Sudden collapse

[Gymchyk84]

Hi there…..I don’t even have much to describe, except that when I was taking my dog out to do her business, I heard a “clatter” from the pen that we keep an isolated hen in. I figured it might be a snake since it is dark already, so I went to grab the catcher and when I came to her pen, she was lying on the ground. She flopped once and then no big movements, only shallow breathing. Her eyes are closed and mouth open, vent pulsing. I have no idea what is going on with her and have been holding her and talking to her without any response. She still has some muscle tone when I was shifting; her legs aren’t 100% relaxed and I could feel the muscles near her tail feathers tense slightly. Otherwise, her neck is pretty floppy.
Earlier today she was running around, eating fine and nothing seemed abnormal.

 

[ExoticPetOwner]

Could it have been some sort of seizure do you think? Was there anything weird she might've eaten? Was there any sign of a predator break-in? Sometimes they might scare themselves really badly and get shocked like that.... Is everything else looking fine today? Eating/drinking normally, behaving normally, normal egg laying, nothing abnormal with her body, walking fine, performing her normal routine? What does her enclosure look like, is there any shelter (house), food, or water inside? Hope everything is alright!

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

I am so sorry...

Keep holding her (if you can)

It has happened to me more than once that a hen was "obviously" going to die, but then pulled through...

Was she in the pen for some other issue or did she wander over there ?

Poor dear...

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your hen. How old is she? What does her crop feel like—empty and flat, full, puffy soft, or firm? Does she normally lay eggs? It sounds like what happens when chicken dies. Many times they will flop around and have spasms of the muscles. Did she vomit anything up?

 

[Gymchyk84]

Could it have been some sort of seizure do you think? Was there anything weird she might've eaten? Was there any sign of a predator break-in? Sometimes they might scare themselves really badly and get shocked like that.... Is everything else looking fine today? Eating/drinking normally, behaving normally, normal egg laying, nothing abnormal with her body, walking fine, performing her normal routine? What does her enclosure look like, is there any shelter (house), food, or water inside? Hope everything is alright!

No sign of a predator. She has all the things she needs (safety, food, water, roosting pole, nesting box, etc). I had to leave her and go to bed. This morning, we are checking on her now, she flopped out of the nesting box, her eyes still closed and she seems to be spazzing. She will flap and just flop. Although she appears to have laid an egg last night, with a soft shell.

 

[Gymchyk84]

Sorry about your hen. How old is she? What does her crop feel like—empty and flat, full, puffy soft, or firm? Does she normally lay eggs? It sounds like what happens when chicken dies. Many times they will flop around and have spasms of the muscles. Did she vomit anything up?

She IS flopping around and spazzing! But has been all night apparently! No sign of vomit.

Sorry about your hen. How old is she? What does her crop feel like—empty and flat, full, puffy soft, or firm? Does she normally lay eggs? It sounds like what happens when chicken dies. Many times they will flop around and have spasms of the muscles. Did she vomit anything up?

Yes, normally an egg-layer. Didn’t check her crop.

 

[Gymchyk84]

She IS flopping around and spazzing! But has been all night apparently! No sign of vomit.

Yes, normally an egg-layer. Didn’t check her crop.

About 2 years old