I have a hen that recently started looking really lethargic. She was hiding under the coop ramp and avoiding the other chickens. Well this happened right after I introduced two other hens into this coop. So at first I thought it was just a pecking order issue. But then I noticed Goldie was really lethargic and on the second day of this strange behavior wouldn't even go out to free range. So I isolated her in a cage in our guest house and kept an eye on her. She would drink, but not eat the regular crumbles. And she was having green diarrhea. So at first I thought maybe she had sour crop, which she had when she was little. I fed her some mashed up pineapple, because that did the trick before. But then I noticed her breathing was really labored and if you listen closely you can actually hear a click every time she takes a breathe. She is still drinking but can't seem to eat anything solid. So today I put some Start and Grow crumbles, yogurt and some water in the blender and made her some gruel. I could get her to take some by a spoon, and left it there hoping she would eat some more. She is still drinking her water, but is still really lethargic. But that could be from lack of food.
Some thoughts I had... We have this horrible foxtail grass that makes nasty seed heads with sharp awls and they can get caught in animals mouths and throats. But I have always had that horrible grass and none of the chickens have ever touched it. Or maybe she was attacked by one of the new girls... or, some sort of respiratory disease?
Any thoughts or suggestions I would really appreciate. So far I have pulled a chicken through a bob cat attack, another with bumblefoot and the aforementioned sour crop. I would hate to lose Goldie. She has real personality.
Some thoughts I had... We have this horrible foxtail grass that makes nasty seed heads with sharp awls and they can get caught in animals mouths and throats. But I have always had that horrible grass and none of the chickens have ever touched it. Or maybe she was attacked by one of the new girls... or, some sort of respiratory disease?
Any thoughts or suggestions I would really appreciate. So far I have pulled a chicken through a bob cat attack, another with bumblefoot and the aforementioned sour crop. I would hate to lose Goldie. She has real personality.