you could show some pics someone with a little more knowledge will come along.

 

[jjthink]

Poor dear souls - thank you for rescuing them. And a Texas-sized pox on those who treated them so poorly.

I don't know what's wrong but do try keeping them warm (if there has been a dramatic temp change from where they were to where they are now, it could be tough on them) and very comfortable, as stress free as possible for new surroundings. Give 3 drops of children's liquid Polyvisol vitamins daily for at least the next week (very slowly dribble along beak line with dropper). If this would stress them too much, use water soluble vitamins/supplements for poultry and put in their water (Durvet, Avia Charge 2000). Try enticing with a few things that could lift their spirits and energy, like egg and sunflower seeds and yogurt. Electrolytes for a couple of days for stress. Also can try a drop or two of Rescue Remedy in water for stress.

Hopefully someone can shed light on the particular symptoms you describe and what else to do for them.


JJ

 

[weesy68]

have the water soluble vitamins already, I bought those with the feed, and I gave them to the birds their first two days at home. I've added a photo from yesterday, first of all are they Australorps? That was my guess, but I'd love an expert opinion. Secondly, you can see there is baldness around her eyes, I was assuming this is normal, but now I'm wondering if it isn't, and her eyes are what's bothering her. I thought she was keeping her eyes shut as she felt ill, the way birds seem to do frequently.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/30192_aprilmay_new_chickens_warm_weather_003.jpg

 

[jjthink]

To Post Photos On BYC Forum:

The easiest way to display your coop, chickens, and other fun pictures on BYC is to use the BYC Image Upload Tool . Here are the steps:

1) Click on the "Uploads " link at the very top of every page (in the blue menu bar).
2) Once the "Upload image" page loads, click the "Browse" button and find the jpg or gif picture on your computer and then click the "Submit" button.
3) Your image will be uploaded (and resized if needed) and you will be presented with a thumbnail of your picture along with two image code options:

Thumb - This is the code you use to show a small version of your image that can be clicked to show the full size image.
Image - This is the code you use to show the full size image directly in your post.

4) Copy the image code and paste it into your post.

We provide all of our members with with enough space for about 50 images. If you need more image hosting space you can upgrade your BYC membership to a Golden Feather Membership which will give you space for about 500 images.​

 

[weesy68]

Thanks, I edited my above reply and added the photo.

 

[kinnip]

I do have one hen who is very allergic to wood shavings. It all started with one dusty bag of shavings. Now she has a reaction to everything but the most dustless of shavings. It's a constant battle, because, she'll go so far as to scratch herself bloody. Children's Benadryl helps a lot.