Sick Chicken

[mandee92]

I need help. I have a Delaware hen that is about a year old. She isn't feeling well, I've never dealt with a sick Chicken so I have no idea what to look for so I guess I need some ideas. Her comb is pale and flopped over, she is weak, and just looks so miserable. I knew as soon as I went out that something was wrong because out of all the chickens her and her "sister" always greet you and she didn't. She was just standing in one spot and slowly made her way over. They were all wormed about a month ago and we noticed mites on 2 of the chickens about 3 weeks ago so we treated all of the chickens, house, run, etc. I checked her over really good, just in case, and saw no mites or mite eggs. I put her in a dog crate without a bottom in a breezy and shady spot with water right there next to her. She drank and pecked around in the grass. She even stuck a foot in the water. I was hoping maybe she had just gotten too hot because it's been extremely hot but she wasn't acting any better when I put her up for the night. Could it still maybe just be heat exhaustion? All of the other chickens have been hot and panting but there combs are still red like they should be. Please any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Eggcessive]

You might try some poultry electrolytes and vitamins in her water, or give her 2-3 ml of Poultry Cell or Poultry NutriDrench daily by mouth. It does sound like dehydration, which can happen due to illness of some kind as well as from heat. Having just had mites, she may be anemic. What wormer did you give her? If possible, try to get some of her droppings checked for worms and coccidia. Feel her breast area for weight loss, note the color of her droppings, check her lower belly for swelling, and make sure that her crop is emptying overnight. Is she laying eggs? I would make sure that she is not egg bound by inserting a finger into her vent an inch or two. Feed her a chopped scrambled or boiled egg, or some tuna along with her feed. Some plain yogurt mixed into her food would give her some probiotics. Let us know how she gets along.