Sick hen, head tucked to body and not eating

[HillFarm2303]

I'm fairly new to raising hens, I currently have 5 in my yard. One of my hens (1 year old cream legbar) has been sitting around sleeping with her head tucked in to her body for quite a while. Several days ago I picked her up an inspected her an noticed she had lice, so I dusted her with DE. The next day I went out and she was stumbling around. So I picked her up, once I set her down she layed down, eyes closed, feet drawn. I called my dad who told me she probably hadn't been eating. I'm sure he is right, she is boney, no food was in her crop and her beak was overgrown. So he told me to force feed her high protein dog food (I have taste of the wild) and water. The DE has killed the lice. She will now drink on her own, but still not eating on her own after 4 days of me feeding her. I also have her some Nutri Drench to try to help perk her up, and put some Wazine 17 in her water. I had her separated, but she seemed to just sit there and poop on herself, then once let out of the kennel she would sit next to the run where the others are, like she wanted to be with them. So I let her in with them to help boost her morale, but she is still just hunching in the corner sleeping, wobbling around and looks like she starts to want to peck, but just can't (too weak). Any ideas of what could be wrong with her and what more could I do? The brighter pictures is the day before I dusted her, caught her with her eye open, notice her tail feathers look sad. The picture of her laying down is the day after I dusted her and the other picture is this morning, day 5 of force feeding her.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Your case actually sounds identical to mine.My hen had lice,I use permithian spray and dust which is far more effective,doubt DE killed anything but maybe a few lice,DE has been proven ineffective.

Could be worms.My hen is skinny,and does the wobbling and has a hard time eating,or she once did,she is getting better.I notice today she had a worm in her poo,I would try treating for worms,not sure if that is my problem,but I am gonna treat everybody for worms here soon,worms could be both me and yours problem.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would probably get some Corid powder or liquid, and treat her for possible coccidiosis since she looks weak and puffed up. Recheck her crop at intervals, especially in early morning since it looks a bit full in her pictures, but when they stand hunched, it might just look that way. Crop impaction or sour crop, or even a gizzard blockage can make them weak and unable to eat. So many problems can affect chickens, so I hope you can help her. Check inside her vent an inch or so to check for a stuck egg. Try adding a lot of water to a small bowl of chicken feed, a tsp of plain yogurt, and a little raw or cooked egg together to tempt her to eat. Continue the NutriDrench at 3 ml per day.

 

[HillFarm2303]

I would probably get some Corid powder or liquid, and treat her for possible coccidiosis since she looks weak and puffed up. Recheck her crop at intervals, especially in early morning since it looks a bit full in her pictures, but when they stand hunched, it might just look that way. Crop impaction or sour crop, or even a gizzard blockage can make them weak and unable to eat. So many problems can affect chickens, so I hope you can help her. Check inside her vent an inch or so to check for a stuck egg. Try adding a lot of water to a small bowl of chicken feed, a tsp of plain yogurt, and a little raw or cooked egg together to tempt her to eat. Continue the NutriDrench at 3 ml per day.

Thank you for your input. She doesn't seem to like the nutri drench, she gets to coughing and flapping about if I put it full strength in her mouth (a little at a time of course). I just gave her some Hygromycin B pellets with dinner tonight to kill other worms Wazine won't. I'll have to go tomorrow in search for something to treat coccidiosis. She is still quite weak. I really hope she pulls through this. All the other girls are fine.

 

[Kiki]

Make sure she is getting enough water.

 

[HillFarm2303]

The DE and a little sevendust did the trick with the lice. She is drinking water on her own, but I also give her water when I feed her throughout the day. Her crop has food in it now and is warm. Is it supposed to be warm? How do you know if She has sour crop?
She did better with the drench tonight, gave her a little more. I will shoot for 3mls tomorrow, I have been doing 1ml a day bc of how she was reacting to it, but I think I found a better way to get her to take it. Thank you all.

 

[Kiki]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...d-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments.67194/

 

[Kiki]

The DE and a little sevendust did the trick with the lice. She is drinking water on her own, but I also give her water when I feed her throughout the day. Her crop has food in it now and is warm. Is it supposed to be warm? How do you know if She has sour crop?
She did better with the drench tonight, gave her a little more. I will shoot for 3mls tomorrow, I have been doing 1ml a day bc of how she was reacting to it, but I think I found a better way to get her to take it. Thank you all.

The seven dust did the trick NOT the DE.

 

[HillFarm2303]

I found some 29.6% protein poultry kibble for her and gave her some plain yogurt as well. I went and got some Vet Rx also. She seems to slowly start getting better; she actually roosted last night instead of sleeping on the floor. Today it poured raining and I wasn't home, she sat out in the rain instead of finding cover. So when I got home she was soaking wet, so I put her up in the coop in a nesting box after I fed her again. Hopefully she is warm now and this doesn't set her back. I wish she would just start eating on her own.

 

[Naptownsurfgirl]

hi- what ever happened to your hen? mine is doing the same thing.