Totaly stumped, please help... older hen lethargic, being picked on

[Bocktobery 10]

I have a 6 year old Silver Dorking hen that is ill. Its been just slightly over a week of her not acting well. She is not exhibiting symptoms that are helping me identify the cause. My only guess is that its some sort of organ failure or problem that can't be helped by medicines, because I've already tried a bunch and nothing seems to be helping. I'd certainly appreicate if anyone could help me with this.

My first indication that there was a problem was that I spotted her and another hen fighting. It was rather brutal with both needing a bit of neosporin (the safe kind to use) to the many peck marks on the comb. I thought it was just a heirarchal problem, but after putting her back in the coop for the evening the next morning I saw that she was being picked on by all the hens. So I immediately realized this was most likely illness that the other hens sense and want gone from their presence.

So when I brought her in, the only thing other than the peck marks was that she was on the thin side and that she seemed lethargic. At times she would eat with normal chicken voracity, but other times she seemed uninterested in eating. I treated her for worms with Valbalzen and I also decided to start with Corrid, thinking this could be Cocci since the weather has been damp, dreary, and humid/hot- my thoughts are this is Cocci type of breeding weather. ?? Not sure, but that was what I thought so I tried the Corrid.... And after five days of treatment there was no difference. So I then started her on a rather high dosage of oral Baytril (antibiotic) I was giving her about 1 cc twice a day- I did this only because she seemed to need help asap, and planned to back down on dosage (to 1/2 cc twice a day) once I saw a positive response.. Well, I never did. She has not changed. I gave her about three dosages- that is, one day and a half of this treatment plan. I am stumped at what I can and should do now.

There appears to be no lumps, bumps or breaks in any part of her body.

Her poop seems normal! (which surprises me, typically with all sick birds you will see a change with this) I've seen no evidence of worms or probelms in any of her droppings although the first droppings in her cage were very very very stinky and mushy. That seems to have cleared since all treatment.

She laid an egg during this time of confinement, so I do not think its in any way a problem there. The egg was a bit mishapen, slightly but other than that I saw no problem with it.

She does exhibit interest in food. I put some meat scraps in front of her and she went for that right away. I will say her crop seems full of water at times, but it does seem to empty. I think she may at this point be drinking more water, yet, it also doesn't appear to be since she doesn't drink all the water in her drinker cup in her cage.

I've also looked down her throat and saw nothing strange. It is a bit greyish back there but it could be her coloring. Her tongue is grey as well. (she's a grey colored chicken)

Nothing respiratory it seems as well. No rasping or wheezing, sneazing, goop, etc.

SO basically all I have for symptoms is :

Lethargy (staying in once place not moving- she stands there, sometimes sits down)
Weight loss- she is on the thinner side, but is not what I call emaciated yet
Exhibiting loss of desire to eat but will eat a bit
PANTING- this is what she has been doing the last 4 hours, but before she did not show this sign


I've also noticed she seems loopy, like she is mentally out of sorts. This seems to be increasing as time goes by. Her one eyelid is droopy- I do imagine she has had sustained some heavy blows from other hens in that area. But her weird actions are that she'll growl if I put her outside (not around the others but me just watching her) and any movements seem to set off anxiety in her. She also will go from growling then straight to making momma hen noises- she picked up a dead dried up leaf (not even edible) and made that momma hen noise (same as rooster to hen noise) like she found food for them to eat. (She's never been a momma hen). ????!!! Why would she do that, especially when she is obviously feeling ill? The other thing is she will puff her chest up and beat her wings a lot... like continually. I will take her outside for some fresh air and grass and sunshine and she will not eat or wander around but beat her wings, stretch them. She will do this several times in minutes. ??? She is just not acting right and even her looks, the way her head and neck are held seem really out of place.

How can I treat this or does anyone have any guess as to what it could be. As I stated, we've had lots of rain, with the grounds (I freerange) being muddy, and typically always soaked. We've had muggy hot humid days that are cloudy and dreary. She seems to be the only ill hen although I have several others who are molting right now, but are otherwise seemingly fine.


Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[ellenscoop]

Have you tried using the chicken symptom checker tool?

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds very strange, like some type of hormonal problem or something in her brain. I hope others can help.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Hey, she’s still with us. She seems ok. She eats. She just sits all day mostly. I’ve found no lumps, bumps, swellings, sore spots...nothing. She is just a tad on the light side, but not emaciated. She has been molting though- like crazy, so I think this could just be a bad molt for her. ?

She still continues to act crazy if I put her outside. She will not walk around. She either beats her wings repeatedly, as if trying to look big and powerful and stay in one place, or go find a hiding spot and stay there the rest of the day. If I go out to look for her, she’ll make a growling (chicken warning) sound from deep in the bushes- that’s how I find her! She doesn’t attempt to graze or catch up with the others. She won’t even go to the coop come evening- she’ll find a place on the porch to sit somewhere on a higher level. So I bring her in for the evening. She seems quite content with this.

I’m still at a loss as to what’s going on. At this point, I’m just assuming it’s something to do with her molt. She’s got lots of one inch pin feathers right now- looks like a porcupine. I have heard that can be uncomfortable and even painful, so if I handle her I do so with care. I’ve also upped the protein for her to eat.

Anyway, just an update. Wondering if anyone else has seen this type of behavior.

 

[Kathy Golla]

A thought is...a lot of hens will isolate themselves from the flock during molt.
Or do the same if they are ill.
I read that the beating the wings is a sign of submission to the top hens. My hens do this and it seems to have the right context.
She probably doesn’t want to be with the flock cause she knows they will pick on her.
Gotta get her feeling better.