Sick? Frostbitten? Help?

[DakotaChick]

Just looking for any insights. I came home today to discover a chicken I can't figure out what's going on with her. I have 8 hens (no rooster), all was fine yesterday, checked on them this afternoon for the first time today - it's been terribly cold here so I never opened their coop/pen this morning (they free range if above freezing). They've been shut up in a reasonably warm (38*F) chicken coop all day. 7 of the 8 were fine but one was hovering in the corner on the ground - feathers "up" (like she was cold) - eyes closed and will NOT open them at all encouragement (hasn't opened them for over an hour I've been watching her now) - small black spots (dried blood?) around her eyes and on her comb - tips of comb are white. Her mouth is constantly open and her tongue seems large? She won't eat or drink and startles easily (but still doesn't open her eyes then). She's young (9 months) and was laying eggs yesterday morning, so I just can't figure out what happened. They were outside yesterday and although I admit I was in a hurry when I checked on them at dusk last night, she seemed fine as she was roosting (up high) with her 7 sisters when I did a head count and shut them in for the night. I've got her isolated and in the house now in a carrying cage with food & water which she hasn't touched. Any ideas?

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you post any pictures? Especially get a pic of her tongue and her eyes. Note the tongue to see if a hair or string could be wrapped around it, since that has happened. Does her comb look partly frostbitten? She may have been pecked around her eyes, and pecking is something the others will do when one appears sick. Can you get her to take some water from a small cup? I would consider bringing her inside to a basket or dog crate for close observation. Then I would check her head to toe for mites or lice, check her crop for fullness or emptiness, feel inside her vent for a stuck egg (insert a finger 1-2 inches inside the vent—use a glove.) Has she lost weight in her breast area? Does she have any gasping, nasal drainage or watery eyes?

 

[DakotaChick]

Thanks for the insights. Pics attached (ignore the spider webs around her head as there must of been one in the dog kennel that I use as a "chicken hospital" since it thankfully hasn't seen any use for a long time). I don't see anything around her tongue except there was a small piece of hay in her mouth but pulling that out didn't change anything. She's not wheezing (does make some quiet "cooing" type sounds in the cage). The black "ooze" is hard to discern what it's from but yes, I'm guessing from how she was cowering in the corner tonight that she was being pecked. She won't drink from a cup - I brought her beak into it several times and she won't swallow. No nasal or eye drainage that I see. No signs of mites or lice that I see (and it's deep winter here in the Dakotas so I'm thinking that would be low on the possibilities list?). I think her comb looks thin and frostbitten on the tips? However, although we've had chickens for 3 years now, I haven't had any issues as we normally have a very healthy group so I am definitely not experienced in chicken doctoring! And I don't think weight loss although hard to tell as she's keeping herself puffed up. She literally is just not moving - I can pick her up and set her somewhere and she just stands there (she is standing, not lying down). But she definitely does not look well.

 

[chantel with chicks]

Your chicken does have some frostbite, but that would not likely cause her to have the other symptoms. I had a chicken appear similar, but with wheezing and breathing difficulty and I thought it was a couple other issues. I killed her, and had the body tested at the local ag office/lab and found out she had pneumonia. Luckily I separated her as soon as I saw it, and no other bird got sick. No idea where it came from. You can't really tell what the issues is unless you can monitor the bird. Can you take it inside the house and put it in a box or crate to watch it and provide it with vitamin water and maybe a favorite food? (oatmeal, bird seed, etc.) If it is due to being pecks/picked on she could recover if separated and nursed back to health. Sometimes when they get locked inside (which I also do when it reached -15C here) they can get bored and pick on each other. Give the others something to peck at while stuck inside.

 

[Eggcessive]

Her right eye area looks swollen as they can when they have a sinus infection. That can cause open-mouth breathing. Her tongue may be dry from the open mouth breathing. Look inside her beak for any yellow patches. I would keep trying to get her to drink, and offer some chopped egg, rinsed canned tuna or salmon, or mealworms for getting her to eat. Try wet feed or anything to get her eating, drinking. Usually, dipping the beak into water for a second, then letting them swallow, will get some water into them. I would try to get an antibiotic to start her on. Tylan 50 injectable from the feedstore cattle aisle can treat respiratory diseases such as mycoplasma (MG.) Others can be used, but mostly available from a vet. Getting water into her is most important. Should you lose her, you can contact your state vet for a necropsy if you refrigerate her body right away.

 

[DakotaChick]

Thanks everyone for the ideas and tips.

 

[micstrachan]

I agree a respiratory infection is a distinct possibility. A heat source and vitamins in her water may help sustain her while she fights it off.

 

[KathryninQuebec]

Throw a cabbage in your coop or better yet put a tent spike in it, tie on twine and hang it for a pecking tether ball. My girls get cabin fever. We have Winter conditions that last 6-7 months.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Google wet fowl pox.