Unusual and changing symptoms

[megannicole90]

Hello,
I am a new chicken owner, and I am facing a sick pullet that is around 7-8 months old. She hasn't started laying yet. I have five healthy pullets besides here in a separate pen now. This is day 3 of illness, and the symptoms that have not changed are as follows: lethargy, decreased energy, decreased walking, not eating, not drinking, diarrhea, one eye not completely open, a little puffed up at times, and will lay down and close her eyes after a 15-20 minutes of walking around. She can run and flap without a problem and walk down a ramp. She tries to escape and run from me to go back to her family. What has changed is her poop from white/clear diarrhea to greenish white. She also only wanted to roost and took 4 steps that took an extreme amount of energy the first day. she was mouth breathing a lot and now she is only doing that when it is hotter. She is fighting more and resisting me trying to get water and food into her. Her eye is staying open more and she is making some noises now to let me know I am annoying her and she didn't until evening yesterday. One thing I noticed and is unusual, she has a small indentation by her left eye that she was keeping more closed and itis by the corner near the beginning of her beak. The other side remains normal. She did try to nibble on grass and greens the last two days and seems to look at food and then turn around and walk away. I have even been rubbing her abdomen and stomach every day and checking for critters on her. Any ideas are appreciated.

I am updating this post. 7/17/25 marks day 4. My pullet is pooping green and yellow with a little solid mass. She tires easily but is moving around. Her eyes only close when she is tired. I have seen her peck but not eat or drink. I did feel a little weight to her crop so I am hoping she ate. This morning she decided to perch on her food bowl and partially lay in it. I am not sure if this is why, but she smells soured. I checked her vent and abdomen again and she was not swollen or abnormal. I have been rubbing her crop everyday just in case. My other chickens are still fine. I am hoping I can post some pictures later today.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have any pictures of her, her droppings, and her eye? Are there any bubbles or foam in that eye, and is the eyelid swollen? How does her crop feel—empty and flat, full, hard, doughy, or squishy? Can you feel of it in early morning before she has a chance to eat or drink, to make sure that it has emptied? Was she vaccinated for Mareks disease? Is her comb red? Does she have any enlargement of her lower belly below her vent? Can you offer some mushy wet chicken feed in a small bowl, and a bit of scrambled egg?

 

[megannicole90]

Do you have any pictures of her, her droppings, and her eye? Are there any bubbles or foam in that eye, and is the eyelid swollen? How does her crop feel—empty and flat, full, hard, doughy, or squishy? Can you feel of it in early morning before she has a chance to eat or drink, to make sure that it has emptied? Was she vaccinated for Mareks disease? Is her comb red? Does she have any enlargement of her lower belly below her vent? Can you offer some mushy wet chicken feed in a small bowl, and a bit of scrambled egg?

I do not have pictures of her or anything because I am really weird about contamination. Her eye doesn't have discharge, eyelid not swollen and no foam nor bubbles. Her crop is empty and it felt a little full right after she nibbled on greens yesterday, but back to empty this morning and afternoon. She was vaccinated for Marek's. Her comb is red with some white dry looking areas in the middle. I do not feel any enlargement in her belly or vent. I do not see any signs of enlargement either. I am trying mushy food and even trying water dissolved. I have not tried scrambled egg, but I certainly will, thank you. I was able to syringe feed her the first day with some food and water. I have been making her drink dissolved pellet water and leaving mushy food and water with her.

 

[megannicole90]

She starts falling asleep and closing her eyes for 2-3 minutes and will do that 2-3 times then start walling again. She tried to eat on her own yesterday and started jumping yesterday.

 

[Eggcessive]

Has she eaten or drunk much the past 2 days? The heat where you live this time of year is very hard on some birds. She may have something going on with her reproductive system. We never can know exactly what, but just treat symptoms. Her eye might have been pecked either before she was keeping it closed, or after, and that might have caused it to appear swollen on the bottom. Does the eye look normal when you open it? You can always apply some eye drops or either Terramycin or plain triple antibiotic ointment into the eye.

 

[megannicole90]

Has she eaten or drunk much the past 2 days? The heat where you live this time of year is very hard on some birds. She may have something going on with her reproductive system. We never can know exactly what, but just treat symptoms. Her eye might have been pecked either before she was keeping it closed, or after, and that might have caused it to appear swollen on the bottom. Does the eye look normal when you open it? You can always apply some eye drops or either Terramycin or plain triple antibiotic ointment into the eye.

Eye is fine other than that. She is eating and drinking a little now without me forcing her. Would a warm epson soak help with reproductive problems if she has some?

 

[Eggcessive]

I don’t like to soak chickens unless they have a soiled or poopy vent. Some do that for a stuck egg, but a human calcium tablet or Tums would treat egg binding better. It can stress out a weak chicken. Some like it, but only do it if she seems strong. I would feel of her crop before she goes to sleep tonight, and check it first thing in the morning when her crop should be empty and flat after going all night without food and water. If it is not empty let us know. Crop problems can be a result of worms or reproductive infection or disorders. Pictures of her poop might be helpful. Is she eating mostly a balanced chicken layer or all flock feed? Check her skin under her vent and elsewhere for any lice or mites.

 

[megannicole90]

I don’t like to soak chickens unless they have a soiled or poopy vent. Some do that for a stuck egg, but a human calcium tablet or Tums would treat egg binding better. I would feel of her crop before she goes to sleep tonight, and check it first thing in the morning when her crop should be empty and flat after going all night without food and water. If it is not empty let us know. Crop problems can be a result of worms or reproductive infection or disorders. Pictures of her poop might be helpful. Is she eating mostly a balanced chicken layer or all flock feed? Check her skin under her vent and elsewhere for any lice or mites.

There is no lice or mites. I check everyday and she has balanced pellets with higher protein. She foes get greens, but not every day. Her crop fills when she eats, but by the night or next morning it is empty. I check it a few times a day. She is losing to much weight and her vent is clean and I don’t feel anything enlarged or bulging anywhere and I check the chest, abdomen, and vent area and back everyday.

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like her crop is emptying normally then.

 

[megannicole90]

It sounds like her crop is emptying normally then.

So I don’t have the dexterity to tube her, but I can mix the food with water and dip her beak into it easily to get to her to eat. I noticed she is not reacting fast to my hand near her eyes. She still walks and she is more balanced today and is really fighting me. I felt her crop and it wasn’t like a normal completely full crop, but it was not empty for sure.