Sick Hen, Lethargic, slightly wobbly

[ZedikerStation]

Hello All-

We have 10 sexlink hens. They are 2 years old. They have thrived well in an 8 x 8 coop with an attached 20 x 20 run. Up until last year, they were 100% free range until the hawks found them. They get out of the run every day around 4PM and go in on their own at sunset. (supervised). 2 days ago, one of the hens was acting lethargic but still going along with the group program. (in/out etc.) Last night she was standing at the ramp to go in the pop door but would not go up. The door was about to close so I put her at the top of the ramp and she went in. I watched a bit and she was unable to get up on the first bale of straw to get up on the roost. (they have a stairway made of stacked straw). I put her up on the roost facing the wall to see if she would turn around and face in, she did. She looked like she would do okay for the night, and she did. This morning she managed to walk across the 8 foot long 2x4 roost and make her way down. Once on the floor, she just stays still and by herself. She seems kind of hunched over, (see photo), and has lost a lot of weight. We made her a small cup of scrambled eggs and crumbled up hamburger this morning. She ate about a handful then seemed to want to go back with the others. She will eat sunflower seeds, scratch, and obviously eggs and hamburger, but doesn't seem to eat her regular layer pellets, hence the weight loss. This afternoon she seems a bit wobbly when the others bump into her, and won't move much. I checked her out a bit and her empty crop seems to have a firm golf ball size lump. Perhaps that is the egg and hamburger, but I don't think so. She also has been shaking her head every minute or so like something is bothering her. All the other hens are busy and acting normal.

We have not started any treatment today as we are unsure what it might be.

It has been very cold here, lows in the single digits, highs in the 20's the last 3 weeks and I figured Coccidiosis would be the least possibility.

Based on this and some of the photos, I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts. I figure I could start a dose of Corid, but hate to medicate blindly of needlessly.

 

[Eggcessive]

Does she normally lay eggs? You say that she has an empty crop, but then you say she has a golfball-sized lump. It sounds like she might have an impacted crop, and the head movements may be a symptom. Can you check the crop again in early morning to see if it has emptied overnight. It should be empty and flat. Do they have thawed water throughout the day? Is she pooping, and what do droppings look like?

 

[ZedikerStation]

Does she normally lay eggs? You say that she has an empty crop, but then you say she has a golfball-sized lump. It sounds like she might have an impacted crop, and the head movements may be a symptom. Can you check the crop again in early morning to see if it has emptied overnight. It should be empty and flat. Do they have thawed water throughout the day? Is she pooping, and what do droppings look like?

Well.... egg laying is hard to say. We are down to only 2 or 3 per day and don't know which ones are laying. They didn't slow down much last winter, but this winter they seem to be taking a break. They always have fresh thawed water in the red cups inside, and we fill a small rubber tub outside every day. They seem to prefer the outside water, but they all drink from the inside cups first thing every morning when they come off the roost. Other than the white/yellow streaks on her butt, (see picture), we haven't seen any droppings. I checked in the poop tray below where she was last night and nothing looks odd. She was in the middle of 5 hens and either she didn't go or it looks the same as the others. As far as her crop, I was comparing it to how they all usually are, full, plump, firm. Hers is basically empty or not there with the exception of the small hard lump that seems low in the crop area. Perhaps it was the hamburger and scrambled egg she ate a couple hours earlier. She only ate a small amount of it. (about a golf ball size portion), but I would not expect it to be that hard. I just came back in from offering her some more egg and hamburger. She ate 1 small bite of egg and doesn't want any more....

 

[Eggcessive]

You might want to separate her inside the coop in a dog crate with food and water if possible to observe her droppings and intake. Check her crop again in the morning. You also could try to massage her crop this evening and several times tomorrow to see if it helps to break up the ball. Try to encourage water. You can tube water into her crop if you know how to safely. Reproductive disorders or infections can make them feel sick, and crop disorders as well.

 

[ZedikerStation]

You might want to separate her inside the coop in a dog crate with food and water if possible to observe her droppings and intake. Check her crop again in the morning. You also could try to massage her crop this evening and several times tomorrow to see if it helps to break up the ball. Try to encourage water. You can tube water into her crop if you know how to safely. Reproductive disorders or infections can make them feel sick, and crop disorders as well.

I've been out of the chicken game for 40 years. Since 4H. This has been something my wife has wanted to do. I can handle the water. I would probably need to go to Tractor Supply to see if they have a small syringe. What do you think about a bit of olive oil? Also, with the cold weather and everything frozen in the run, I'm kind of ruling out worms or Coccidiosis. What do you think? I'm thinking if one has it, they all would have it. I'm also thinking if nothing is going in, nothing will be coming out. I'll partition off an area with some straw bales for her tonight.

 

[Eggcessive]

It is hard to know about worms, but all chickens are exposed to them. Coccidiosis is usually more of a problem in young chickens, but sometimes they may get it if they are having problems with immunity or heavy exposure. A fecal float could rule those out, if you collect some droppings and take them to your vet. Winter can be hard on chickens. Most of the deaths I have seen occur in the coldest weather or during a molt. Many of mine have had reproductive disorders over the years. Crop disorders are also a common cause of illness. Many times I haven’t figured out what was wrong until after losing one when I could open the abdomen and do a necropsy. Cancer, as well as reproductive infections are common.

 

[ZedikerStation]

It is hard to know about worms, but all chickens are exposed to them. Coccidiosis is usually more of a problem in young chickens, but sometimes they may get it if they are having problems with immunity or heavy exposure. A fecal float could rule those out, if you collect some droppings and take them to your vet. Winter can be hard on chickens. Most of the deaths I have seen occur in the coldest weather or during a molt. Many of mine have had reproductive disorders over the years. Crop disorders are also a common cause of illness. Many times I haven’t figured out what was wrong until after losing one when I could open the abdomen and do a necropsy. Cancer, as well as reproductive infections are common.

Thank you!
Update....
I picked up some Save-A-Chick electrolytes and mixed up a batch. I gave her 3ml with a syringe and small tube. Massaged her crop a bit. It felt about the same, maybe a little smaller and softer. Could be my imagination. She wouldn't drink from a cup. She was not interested in eggs or hamburger, but she did have a few sunflower seeds. I put her in a crate in the coop with a bowl of electrolyte and some food. She is not interested in the food, (egg, hamburger, scratch, sun flower) her choice. She is now drinking the electrolyte on her own. About 2 beak-fulls every minute or so. That lasted for about 15/20 minutes. She seems done now and walked away. We'll see what the morning brings.

 

[ZedikerStation]

Morning Update...

It looks like she did not move all night in the crate. This morning, she was still standing in the same spot. When the other hens came down she perked up a bit and resumed drinking the electrolyte solution. She wanted no part of eating (eggs, hamburger, etc.) but does want the black oil sunflower seeds. (Strange.) She is still very wobbly, most likely because of not eating. The small lump in her crop was a bit smaller, and seemed flatter. I think she probably needs some food. Not sure what could be put down her with a tube though. I don't know if sunflower seeds is going to do the trick.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would stop feeding sunflower seeds and try to get her to take bits of scramble egg or wet chicken feed, but no seeds or whole grains due to her crop problem. Plain yogurt is good. If tubing, raw egg and water or yogurt whipped together to thin it would help.

 

[ZedikerStation]

I would stop feeding sunflower seeds and try to get her to take bits of scramble egg or wet chicken feed, but no seeds or whole grains due to her crop problem. Plain yogurt is good. If tubing, raw egg and water or yogurt whipped together to thin it would help.

Afternoon Update---

She ate a small cup (bottom of a paper cup cut 1.5" tall) of scrambled egg with crumbled hamburger some time today. She would look away from it if put in front of her this morning. Still drinking on her own. We gave her another cup of scrambled egg. She wasn't interested. We'll see if she eats on her own when nobody is there. She will stand in one spot and pull straw and throw it from the bale in the crate, but doesn't seem to like to move. She is still very wobbly. I guess it keeps her busy...

Still no droppings to check...

Since she ate a bit, I'm thinking tubing might not be necessary... thoughts??

She prefers the soggy pellets over the eggs. Probably better because it has everything she needs in them. Takes a few bites here and there. Not cleaning out the cup by any stretch.