we think our hen is dying

[bella1210]

is our hen dying. one eye is shut one eye is open. she is not acting like herself. she can't walk when she tries to walk she fall on the eye that is closed and she dose flips when tries to walk.

here are some pics.

please help she is one of our favorite chickens we had her since she was 2 days old

 

[Afrochicken]

possibly Mareks? hope she gets better soon!!

 

[bella1210]

what is mereks

 

[jjthinkagain]

This poor dear. Please get her to an avian vet right away if you can.
If you can't, I'm not sure help here can save her in time. You would have to provide a lot more info (see 'sticky' at beginning of emergency section for questions)
When did she begin to be unwell? Is she Eating? Drinking? Pooping? Laying eggs?
What exactly is her diet? She may have a nutritional deficiency? She may have been poisoned. Or she may have a disease that can be treated, or one that can't. There is so much that needs to be sorted out.
I would hurry to at least give her 3 drops Polyvisol liquid children's vitamins (without added iron) - dribbled slowly and carefully along her beak line witha dropper so she swallows on her own and doesn't choke. It seems as though that stuff tastes ghastly so follow with blueberries cut in helaf or quarters and/or other good tasting stuff if she'll eat.
YOU HAVE A TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE SITUATION HERE.
JJ

 

[Afrochicken]

Quote:
a serious chicken disease and is almost always fatal

 

[Oven Ready]

Is she eating? If not it won't take long for whatever she has to finish her off.

I would suggest offering her some mushed up (cold) boiled/scrambled/souffled egg. If she doesn't eat by herself you will need to force feed her. The flipping over thing can be a sign of malnutrition, due to not eating because some other disease is troubling her.
To give her water you can soak bread in water and force feed with that too, or use a syringe, without the needle, to drip water into her mouth (not squirt it down her throat).

She needs to keep her strength up to fight off whatever is ailing her and also to keep her with a will to live, when they go off food they seem to go downhill rather quickly.

Best of luck

 

[bella1210]

her good eye look like it is bugged out

 

[Dora'smom]

With the description of "one eye shut, one eye not" and falling toward that side when she tries to move, it makes me think that maybe she had a stroke. I don't know if that is the problem, but it seems that she has one-sided weakness. It looks like she is still of decent weight, so she is not totally off feed, yet, but I would be curious if she can swallow food given to her now.
Vet appointments are expensive. Yesterday, I was told that there is a doctor who sees chickens at our vet clinic about one block away, but it would be almost $200 for just the appointment and one x-ray. It's easy to recommend a vet visit, but not possible for lots of folks. I also think that lots of people hear the diagnosis of "Mareks" when anything goes wrong with a bird. It's kind of a panic reaction, and maybe not all that likely.
Try the poly-vi-sol without iron, as it is a low cost option, you can just dribble a few drops along your bird's beak and allow her to take it in so she won't aspirate, and try her on easily digested treat foods to see if she is still able to eat. Put some apple cider vinegar (one tablespoon per gallon of water) in her drinking water. That is where I would start, and see how she does. Good luck with your bird.

 

[Oven Ready]

her good eye look like it is bugged out

Do you mean swollen or like she's drunk and isn't paying attention to what she can see?

What is her 'bad' eye like, is it swollen or is she just keeping it shut?​

 

[jimmythechicken]

no neithr eye is swollen the bugged out one looks like she is drunk the shut eye looks fine we you open it she just cant hold it open.