Unknown Illness

[MSChickenMom6]

I have a RIR hen who was in previously good health. Three days ago I noticed her limping and when I went to pick her up she was waaaay too light. Her muscle mass is GONE. Thighs, breast, everything. Just bone and feathers. She has no bumblefoot (I’ve looked at her extensively), no breaks or dislocated joints. Her comb/wattles are bright red and none of the other chickens were bothering her. I’ve been giving her Epsom salt baths and she hobbles around. She is eating and drinking but her hackles and face feathers are always ruffled. She’s making no sound but eyes, nose and beak are clear and no wheezing. Does anyone have any idea what is wrong with her?!

 

[Perris]

What is her poop like? Photos please.
Edited to add, in particular, have you seen any poops like this?

If so, it's clostridium perfringens, and it causes necrotising enteritis. She needs as much food as she'll eat with lots of protein to help repair the damage to her guts. It is survivable, but many simple waste away till organ failure occurs.

 

[MSChickenMom6]

What is her poop like? Photos please.
Edited to add, in particular, have you seen any poops like this? View attachment 2986001
If so, it's clostridium perfringens, and it causes necrotising enteritis. She needs as much food as she'll eat with lots of protein to help repair the damage to her guts. It is survivable, but many simple waste away till organ failure occurs.

Her poop is a normal color with some solids and some liquid. Today her earlobes are swollen and one eye shut. Still no drainage or wheezing or gasping. I’m seriously at a loss as to what is going on with her.

 

[Perris]

I'll call some of BYC's experts and hopefully one of them will recognize the symptoms. @azygous @coach723 @dawg53 @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Three days ago I noticed her limping... muscle mass is GONE. Thighs, breast, everything. Just bone and feathers. She has no bumblefoot Her comb/wattles are bright red and none of the other chickens were bothering her. eating and drinking but her hackles and face feathers are always ruffled. She’s making no sound but eyes, nose and beak are clear and no wheezing. Does anyone have any idea what is wrong with her?!

Her poop is a normal color with some solids and some liquid. Today her earlobes are swollen and one eye shut. Still no drainage or wheezing or gasping. I’m seriously at a loss as to what is going on with her.

Please provide some photos of her?
Where are you located in the world?

Can you look inside her ears? Any pus or drainage?

Started limping, then now swollen earlobes. Could she have been injured somehow?

 

[azygous]

To lose that much weight, she has to have been sick for quite a while. It could be something simple like a tape worm or other worms. You could try worming her, but prepare her for it ahead of time with a few days on electrolytes with sugar so she won't slip into shock if there's a heavy worm load.

The other thing that causes so much weight loss is tumors from an avian virus. No way to know for sure if that's what she has unless she dies and you send her off for a necropsy.

 

[Eggcessive]

Pictures of her ears and face might be helpful. How old is she, and where are you located in the world? How does her crop feel—empty and flat, full with some food, hard, doughy, or puffy soft with liquid? Can you check again it at daylight before she eats or drinks? With such weight loss, cancer could be a possibility. Reproductive disorders and crop problems (impacted or sour crop) are common in chickens. Have you wormed her recently? What do you feed? I would try to get her drinking and give some electrolytes with vitamins, and try some moistened chicken feed with scrambled egg bits.