Updated - Chicken with an upset stomach? Possible?

[The Zoo]

I came home from being gone for 5 hours - the chickens were in the pen with food, water and a corn cob. 3 of the 4 are fine but the 4th looks like her stomach hurts. She's listless (though still came out of the pen with the others), moving slowly, standing with her eyes closed and opened her beak and let out a shriek I'd never heard before. She just looks like she doesn't feel well. She pooped and it looked normal. She pecks around a bit and then stops and looks like she's in pain with her eyes half lidded and beak open.

What the Hades is happening?? Any suggestions?

There's nothing in the pen that would hurt them.
She's a year and a half old barred rock - the other 3 chickens are still fine.

I brought her inside and put her in a dog kennel with water and food. I tried giving her yogurt and she wouldn't eat it - looked like she wanted to but didn't. She walked up to the water and looked at it but didn't drink. We gave her a bit of water through a syringe and she drank it but then shrieked when it was too much.

 

[Judy]

I imagine you did not get replies because no one knows, and I don't, either.

If you keep her confined, you will know whether she has stopped laying. It is possible she has an egg production problem, perhaps eggbound, egg peritonitis, etc.

Worms are another possibility. Have you ever wormed your flock?

 

[Eggs4Sale]

I was guessing egg-bound, because you described me just before childbirth.

 

[keljonma]

Sounds like she may have gotten something stuck in her throat.

What does her crop feel like?

 

[The Zoo]

Well we gave her a little olive oil and water before bed and I massaged what I hope was her crop (according to pics on the web it was). Came down this morning and she was ok. Clucking at me through the cage door. She had passed a seriously stinky poo. I opened the door, she walked out and walked towards the back door, I opened that and she hopped out onto the back porch and flew down to the patio. She is pecking some scratch and went and drank a bunch of water on her own. She ate some yogurt and seems to be ok. Not 100% but better than yesterday. I'll keep an eye on her all day.

She's not egg bound as she laid yesterday morning. I think she ate something that gave her a serious stomach ache and luckily she's ok. I will just check on her a lot today and no treats!

I've never wormed them because I have a very small backyard flock that doesn't some in contact with anything (other than some wild birds). Wouldn't I see worms in their poo (I pick it up every day or hose it down)?

 

[Judy]

So glad to hear she is better, and really glad to hear she is laying.

I'd check around their yard closely for anything that might be toxic, spoiled, moldy, etc. Suspect you are right that she ate something she shouldn't have.

On worms, some feel they should be routinely wormed, others feel they should only be wormed if worms are found in a fecal float test, or they have symptoms. Your choice. I was just scrambling for possibilities.

I'll give you a couple of links to good threads about worming and botulism to check out:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=173411

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2525157#p2525157

 

[The Zoo]

I tend to give a lot of treats (veg) and left them with half a corn in the coop yesterday. Maybe that was it? No treats except for yogurt today! I don't need this stress!

 

[keljonma]

Glad to hear she is better.

*Could it be that she is the "piggy" of the flock? You know - the one who rushes to treats and tries to eat it all before the others find out treats are being offered?

If she were a child, you might tell her "slow down and actually chew the food before swallowing".

We have one like that, which is why I ask.