Severely lethargic hen with smelly head and light congestion, HELP!!

[Catwmn]

When I went out to the coop this morning to let the chickens out I found one of my hens on the roost with her head all tucked in. She was fast asleep even with all of the commotion going on. So I picked her up and she did not struggle or make a sound. She woke up some and bokked at me but then went right back to sleep. So I put her down on the ground to see if she would stand up and she just fell over. :-( I noticed that her head smells really bad. So, what could possibly be going on? I have her isolated in a large dog crate with food and water but I am stumped as to what could be the problem. I did notice that she sounds a bit congested when she breathes but there is no nasal discharge, eye swelling or any other respiratory symptom. Her crop feels fine and her vent looks normal. When I put her down in her cage her feet were curled and she could not straighten her toes so I had to do it for her so she could stand up. I do not have a good feeling about this at all. :-( Any ideas what's going on? She was totally fine last night when she went in.

 

[leadwolf1]

Quarantine her immediately and research Coryza. Seems that alot of people are having problems with it right now. Any questions, please ask. There are several good threads from the past week on this very subject.

 

[heatherscooby77]

Give her Tylan and scramble egg mixed with yogurt if she will let you hand feed her. You can by the injectable and give it to her as a drench. 1 cc for large fowl, and .5cc for bantam.

 

[leadwolf1]

Please read the other threads before deciding to treat. Most will tell you to euthanize your hen. You cannot cure Coryza. She will remain a carrier for life and will infect all other birds that are brought onto your property. Your best bet is to euthanize her and keep a close eye on the rest of your flock. If any others show symptoms quarantine and euthanize. You also need to totally clean and sanitize your coop, feeders and waterers with bleach solution. I would even recommend using bleach water in a spray bottle and liberally spraying everything to get into the nooks and crannies. Wait until everything dries and then put in fresh bedding and water/food. I would also put some vitamin/electrolyte/probiotics into their waterer for several days to help boost their immune system.

If you would like another opinion, PM Dawg53 with the URL of your post. He will give you the best advice on this particular disease.

 

[Catwmn]

She has none of the symptoms of Coryza. No swelling at all of the eyes or face, no discharge from the eyes, nose or mouth. She has smelly breath. (not rotten eggs smelling) and is sleepy. She is isolated with vitamins and electrolytes as well as a high protein feed. I will watch her for a day and hope for improvement and call my vet.

 

[leadwolf1]

I'm glad that you are taking her to the vet. Maybe she is suffering from sour crop. A quick swab test will reveal if it is a respiratory infection.