Sickly chicken--need advice!

[newchick49]

I have a 4 year old New Hampshire Red. I haven't had any problems with my chickens before. She is acting poorly. Doesn't want to eat much. Kind of staying off in the corner of her run by herself. When we let them run in the yard she would go out of run into the yard but not venture very far, which is really abnormal.I don't know for sure when she layed last. She had kind of a crusty poop built up on her back side. Wasn't sure if she had a vent prolapse or something. DH and I put her in a tub of water and cleaned everything away. Did not see any sign of prolapse based on pictures I looked up on here. No swelling or anything else. Vent area is not red. Just wondering if anyone else has any suggestions or ideas about what could be wrong.

Thanks in advance for help!

 

[FlyHigher]

What color is her poop? If it is meat-red, then consider coccidiosis.(You can treat it with Toltrazuil and Neomycin Sulphate.)

 

[newchick49]

No, poop is the normal color. She is just really acting weird.

 

[Pascal PicklePants]

coccidiosis would be strange in a bird that old, I would suspect crop bound or possibly respiratory infection. The latter would usually present with a discharge from the nostrils.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I lost a three year old hen to coccidiosis this past spring, it can happen. All it takes is exposure to a strain the bird has not come in contact with previously to build resistence to. So, you could run a course of Corid to rule out that possibility, you certainly won't do any harm with it.

Has she been on a regular deworming schedule? If not then internal parasites could be the problem.

It really could be a lot of things but you have to start somewhere and those are probably the most obvious possibilites.

 

[newchick49]

Okay, what is "crop bound" sorry to sound stupid. I haven't dewormed her. What do you recommend to use for that?

 

[Pascal PicklePants]

The crop is and organ in the upper breast/lower neck area where the chicken grinds (chews) their food. Sometimes it can become blocked and the contents begin to ferment which is why it is also called "sour crop". There is a lot of info on this forum regarding this condition as well as worming techniques. I've never had internal parasite issues, so have never actually wormed my flock.