Sick Bird

[christinaf08]

This is my first year as a chicken owner. I got 5 layers first then 6 pullets. My RIR has been laying for a few months now and I've noticed that she's been off for a few days. First it was drooping wings. Now she has diarrhea and I don't think she is laying. I got my 16 weekers from a breeder that cage raised them. They are not fans of people interacting and when approached looses her mind trying to get away. This makes it pretty impossible to catch her without potential injury. She is eating and drinking but I'm at a loss and would love some advice. The rest of my girls are doing well.

 

[christinaf08]

I was able to catch her due to her feeling like crap. I have her in a bath and inside now with lots of prayers.

 

[WingItRanch]

Hi I'm sorry she's not doing well. It looks like her crop is hard and large. Let me bring on some more experienced posters that can help you.

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @azygous

 

[azygous]

I asked Santa for a brain that picks up transmissions from sick chickens so I can know what's wrong with them. Useful, yes? Unfortunately Santa just giggled and left me some prunes instead.

In order for us to even begin to guess what's wrong with your chicken, we need clues. You need to examine this chicken from head to toe and tell us what you find. Since you are new at this and chickens are still a little mystifying, pick up a normally behaving chicken and examine them. You will compare the normal chicken to the sick chicken.

Start with the head. Pry open the beak and look into the throat, eyes, and ears. Ears are behind those tiny fuzzy flaps on the sides of her head. Feel the crop. It's on the chest wall slight on her right side. Is it hard, lumpy, squishy, empty or very full?

Look and feel the abdomen behind and in front of the legs. You're looking for swelling. Look at the vent (poop hole). Is it moist and pulsing? On each side of the vent are knobby bones. Try to fit two fingers between them. If your fingers fit, she is laying eggs or is soon to start.

In order to care for a sick chicken, you must be able to handle them. It's very important to make friends with your chickens so you can treat them when they get sick. Reds are not the most friendly chickens, but you should still be able to get them to trust you. Do this by hand feeding them and touching them frequently.

If you have a chicken you need to catch, herd them into a corner and drop some treats right at your feet. As your target chicken is starting to pick up the treats, grab her. You can wrap her in a towel to confine wings and feet, making it easier to examine her.

 

[Eggcessive]

You could give her a human calcium citrate tablet with vitamin D orally into her beak to swallow in case she is having trouble laying an egg. Make sure that she is drinking enough fluids, and electrolytes or sugar water with a tiny pinch of salt can be helpful in case she is dehydrated. I will also offer a bit of soft scrambled egg to them. I would not bathe her anymore since that can push a very weak hen over the edge. Check her crop first thing in the morning to see if it has emptied overnight.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

First it was drooping wings. Now she has diarrhea and I don't think she is laying. I got my 16 weekers

She is eating and drinking

I was able to catch her due to her feeling like crap. I have her in a bath and inside now with lots of prayers.

What do you feed, including treats?

Photos of her poop?

She's 16 weeks old?
Is she being bullied, do you have a cockerel? Feathers are nipped, pulled, ragged and worn. How much space do you have?

I agree, I'd check her over and offer supportive care as suggested. I also agree, I wouldn't soak her if she's not very well.

Report back with your findings.

 

[christinaf08]

She is 9 months old along with 2 other hens and I have 4 other 2 year old hens in a roughly 6x30ft area. I can't feel anything out of the ordinary on her. Her vent is a little dry looking. She is standing but sleeps most of the time. Today she is not eating or drinking I have tried to give water with a syringe but she refuses. Her crop is empty and she feels thin. She had been eating and drinking until today. Her poop is green and white on the runny side. I thought she might be egg bound as she hasn't layed in a few days prior to noticing the wing drop (that's why I tried the bath). I feed them 16% crumble and grubbs.

 

[azygous]

Calcium benefits egg binding a lot more than a bath. It stimulates contractions. Try giving her a calcium tablet. To syringe water into a chicken, pry open the beak and insert the syringe as shown. If you wait for a sick chicken to "cooperate", you will be waiting a long time.

 

[CountryChic63]

What do you feed, including treats?

Photos of her poop?

She's 16 weeks old?
Is she being bullied, do you have a cockerel? Feathers are nipped, pulled, ragged and worn. How much space do you have?

I agree, I'd check her over and offer supportive care as suggested. I also agree, I wouldn't soak her if she's not very well.

Report back with your findings.




View attachment 4014339

I'm following this thread, as I have a 8 month old New Hampshires hen with a pale droopy cone.
Yesterday I let the girls out to forge and sat in a chair checking them out.
"Cinnamon" looked like she had lost a little weight, and I noticed her cone being pale & droopy.
Since it was 3:30pm her crop was full but not hard or watery.
I watched her for about an hour. She was forging, drinking water, followed me when I got up to walk...totally acting normal.
I brought the girls in for the night by clanking a can (this means they come in & get meal worms), and I closed inside. They sleep in a 16x20 coop, that has 2 runs connected to it that are both 16x12 each.
I watched her aggressively snatched up her treats.
Tomorrow I plan to feed the flock (13 in this group, rooster isn't kept with them as he's in another coop for now), wet pellets (mash) & I'll give her citrate crushed in a bit of mash in my hand.
I'm wondering if she's the hen that's been laying the huge eggs I've been getting just about every day, but not yesterday or the day before.
Any advice would be very appreciated!