Sick hen please help!

[caitlinmoe]

Hi--I need help!!

Facts: I'm in Texas and it's about 95 degrees during the day right now, I only have 2 hens and they are best friends, they are about 9 months old and laying since January or so. This is my first time raising chickens and my first time with sick chickens. Janice is a Barred Rock and Ginger is an Orpington.

Yesterday I was out in the backyard around 10AM and noticed Janice (Barred Rock) was sitting in the sun and appeared very hot with her beak wide open. I went over to her thinking this was strange behavior. She moved a little but just wasn't herself. I took her into the shade and got her to drink some water. For a few hours all she would do is lay down and her head would droop and her eyes close. Then she would perk up and extended her neck, open her eyes and open her beak widely. This repeated for multiple hours. Meanwhile, we were able to get her to drink quite a bit of water with electrolytes and vitamins. She would not eat food at all. We also noticed runny/watery diarrhea. Since it was really hot outside and she had her beak wide open at times, I decided to take her inside around 12PM. Inside the house, she fell asleep and appeared to have passed away except she remained breathing through the night. She did not eat or drink for the remainder of the day and through the night. Around 12AM I checked her vent area and noticed there was an egg stuck to her feathers so I pulled it out (it did not seem stuck inside her body, just her feathers--possibly from the diarrhea). She pooped 2 other times while in the house. Both times were watery but one had a little more substance and was green. This morning I checked on her and she was still alive! She pooped again and this time it was thicker but still very runny with white and green color. Extremely smelly. She is opening her eyes more and stood up a few times but still is falling right back asleep. She drank a tiny bit of water but still isn't eating.

Meanwhile, her partner Ginger appears broody! Ever since Janice got sick, she's been sitting on her eggs and fluffs her feathers up and appears mad when I touch her. I do not think she has had any water or food since she's been sitting on the eggs for almost 24 hours. I've never seen this behavior from her. Is this because she's stressed from Janice being gone?

Any help or guidance is MUCH appreciated. I've been looking on the other forums about sick chickens and am just not sure what to do. It doesn't appear that she has the syndrome where eggs are stuck because she laid one last night--right? Thanks again for any and all help!! Caitlin

 

[Eggcessive]

I answered your duplicate post in the New Member Introduction section.

 

[ten chicks]

Hi--I need help!!

Facts: I'm in Texas and it's about 95 degrees during the day right now, I only have 2 hens and they are best friends, they are about 9 months old and laying since January or so. This is my first time raising chickens and my first time with sick chickens. Janice is a Barred Rock and Ginger is an Orpington.

Yesterday I was out in the backyard around 10AM and noticed Janice (Barred Rock) was sitting in the sun and appeared very hot with her beak wide open. I went over to her thinking this was strange behavior. She moved a little but just wasn't herself. I took her into the shade and got her to drink some water. For a few hours all she would do is lay down and her head would droop and her eyes close. Then she would perk up and extended her neck, open her eyes and open her beak widely. This repeated for multiple hours. Meanwhile, we were able to get her to drink quite a bit of water with electrolytes and vitamins. She would not eat food at all. We also noticed runny/watery diarrhea. Since it was really hot outside and she had her beak wide open at times, I decided to take her inside around 12PM. Inside the house, she fell asleep and appeared to have passed away except she remained breathing through the night. She did not eat or drink for the remainder of the day and through the night. Around 12AM I checked her vent area and noticed there was an egg stuck to her feathers so I pulled it out (it did not seem stuck inside her body, just her feathers--possibly from the diarrhea). She pooped 2 other times while in the house. Both times were watery but one had a little more substance and was green. This morning I checked on her and she was still alive! She pooped again and this time it was thicker but still very runny with white and green color. Extremely smelly. She is opening her eyes more and stood up a few times but still is falling right back asleep. She drank a tiny bit of water but still isn't eating.

Meanwhile, her partner Ginger appears broody! Ever since Janice got sick, she's been sitting on her eggs and fluffs her feathers up and appears mad when I touch her. I do not think she has had any water or food since she's been sitting on the eggs for almost 24 hours. I've never seen this behavior from her. Is this because she's stressed from Janice being gone?

Any help or guidance is MUCH appreciated. I've been looking on the other forums about sick chickens and am just not sure what to do. It doesn't appear that she has the syndrome where eggs are stuck because she laid one last night--right? Thanks again for any and all help!! Caitlin

First chicken may have passed away due to heat stroke,95 degrees is extremely dangerous to chickens. Chickens body temp is around 104-107 degrees Fahrenheit,if their temp reaches anywhere from 113 degrees and up,they are in immediate danger of dying. Keep pails of cool water(NOT COLD)submerge her up to her neck if she show symptoms of heat stroke/heat stress,this could save her life. Several ways to help chickens deal with heat issues,some are frozen water bottle/milk jugs placed in coops,nest boxes,fans,frozen watermelon/other fruit,small children's pool(enough water to get feet wet) hose down during day,to cool everything down.

Broody hen,never leave a hen broody,dangerous to their health. When chickens are broody,they do not look after themselves,malnutrition can result. To break a broody,place her in a cage with a wire bottom,you want air to circulate under her and on breast(broodiness is tied to elevated body temp). Keep her where she can see light(broody hens love the dark,you want to do the opposite)make sure she has food and water. Keep her their for a couple of days,let her out if she runs back to nest,she is still broody,repeat process. When she is done being broody,she will resume normal chicken stuff(scratching,dust bathing,etc.). The longer a hen is broody,the longer it will take to break her.

Yes,chickens do get depressed/upset when one leaves,they need companions,very social creatures.

 

[caitlinmoe]

I answered your duplicate post in the New Member Introduction section.

Thank you I apologize I didn't realize where I was posting the first time so I re-posted here. Thanks so much!