Sick chicken, crazy story, need advice

[fluffingtonfarm]

About 4 days ago one of my favorite hens went missing. I searched the surrounding area and there wasn't a trace. No feathers, blood, or anything. I was pretty disappointed because helen will actually come in the house to visit if the back door gets left open and I really loved her. Today while cleaning in my closet I noticed that the kids had gotten into a drawer I have sitting on the floor of the closet and filled with folded blankets and when I pulled the blankets out to refold them there was helen. disoriented but alive. Theres a horrible smelly mess where she was laying and stuck to her underside and she's so weak she can't stand but she's drinking now. There are no eggs where she was and she was under a stack of blankets and a small african drum that had fallen over on top of them. I don't know if she's sick or just got trapped or what? I don't know what to do! I don't know how to tell if something is actually wrong or if she just got trapped and for some reason didn't make any noise at all and she's obviously dehydrated so it's hard to tell if she's acting funny because of that or if it's something worse. She's about 2 years old.

 

[fluffingtonfarm]

on further examination there are two eggs where she was laying and she is now pecking at food along with drinking water

 

[eamoret]

Oh, wow! Glad you found her in time. Sounds like she just got stuck, was probably overheating under all the blankets. Doesn't sound like she is sick, but rather hungry and dehydrated. I'd give her some kind of electrolyte solution, maybe a bit of sugar water. How is her appetite? Has she started eating yet?

 

[eamoret]

She laid eggs!? What a girl. Hahaha. Glad to hear she is eating now. Please, please keep us posted on how she is doing. I look forward to knowing she is going to turn out just fine. My favorite hen had a prolapse yesterday and I was freaking out because she's my favorite bird and our best layer. I tucked the prolapse in and she was fine, laid an egg today, no prolapse. It's just something about those favorite hens.

 

[fluffingtonfarm]

Helen rejoined the flock today and she is doing really well. she got to stay in the house until I was sure she was better. I don't even want to go into how crazy it is that a chicken managed to be in my closet for 4 days without anyone knowing. I feel so horrible, all I can think is that the door got left open (5 kids who don't seem to know how to close a door) and she got in there to lay an egg and somehow the drum fell on top of her and then the husband (who is in charge of putting laundry away) threw that stack of freshly folded blankets in there without looking or moving the knocked over drum and she just got trapped. Why she didn't make any noise is beyond me but I am super thankful that we found her before it was too late.

 

[eamoret]

So glad to hear she is doing well!