Sick hen!

[cliffsdad]

I don't think it's an emergency but I've got a chicken(11 month old barred rock) with the blues! I've been keeping a good eye on her but she's got her tail down and just seems lethargic. She's always over by the water and doesn't look thin but I'm stumped. No one picks on her so I don't want to remove her from the flock if I don't need to. She's not squatting like she's egg bound, she just looks sad! Does anyone know of something I can do to perk her up? Do they act weird when they're going to molt? She still goes after scraps and treats some so I've just been doing that. Thanks

 

[tiki244]

Maybe some extra protein in her diet like a scrambled egg here and there. And some vitamins and electrolytes in her water.

 

[tiki244]

Could she have eaten something bad? What are her poops like. Is her head down? If she ate something bad, then a molasses flush would help her. I just give a little bit in their mouth twice in one day to get them to go. Then I put them on v @ e and extra protein. Its hard to tell what would be wrong. But I donot think that it is normal for them to be moping around. good luck

 

[cliffsdad]

Thanks! I'll try the molasses. That sounds like a great idea.

 

[dawg53]

Check her for lice/mites. Eggbound is a possibility. Possible needs to be wormed too.

 

[hencam]

A hen that's not moving around and is standing with her tail down has a medical issue. Whenever you are in doubt, isolate the bird. Put her in a dog crate or similar container. Provide food and water. If she freaks about being taken away from the flock, you can put her where she can see her friends. This way, you can see her input and output. The quantity and type of poo will tell you a lot. You can see if she's laying. If she's eating or drinking. Also, when a hen looks hunched over and uncomfortable, I go for the "spa cure." A warm water bath often gets things moving and the hen more comfortable. I'd also do a dose of epsom salts. It can't hurt and it might help. See here for more about that. http://www.hencam.com/henblog/2011/02/the-epsom-salt-cure/