Think one of my hens is dying.....

[jjthink]

I had a hen who became very letharic last September. Brought her to the vet and blood work was consistent with infection and/or inflammation. Antibiotic and antiinflammatory fixed her up and she's been in great shape since (more energy than the Energizer bunny) other than needing to recover form dog attacks - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (but she is okay now, thankfully, except for a dislocated toe from may 13 that still hurts :^() Not saying at all that your hen has whatever Ellie had but I did definitely feel that Ellie would not have recovered without the meds.

Pale flooped over comb is likely a sign that she is compromised. Your hen - could be so many things, including worms (easily treatable - you could bring stool sample to get tested), or she may simply have not been eating enough if she was/is broody. As is mentioned in other posts, hydration is crucial, as is food. If you can get her to keep eating and drinking, including the vitamins, and then assess....


JJ

 

[janinepeters]

Yes, if you really want to put that much into it, it's time for a visit with the vet. If you cannot do that, then just continue supportive care: keeping her hydrated, especially, and fed, if she is willing to eat. Water is most important. While I wouldn't force-feed (if it's a gastroenteritis, then allowing her GI tract to rest makes sense), I would force-hydrate if necessary.

It's amazing what they can recover from if just kept hydrated. I once had a pullet so close to death she was totally limp when I picked her up. Had diarrhea. I isolated her and kept dipping her beak in water. By the next morning, she was perky and pleasant, eating on her own, and asking to return to the flock. A year later, she is still with us.

 

[janinepeters]

Shannon, just reread your last post. Bumping into things is worrisome - might suggest something neurologic. Really time for the vet if you are set on saving her.

If you don't take her to the vet and things don't improve very soon, you might get some of that electrolyte containing powder that some people put in the water for baby chicks (is it called Quick Chick, or something like that? They must have some such concoction at your local farm/feed store). This would be like giving Pedialyte to a kid with diarrhea, if you are familiar with that. The body loses electrolytes quickly when you have diarrhea, so it helps to replace them.

 

[shannonb]

Janine, I'm definetly worried.

Believe it or not, I'm a vet tech.......for small animals - not including chickens or birds of any kind. This board is extremely informational and I am learning so much.

I just got back from the store and feedstore....got some plain yogurt and some vit/electrolytes for chickens : ) Gave it to her by syringe.....and she is def drinking....and decided that yogurt was good although she did not eat that much. But it was something.

She is walking/standing normal, but just doesn't seem to be able to see real well. Odd.

I called around and noone around here treats chickens....I was told to call ISU which is about 2 hours from me and major $. We are not in the position to have a chicken vet bill. Shots and farrier for the horses this year was enough......we are just getting back on our feet from the move from MN...., but I was willing to call a vet and get their opinion. I do have access to doing my own fecals at work, so I will do that today. Is it like dogs though.....if ones got the worms they all do? I'll grab a poo sample and bring it in today, although I don't know if it's hers for sure. I wasn't smart enough to take it off of her butt this morning....before I washed her. Duh. I'm having alot of duh moments here lately.

I'll let you know what I see in the fecal later when I get home this evening. Where do I get chicken dewormer......I called 2 feedstores and no luck.

 

[shannonb]

Forgot to add that drop by drop I got about 3cc's of the elec.water mix into her....I know it's not much....but she wasn't a people kind of chicken so she's nervous with me holding her = maybe we'll be best buds after this.

Also, it's supposed to be about 90 degrees and pure humidity today.....will she be okay in the heat? I don't have anywhere else to put her where it would be cooler. She is not in the sun or anything, but I'm worried - as you can tell.

 

[annek]

Shannon, I would try to keep her a little cooler if you can so she doesn't get more stressed out. If you can give her a fan that would be good. Also you can dampen some ground for a hole for her to lay in if she would do that. Frozen bottle waters to lay next to, shallow pans of water for them to stand in-replace often to keep cool water stuff like that.

Please verify the wormers before giving them with someone more knowledgeable than myself since I have only read about the worming. But I believe you use Wazine first then Ivermectin a few days later. I believe when I saw these at Tractor Supply they were with the cattle stuff, not chicken. That is probably why you are not seeing them there. Do a search for worming information and you will find the long detailed information that you need on dosing etc.

 

[annek]

Shannon, here is one of the links from Glenda Heywood on worming. It goes in to very nice detail on what to use etc. You may want to pm her if you have any questions, she is very good.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2277535

 

[caralouise1974]

Heat stress could be pretty bad for an already poorly chicken. You're right to be worried.

Can you not pop her in a dog crate or some sort of cage inside the house during the hottest part of the day? Failing that, is there lots of shade in her run and a fan you could put on in the coop for her? Misters are also good.

Re worming - its not neccessarily the case that all your birds will have worms, no. You may need to try and catch her in the act of pooping to run an accurate faecal. If you're going to isolate her indoors, that might make getting a definite poo sample from her a lot easier.

And in terms of the fluids - well done. If she was stressing out from being handled and the act of getting the fluids in was beginning to take its toll on her, you were right to stop after 3ccs. Our hen Bella isn't much of a 'people' chook, and when I took her to the vet the other night I swear she almost died purely from all the handling, travelling and stress. (It was frightening how much her illness actually deteriorated once us do-gooding humans started to intervene and put her through all that treatment!)

Keep her cool, dip her beak when you can, but above all allow her to rest inbetween supportive therapies. 'Stress is the biggest killer', and I'm quoting my vet on that one.

 

[shannonb]

Unfortunatley, my house is occupied by the 3 golden retriever hunting dogs of which one of them killed my Leah.

I have no way of getting her in the house......even if I kenneled them - their barking knowing a hen was in the house would stress her to the point of no return I"m sure.

I'll just keep giving her liquids and keeping her "clean"........gotta go to work now.

THank you everyone!!! It is MUCH MUCH appreciated.

Shannon

 

[janinepeters]

I wouldn't add the yogurt. Just my bias, but I'm inclined to treat a chicken with diarrhea just like you would a person. Let the GI tract rest. Give water with electrolytes, by force (dipping beak should be enough), if necessary. Add a pinch of sugar to the water as she perks up. Sugar is easy to digest so won't stress the GI tract as much. Then maybe if diarrhea stops add some yogurt to the water, but I don't do that. Usually by the time diarrhea begins to clear, they're eating on their own again.

Vet would be expensive and there's no guarantee they'd have much more to say....so I probably wouldn't take her, to be honest, if I had to drive 2 hrs. And I agree that such a trip would be very stressful and might do more harm than good, to a bird not used to being handled.

I personally would deworm the whole flock if stool sample is positive. You've got to figure that poop goes into the litter, all birds peck at the litter from time to time, and occasionally eat bits of it. Not to mention the bits of litter/poop that get scratched into the water. I think it's safer to assume they all have worms, if one does.