Hello. I'm so worried about of course my most favorite hen. She is young, maybe a year, has two chicks in with her that are both 3 mos old. She is a super active happy and healthy bird. Until yesterday morning she has been eating with a gusto and laying regularly. I have not had in the past nor do I have now any sick birds of any kind. Well we have had incredibly wet weather the last couple weeks. My birds all have outdoor fully enclosed runs with ladders up into their coops which are an actual building that houses four very large individual coops with roosts and nesting boxes etc. all the birds go in on their own each night and have always. Sunday night we got a heavy rain and it went all night non stop. I went out Monday am todo chores and noticed my hen wasn't in coop and thought it odd she would go out so early so I went around to find her huddled on ground against wall soaking wet. I brought her into coop and she could not stand kinda flopped over and was panting and breathing labored. I took her in house dried her well and put her in warm dry area. She does not appear to be eating or drinking. She just sits there all puffed out looking miserable. I have syringed her water with electrolytes and probiotics and have given her some poultry drench. She has eaten a couple tiny pecks of bread from my hand is all and has not gone to the bathroom that I can see sincemonday am. I am guessing she is in shock but she doesn't appear to be pulling out of it. she is very wobbly she will walk around a little but it is shaky. She just looks miserable. I put her back in her dry coop today and locked door to be sure she stayed in and she seemed to move around a tad more in there but still is not right. I am wondering if anyone has any additional idea so f what I might do to try and heels her I am so worried I am going to find her gone thank you
If she was out all night in the rain, she may have just gotten really cold and stressed. She could also have been getting sick with some unknown condition, and this put her over the edge. Try giving her some scrambled chopped egg, and coax her to eat by giving this and some bits of chopped tuna or meat. After she starts eating well, just stick to layer feed or her normal feed. I would keep a close eye on her for any other signs of respiratory symptoms, diarrhea, or problems with walking or balance. You sound like you are doing all the right things with electrolytes and probiotics, and I would think also about worming her with Valbazen or SafeGuard when she is eating better. Bring her back inside to heat if she is still acting sick.
