Sick Chicken- no idea what to do

[maggie08]

Hello! This is my first time keeping backyard chickens and it has been great! However I have one chicken who is not looking well.
She is a white leghorn about 16 weeks old. She has been sitting a lot lately so I thought she was “practicing” to lay an egg. Today however she was stumbling around and sitting back on her backside. Her tail feathers are also much more droopy that the rest of the flock. She has an appetite but it’s hard for her to get food because she is unstable and pushed around by the other girls. I have not noticed any of the other chickens bullying her, they just are excited about the food and when I come to see them.

Please let me know if there are possible sickness and what I can do to help her.

 

[coach723]

I would separate her, a wire crate is good. Make sure she's in a warm place. You need to go over her thoroughly to check for any injuries hiding in feathers. Look for lice/mites. Feel her crop, is it empty, full, hard, soft, squishy, etc. Check it first thing in the morning before she has food or water, it should be empty then. How does her body condition feel compared to others, is her keel well muscled or is the bone prominent? What do her droppings look like (pictures are welcome)? Any wheezing, coughing, sneezing, or discharge from eyes, nares or beak? Any swelling around face? Look inside her beak for any plaques or lesions. Make sure she's eating and drinking. If you have some nutri drench on hand, give her some of that. If you have any B complex tablets or capsules on hand (human ones), give her 1/2 of one of those also.
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

 

[Backyardducklover]

I’m not an expert by any means, but my first thought would be to isolate her if possible. Try nursing her, feeding her with vitamized food. Having her by herself will allow you to make sure she’s eating properly and also this way she doesn’t have to spend energy fighting for food. Being alone might help her be able to rest and recuperate quicker. Good luck.