Sick hen

[Somshine]

Okay so my 3-year-old Golden comet, Fanny, is clearly under the weather. Her comb is very floppy and she has not been herself the past 3 days. She will get up and move around but isn't really staying with the flock. She will walk and then she will lay down. The first day she happily soaked in lavender and Epsom salt for over 30 minutes in case she was egg bound. I also did a bit of vegetable oil in the rear end. Her crop is good. Gave her a shot of penicillin, it's all I've got access to at the moment. Yesterday she showed a little improvement. Today I did another penicillin. Her comb is much brighter red than it was the day before yesterday. And she is a little more lively but not back to herself. I boiled some water and quickly whisked an egg around in it and added some oatmeal. When it cooled I added some enzymes a little vitamin C and a kids gummy multivitamin and she ate about a half a cup pretty happily. Added a little bit of honey to her water and she drank some. So she seems to be improving slowly. Everybody else is fine. I imagine if she were egg bound by day three she'd be going down not improving. As I said, her crop feels fine. Any other ideas or suggestions?

 

[Somshine]

Also, her poop doesn't look normal. It looks sort of watery and empty. Not really diarrhea though, more like they're just isn't much to poop out. And although her comb has more red to it today it's still floppy. I do have a bag of fluids on hand but I'm trying to get her to drink. I know how to do them on other animals but I'm hesitant to do them on a chicken because it kind of creeps me out how thin their skin is.

 

[Somshine]

No she's not waddling when she walks. But when I probed her abdomen she wasn't as docile about it as some of the other things I've done. When she moves around she's moving normally just not nearly as much. Where in the world do y'all get your hands on amoxicillin? I know that would be better. Last time I had an old sick hen I called around just trying to find a vet that would help me humanely end her suffering and I couldn't find one that worked with chickens. Also can you do fluids on a hen?

 

[Somshine]

Yesterday she didn't really eat or drink much. And her crop was pretty much empty this morning.

 

[Somshine]

Her abdomen felt normal she just did not seem to prefer me doing that.

 

[Somshine]

She seemed very happy floating in that bath. So I feel like maybe there's some pain involved?

 

[Somshine]

Friday

 

[Somshine]

Another thing I'd like to add. We recently (2wks) switched to an all flock feed instead of layer pellets because of our new rooster. But they have a small feeder of calcium at all times.

 

[Somshine]

No I mean like sub q fluids. I just don't know anything about those with chickens. I'm used to cats and dogs and rats on those. Just thinking about hydration. She did drink a little water. Not really up for doing that now but I figured I'd ask in case it came to that. It's there a better way for chickens?

 

[Somshine]

Could it be the switch on food? We keep 10 hens and one rooster in a coup with a room. They've got a good bit of space but I also let them out regularly for free ranging. We just try to keep it eating and laying to the run and coop. I added the rooster about 6wks ago and he was about 9 weeks old. Gave him a little humility and he's doing really well with the hens. He is beginning to practice on them. But so far he has not been a vicious cereal rapist. She was a higher ranking member so he didn't mess with her too much anyway. So I don't think he would have hurt her. The top of her head and her comb did look pecked at. But I've seen a couple of the girls bullying a little since she's not feeling well. I'm wondering if this food change could be a problem? When you have 10 hens and one rooster do you feed the rooster laying pellets or do you give them all flock feed and offer endless calcium?