Silkie hen very lethargic not eating well

[Jennylynn530]

Her eyes are closed because she's weak. Starvation reaches a stage where the hen is too weak to eat. They will not eat on their own.

Starvation may not be what's wrong with this hen. By trying to treat starvation with sugar water and special foods, we can rule it out as a cause if there is no improvement. Then we look at other possible causes and try treating those.

Ok thank you- I got her to get the sugar in her and scrambled eggs she ate well from my hand. She sorta pecks at the air like she’s eating but there’s no food- so I started just putting my hand with food where she’s pecking and she would eat. Her eyes are half shut. She is walking around a little then falling back asleep. I put water in her food and also got her to eat some of that- she eats the corn free soy free pellets and grains normally, I gave her yogurt with fruit and added honey she ate a tiny bit of that. She does groom herself a bit. Poor thing I was not home mon- Fri last week but my husband was watching the hens for me. He did say he didn’t think she was eating much.

 

[azygous]

At some point, when the patient isn't eating enough on her own to get back some strength, tube feeding may be necessary. The tube goes into the crop as a syringe does, and then you syringe the liquid food into the tube. It goes much more quickly than syringing does. Do you think you might want to try that? You can ask a vet for a tube feeding kit for a small animal. I can instruct you how to do it.

 

[Jennylynn530]

Hello again! Updating- my silkie is eating- scrambled eggs and some mash- not a big appetite but we keep hand feeding her and we do catch her eating on her own sometimes when we walk by- not a lot but she isn’t really moving much- she does flap her wings and groom herself but mostly she sleeps- when she opens her eyes it’s only Half way and she has sick looking eyes. I called 3 different vets- 2 didn’t want to see her and said to euthanize and the third was an online one and she asked if I drugged her with marijuana I was very upset and offended at that. I’m giving her corid, and a dewormer that’s natural. Is there any hope for her to get strong again? I am shocked this sweetie is still with us this long. It’s been over a week since she’s been well. I’m encouraged that she does open her eyes before she wouldn’t open her eyes at all. And she loves scrambled eggs. She still makes cute noises, purrs, honks but they’re very quiet and not her loud usual self at all. She’s usually very vocal and active. Now she just sleeps pretty much all the time and unless we move her. She does lift her head and look all around sometimes her eyes are even closed. She also pecks at the air as if she’s eating when there’s no food there. Anyway just updating- thanks for all your support and advice it’s very much appreciated.

 

[Jennylynn530]

Here’s a photo of her-she was just grooming she fell asleep or closed her eyes

 

[Jennylynn530]

One more update is my kids have a cold/flu- they’ve been sick summer break began could she have caught their cold? She has no respiratory symptoms her breathing seems fine and no secretions or anything.