Something Is Wrong With My Hen/Anything I Should Look For? UPDATE

[1234duck]

She was just sitting on the ground looking like she was tired or hot maybe, with her beak resting on the ground. She was in a normal hang out place but not acting normal. She is not the type of chicken that lets you hold her or get close to her, but my daughter reached over the fence & picked her up. She is now inside our house, inside a large brooder(where its cooler than outside). We placed her on top of a cool, damp towel with drinking water next to her. She hasn't tried to move or fly out, she seems to be resting. My daughter pets her softly and talks to her. It was close to 100 outside today so I thought maybe the heat was the problem? }}}} ~ Is there any signs to look for? I know she should not be by the others till she is feeling better. Thanks, ~Julie~

 

[Ksane]

Could easily be the heat. Turn her over and look closely around her vent for lice or mites. Lice eggs look like clusters of white chunks at the base of the feather. I know mites suck blood (lice do not) and can make chickens very sick or even kill them.

 

[AZBootsie]

Is she eating or drinking?? Does she feel hot to touch?? Any noises.. coughs, gurgles, wheezes?? When you try to stand her up, does it look like her legs are working?? Do you think she can see?? Is her skin turger normal....when you lift the skin on the back of her neck does it feel loose or tight?? It will help you see if she is dehydrated. Is her comb normal pink/red or pale? Any signs of lice or mites?? Have you ever wormed her?? How is her crop?? soft, firm, full, empty?? Has she had any stool?? Did it look normal.

Just try to look for things that might not be normal to get clues.

Oh yeah, is she a layer?? did she lay an egg today. Does her vent look swollen, puffy or red?? Is her bottom hard, can you feel an egg inside??

 

[klmclain1]

On top of the other things suggested, if you have some Gatorade or some electrolyte solution.. give that to her from a dropper - drip it down her beak. See if you can get her to drink it. At the very least, try water.

 

[1234duck]

Wow there is so many things to check for. Thanks to everyone, I will check all the things mentioned. But, So far this evening, we removed the wet towel from under her(towel was to make her cool in case she was too hot) ~we put hay under her for clean bedding ~gave her fresh water & food & a little bit of bread. So far I haven't seen her eat or drink. She is still just staying in the same spot. She looks like shes sitting comfy in the hay but she has her eyes closed/resting a lot but does open them. Her eyes look kinda glossy, her mouth/beak is closed not panting. we tried putting water on our finger & putting it on her beak but she didn't do anything(wouldn't drink any water). When we picked her up & removed the wet towel, there was a really strong smell. I don't know if that's just normal or not coming from a bird that's been sitting on a wet towel. Not sure if shes laid an egg or not b/c she wont stay in the coop, her and another hen they both sleep up in a tree every night & lay eggs where ever. I did find 1 of her eggs on Sunday. Thanks again, ~Julie

 

[1234duck]

UPDATE...my hen still doesn't feel well, she still is just laying there. we used a straw to give her a drink of water(didn't have a dropper) The red thingy on her head & under her beak is red. When we looked under her(on her stomach & lower area) I didn't see any bugs or anything that appeared to be. The lower part of her didn't feel hard I have not seen any poop but i think shes been going pee b/c there is a strong smell & in that area its a yellow-ish color on her feathers. Also when trying to give her a drink we noticed something coming from her mouth, it was like saliva but thicker(sorry i can't think of the word I'm trying to say & I dont know the correct names for the body parts) Thanks, ~Julie

 

[1234duck]

Today the guy at the pet store said that other people were having issues with their chickens too. Something about being sick, catching what ever it is from wild birds, like maybe eating what ever that may have been contaminated/infected by a sick wild bird? He mixed a solution its liquid(a water mixture) }}SOLFA ? something like that? he said to give her a couple drops every 4 hours? and to make sure her head is up and tilted back a little so she dont choke and it goes in the right spot b/c it can go in her lungs? Hard for me to explain when i'm not quite sure what I'm talk n about. He said he gives it to the birds brought to him right away for a precautionary thing.? And we are to only use this for 3 days? So does any of this make any sense to anybody? Hope i explained it right. Do you think thats enough liquid to drink/be forced to drink ? 2 drops every 4 hours? Thanks, ~Julie~

 

[Ksane]

I'm not sure what he's talking about but she may have sour crop or impacted crop. I know you're supposed to give them a few drops of vegetable oil (?) for impacted crop and massage it. Look it up though. Sour crop would make her sick and also throw up that foul smelling stuff. Chickens don't urinate like other animals, it's not yellow. Their urine is the white stuff on their poo.

 

[AZBootsie]

Quote:
I agree. If you are smelling a strong smell, could be something to pay attention to. Research sour crop or coryza.

 

[1234duck]

She still has clear thick stuff(mucus) coming out of her mouth/beak. The only movement is when she lifts her head a tiny bit then puts her face back down in the bedding/hay. What do you think the yellow-ish stuff is on her lower stomach between her legs? An Infection of some kind? What do you think about liquids to drink? ~ Does that sound right about only giving her a couple drops(every 4 hours) of the liquid mixture he made at the pet store? I'm really surprised she had made it through the night, she looks so lifeless. Thanks, ~Julie~