Sick hen..

[kdj461]

My hen is very lethargic and has her feathers fluffed up. The left side of her nose has some drainage and under her chin is wet looking. She also has messing looking feathers on her behind. She’s hasn’t started laying yet but she looks like she trying to push out an egg. I’ve checked and as far as I can tell she isn’t egg bound, but she’s lost weight and is very bony. She still is eating a bit and she’s drinking. But this is not her normal behavior. She’s with 6 other hens and they peck her and chase her and they never did before. There’s one that worse than the others and she pecks her a lot.
I’ve also put Diatomaceous Earth on all my hens because I’ve seen a few mites on them. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[azygous]

Look inside her mouth for signs of crusty lesions, and check the back of her throat for any crusty buildup. Check her ears to be sure there's no swelling or discharge. Is there any swelling around her eyes and face? Any bubbling from an eye?

How is her crop? If her appetite is poor, a full crop may indicate a crop disorder. Check it again tomorrow morning. If it's full then, you may be looking at one of her main issues.

Check her pelvic points on each side of her vent by placing two fingers between them. If the points are too close together to fit both fingers, she's not about to start laying yet.

Can you get a photo of her crusty butt and post it? Also get one of her poop. Place a coin next to it for scale.

If you see bugs crawling around her vent, they are likely lice. This won't make a chicken sick, but mites would since mites suck blood and can cause anemia. You can't treat mites and lice with DE. De won't even prevent them. DE is over-hyped and doesn't do anything to prevent parasites in a coop or on chickens.

You need to buy a chicken-safe permethrin based poultry dusting powder or liquid concentrate. You can find it in the pet supplies or in the garden section.

Crop disorders are not related to parasites, and a respiratory illness, which this chicken could have, is not related to parasites, either, but you can have them all at the same time. Internal parasites could also be a possibility. Pour-on ivermectin can treat lice, mites and internal worms. It could be a good place to start.