Sick chicken question - not sure what’s wrong

[Sbpbib-chickens]

Good morning, I have a hen that started just kinda staring, moving slow. She’s molted her back-end. I put her in isolation, very little poop and pee. I checked her vent and does not appear to be egg bound. She seems out of it, just stands around. Only eats a little. Worried she will not make it. Her belly and back end seem swollen, no pus. Just trying to keep her comfy in her isolation area within the coop/run. Any tips?

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you give some background? Age, recent laying history, what you feed her, any past respiratory or other disease in your flock, any recent soft or shell-less eggs, pictures of her and her backend, history of being pecked or bullied, etc all may help. Check her crop first thing in the morning and tell us if it has emptied, or if it feels full, firm, or squishy. What does her poop look like (picture welcome.)

 

[Sbpbib-chickens]

Thank you for asking! Age-2yr 2 month. Has not laid an egg for a couple days, unsure prior to that. Feed - layers pellets from farm store, veggie scraps, they have fresh grass. No recent disease or recent soft shell eggs. Rest of the flock ok and have her in isolation. No noticeable bullying, just got quiet and seemed less alert on Sunday. Crop is not hard and doesn’t seem to be squishy, Sorry I’m fairly new to this, same flock for 2 yrs and this is our second chicken to get sick. I put her in a warm bath yesterday, not sure if it did anything. She seemed a little off balance when I took her out. She had a spot of what I think is bumblefoot a few months ago but it has minimized. Maybe an infection spreading?

 

[Eggcessive]

Thanks for the details and pictures. She has missing feathers from her lower belly, so either another hen is pecking and eating her feathers, or she could be doing that to herself. I would watch for who is pecking them, and also compare her lower belly to other hen’s. Is it enlarged there? Hens may get an enlarged lower belly from water belly or a disease or condition. The bare skin makes it look a bit more prominent. Did she molt last summer or fall? Check her crop each morning before she eats or drinks when it should be empty and flat. It should fill up during the days as she eats and drinks normally. Hens can sometimes have reproductive problems, cancer, water belly, or crop problems as they age. I would maybe give her some Poultry NutriDrench 2 ml or another vitamin/electrolyte for a couple of days to give her a boost. Make sure that she is eating and drinking, and that her crop is empty first thing in the morning. Moistened chicken pellets and scrambled egg are good to offer if she is not eating well. If anything changes let us know. If she lays or seems egg bound let us know. Calcium citrate with D 3 is used if one seems egg bound.

 

[Sbpbib-chickens]

Thanks for the details and pictures. She has missing feathers from her lower belly, so either another hen is pecking and eating her feathers, or she could be doing that to herself. I would watch for who is pecking them, and also compare her lower belly to other hen’s. Is it enlarged there? Hens may get an enlarged lower belly from water belly or a disease or condition. The bare skin makes it look a bit more prominent. Did she molt last summer or fall? Check her crop each morning before she eats or drinks when it should be empty and flat. It should fill up during the days as she eats and drinks normally. Hens can sometimes have reproductive problems, cancer, water belly, or crop problems as they age. I would maybe give her some Poultry NutriDrench 2 ml or another vitamin/electrolyte for a couple of days to give her a boost. Make sure that she is eating and drinking, and that her crop is empty first thing in the morning. Moistened chicken pellets and scrambled egg are good to offer if she is not eating well. If anything changes let us know. If she lays or seems egg bound let us know. Calcium citrate with D 3 is used if one seems egg bound.

This is so helpful, thank you so much. I just provided her the NutriDrench, scrambled eggs and moistened food. She seems to be pecking the feathers herself. She was interested in the scrambled egg right away and will check on her in a bit. I will check her crop again and try to get a better picture.