Sick Hen. Bare belly.

[sandyp]

My 16 month old Rhode Island Red hen suddenly became lethargic today. For a while this morning she moved to different spots of the yard to rest but now she can't stand on her legs at all. We removed mud that was caked onto her nostrils and forced water upon her. She is starting to perk up but still can not walk. A strange thing I noticed is that all of the feathers are gone from her chest and stomach but she doesn't seem to be injured. I felt her belly and there was nothing abnormal there. I am in Phoenix and it is warm but she has already handled much hotter conditions.

Thank you for any help!

 

[suezqz_64]

Almost sounds like she's gone broody. I have a barred rock behaving like that. Can you encourage her to stand up? Each night I have to go to the coop and pick the broody hen up and physically take her out of the coop, chat with her, and literally push her to go mingle with the others. Broody hens will pluck some of their tummy feathers so they can make close contact with the eggs they're trying to keep warm.

 

[sandyp]

Thank you for the response but I don't feel like she is broody. Then again, what exactly do chickens go through when they are broody and how long does it usually last?

This came on suddenly and she did lay yesterday. I have her inside now, she is still panting but has much better control of her head.

 

[Texas Chicky]

Mmmm... Maybe heat? Is it her first time gone broody? You should check google for chicken diseases ans symptoms and see if anything sounds right. If it's just heat make sure she gets water.