Sick chicken? Please help

[ACi]

A few days ago, one of my hens started brooding. This didn't surprise me, because I read heat could induce this behavior.

She was bullying the other hens out of the nesting box, so I decided to move her. Because it was so hot, I did not want to isolate her in the brooder that was outside (I recently had another chicken die when it was isolated because it ran out of water). I moved her to an old dog kennel I had in my basement.

She has been in the kennel for the past 3 days, has hardly moved, and it is hard to tell if she has been eating or drinking. She also does the typical brooding chicken "screams" whenever I put my hand near her.

Tonight, I was going to move her back out to the coop to reassimilate her with the flock. But when I picked her up, I noticed a foul odor, and then a runny brownish-yellow discharge coming from her rear.

I put her back in the kennel, and, after frantic google research, went to go check on her again. This time she vomited up a thin watery liquid.

After losing two hens in the last 7 months, I really don't want to lose another. Any insight or advice is greatly appreciated.

Thank you

 

[Lillith37]

She could be broody and may also have a health issue.

Check her crop first thing in the morning and report how it feels.

Do you worm your flock?

Make sure she has clean water, her regular food and sharp grit available.

 

[The Coop Crew]

Check her vent area for maggots.

 

[BDutch]

What you describe is possibly a very sick hen. Does she have a swollen belly?
Can you post a few photos?

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @azygous are experienced advisors for sick chickens. They might be more of help than I am.

Make sure she has clean water, her regular food and sharp grit available.

Always for the whole flock!

If the hen is sick she might need other food (high protein?) and water with electrolytes (recipes are easy to find with search).

 

[Eggcessive]

Get her drinking some electrolyte water, or water with sugar. Offer chicken feed with water to soften it, and bits of scrambled egg. Clean up her vent area, and look for maggots moving about. Ideally a warm soak in Epsom salts or soapy water can clean the vent of droppings, discharge, and kill maggots. If she is so weak, it may weaken her more. Let us know about any presence of maggots. Check her crop and let us know how it feels. Broody hens can have a very slow crop, and it can feel puffy. But if she is having symptoms of sour crop, that needs to be treated. Check her for mites or lice on skin.

 

[azygous]

Don't assume the hen is going broody. These symptoms can also be from advanced egg binding. The broody behavior, screaming and puffing up, can also be a defense mechanism when a hen is feeling pain and feeling vulnerable.

Do what @BDutch and @Eggcessive told you. Clean her up, give her electrolytes, offer food, but in addition to all that, give her a calcium tablet in case she's struggling with egg binding. Is the poop runny and thick or very watery? Does it have more of an acrid odor or is it more of a sulfur smell like poop?

Once she is cleaned up, install her in her crate on several old clean towels so you can monitor fluid loss and state of poop. I use a few layers of paper towels on top of the regular towels for easy cleanup.

Are you prepared to tube feedwater and nutrients into this hen if she becomes too weak to drink on her own? I would tube the fluids regardless right away if this were my hen to be sure she is fully hydrated. How hot is it there?

What is your location? USA? Europe? Asia? It helps us to help you better knowing what resources you have.

 

[ACi]

Thank you all so much for your responses. I will try to answer your questions

I think her crop feels normal, but I don't have a lot of experience with this kind of thing.

Last night, her poo was very runny. This morning She did another one that was a bit more solid. I will attach picture. It smells different than the other chickens' poos. I don't think it smells like sulfur.

I checked her vent and didn't see anything moving, although it was messy and I need to give her a bath.

I have had my flock for 2 years, but never wormed. Never had any symptoms like this.

Also, I forgot to mention she has been sitting atop some ceramic eggs I had to prevent her from being upset when moved inside

 

[ACi]

Here are the pictures

 

[ACi]

The blurry one is of her vent.

 

[ACi]

More information I forgot to share: she plucked her tummy feathers out like a broody chicken would.

Does this mean her symptoms are from brooding and not eating and drinking, or could she also be sick?