Weak Hen - Can't figure out what is wrong

[redheadmama13]

One of my RIR hens (5&1/2 months old) has been lethargic for about a week. I isolated her, as she just lays around and doesn't seem "right." Her color at the head is still bright red, but her legs are not as yellow as her sister's. Her feathers seem normal, and until yesterday her tail was up. Now it is down. She drinks plenty of water and eats a little. She is feeling much lighter weight wise. Sometimes she seems fine on her feet and sometimes is weak and stumbles a bit. Her crop seems normal. She had some pasty poop around her vent, but her vent was clear. I cleaned the feathers around her vent several days ago and this hasn't been a problem again. Now her poop seems more watery, but no blood. I bathed her today in warm water and tried to feel for an egg, but it didn't feel like there was anything there from the outside. She hasn't laid an egg yet, so this would be her first were she to be egg bound. This is my first sick chicken, so other than reading a bunch on here I don't have much to go on.

 

[Judy]

A problem with her egg laying machinery such as egg bound or internal layer is a good possibility. These chickens are bred for lots of egg production and seem to be prone to such problems. (I'm assuming she is a hatchery chicken.)

Of course there are a number of other things that can go wrong. There is a section on here about chicken diseases.

Good luck.

 

[redheadmama13]

Thanks, I've looked at the section on diseases and she doesn't seem to fit anything other than egg bound. I'll keep trying the warm baths. Figures it happened to my favorite chicken...

 

[RhodeIslandRedFan]

Could your pullet have worms? Here is a thread that describes the symptoms (see post #8). Just a thought.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=183219

 

[redheadmama13]

Thanks for the link to the worm thread. I hadn't thought about worms, as the other girls are so healthy. This new information makes me think twice...I wonder if there is a natural dewormer that doesn't require disposing of the eggs? Oh well, better be getting a dewormer.

 

[redheadmama13]

Well, she died today.

So sad. We did open her to see what the problem was, as she still showed no outward sign of disease. No egg, no worms, crop was fine, but a very hard and impacted gizzard and fluid in the cavity. Couldn't find any blockage. The gizzard was hard and full of undigested grasses (she had been isolated and really only eating layer feed). Maybe this is normal? I don't know enough about chicken anatomy to be sure.