UPDATE: I PUT HER DOWN THIS AFTERNOON: Sick Silver Laced Wyandotte.

[festivefeet]

I am pretty sure she laid an egg today. She was in the nesting box all day resting. When I took her out to bring her in, there was an egg under her.

She looks horrible. She keeps her eyes closed 90% of the time. She is not standing. I think she is weak. She has medicated crumbles, antibiotic water and I gave her chicken drench. I got her to drink some, but she has no interest in eating anything. Her crop feels fine. I cut off the soiled feathers. I did put mite dust in her bedding.

I am not sure what else to do.

J.

 

[festivefeet]

Here are some updated photos of my poor hen.

She is keeping her eyes closed now. Only opening them rarely. She is not standing. Not eating. I got her to drink a bit tonight. She is in a heated room in a tub all by herself. I also gave her some hay, which I am sure she will not eat.

 

[Terri O]

If you havent already done it, you should put a heating pad under one end of the tub (set it on Med or low) and cover that side with a towel. Birds that are stressed need extra heat. The bumps (the purple/red sore looking ones) Look like feathers that have been broken off under the skin. If you can stomach it (being pregnant and all) you might be able to press out the remaining shaft and then a new feather will start. Otherwise you will need to wait until she molts that feather out. Also be sure to read the threads about eggbound. I am glad that you are trying to help her...she looks like a sweet hen! Terri O

 

[festivefeet]

She is a sweet hen. All of our hens are really. It's a shame to raise a loving hen thus far being so healthy, and then run into this.

I am hoping she will get better.

Thanks for the advice.
J.

 

[festivefeet]

I have a heat lamp on her. She is in our back enclosed porch (not heated). This is the best I can do for her for now.

I did check inside her vent (while wearing a rubber glove), and found no obstructions or hard objects. She did pass some stool right after that. It was very runny. But, everything inside, was very smooth and clear. Her vent is extremely red and irritated. He is on antibiotics and vitamins along with medicated food (which she has not eaten yet).

What else can I do that I am not doing?

Wait, I guess.

J.

 

[CTChickenMom]

Just out of curiosity....why are you still giving her medicated feed? At nearly a year old, you are heavily dosing her with an antibiotic she doesn't need. That is only for chicks to prevent them from getting Coccidiosis. Not only that, the feed you give chicks doesn't have calcium in it and as a layer, she really needs a layer feed that provides her with calcium. The calcium for egg laying is taken from her bones which may be why she's too tired to stand. The coccidiostat in the feed could be making her sick, an overdose of sorts.


The ration for layer-breed chicks, usually called “starter rations,” should be 20 percent protein

Most people use a medicated feed for the first few weeks of a chicken’s life. You should stop using medicated feeds at 18 weeks for layers and about 2 weeks before you intend to butcher meat birds — even if you haven’t finished the medicated feed.

After the hens reach the age of 22 weeks or begin laying, and throughout their laying careers, they need a protein level of 16 to 18 percent. The calcium and minerals should be formulated for laying hens.

Read more: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-choose-commercial-chicken-feed.html#ixzz0g8YJ7pl5

 

[festivefeet]

She has been on layer food since yesterday. The man at the feed store recommended the medicated food because he thought it might be the sickness you mentioned, because of her stool. So I had just purchased the medicated feed yesterday.

 

[CTChickenMom]

That's very odd that he'd suggest that. It isn't formulated for adult birds and he should know that. The lack of calcium in the chick feed could make her problem worse. Coccidiosis is present when your chickens poo has blood in it. Check this link and look through it. Down at the bottom is a heading for abnormal poo and you'll see poo infected with coccidiosis. It's not pretty (

) but it's helpful.

 

[festivefeet]

The red bumps are all over her body. I am not sure what is going one. I want to help her and I don't know how.

The color in her waddles is fading. She sits in her box and bobs her head from side to side. She keeps one eye closed most of the time. She does have droppings, but they are very runny.

 

[max101]

Why did you put hay in with her. Hay has a tendency to impact a chicken when eaten
Have you checked her crop at all