Weak Hen

[AccidentalFarm]

One hen out of a flock of 50+ has some strange symptoms while everyone else is perfectly fine. She is a roughly 20 week old Dk. Brahma, not laying yet. I found her two days ago huddled in a corner of the coop in the middle of the day when she would normally be outside. She did not struggle when I picked her up, instead she just hung her head. She was very weak. Her eyes, nostrils, beak are all clear with no sign of discharge. She is not coughing, sneezing, yawning, or showing any abnormal behavior of the sort. She's been in a hospital pen since I found her and is eating a little and drinking on her own. She shows interest in food, but almost appears to miss when she pecks at it. She can stand and walk, but does not try to do so. I've seen her take a few wobbly steps, but she mostly just sits wherever I place her.
Today, she pecked at my fingers rather aggressively, shaking her head back and forth (like a dog) when she grabbed hold of a finger. This tells me she is not as weak as she was when I found her.

She has V&E in her water and has had some grapes, watermelon, and garlic mixed with olive oil.

Her poo is green and white and not frothy or foamy, more liquid than solid. She also had poo stuck to her feathers, but her vent is not blocked, nor abnormal in appearance. There was a bit of yellow stuck in with the poo on the feathers that looked like yolk in color. It was a very small amount.

I thought she may be attempting to lay and having trouble? She sits with her rear end elevated.

 

[speckledhen]

I can't say for sure, but I did have one or two pullets who acted like they didn't feel particularly well when they were right at the point of lay. One did lay the entire contents of a double-yolked egg without even a membrane so that yellow could be part of her first egg. Sounds like you're doing things right. Have you felt her abdomen to see if you can feel an egg in the canal? The only thing to add is maybe some plain yogurt, maybe a scrambled egg and watch her. She may just be feeling out of sorts from that egg trying to come down. Her poop is probably green from not eating much.

 

[silkiechicken]

Hmmm... yolk color. Maybe she had a soft shelled egg stuck? Hope she improves!

 

[speckledhen]

I had an experience recently with a year and a half old Silver Laced Wyandotte. She laid egg yolk with some white in a nest, then a soft egg then she acted like she felt really bad for a few days. It was extreme heat stress combined with her beginning a hard molt that I really hadn't noticed right away. It came on suddenly. She is fine now, but she was acting like you describe your Brahma girl is. Could be a couple of first eggs not hardshelled enough to pass easily.

 

[AccidentalFarm]

How long should I give her to try and pass an egg? We are ending day 2 (and a half) of being in the hospital pen.

I have not felt for an egg- not sure if I'd know what it felt like, but I'll try that anyway.

Oh, I forgot earlier, but I have been offering some crushed boiled egg with her food. I was adding the olive oil with a few treats thinking that might help her pass an egg- would that be a correct assumption? Also, can olive oil hurt her in any way if she gets too much?

I've yet to have a bird molt, so again, not sure that I'd recognize the first stages of that process. She doesn't seem to be missing any feathers though.

She was very 'sweaty' along her underside when I found her, but she is located now in a nice shady, breezy area and is no longer sweaty or damp at all.

Thanks for the help.

 

[AccidentalFarm]

Well, the hen is still ill..showing no signs of improvement. In fact, I believe she is getting worse. She is still poo-ing, but no egg or any more yellow in the poo.

She will sip at her water, but I believe she is dehydrated. I have not seen her eat all of yesterday or anything so far today.

She will not stand, although she can move her legs some. As of this morning, she no longer picks her head up.

Still no indication of anything respiratory going on and no visual clues as to injury or illness.

I may have to try force feeding to rehydrate, but I doubt I have a tube that will work and really don't know how this is done anyway.

We don't have any avian vets in our area, so it's really up to me to figure this out.

Any more suggestions?

 

[wildflower]

I have a similar situation going on with my 7 month old white leg horn. I have had her in the house in a laundry basket for three days. I have been spooning mashed eggyolk and electrolites that are medicated. I can tell she is not dehyderated because her crop is full and giggly. I hold the bowl under her beak and drip in the liquid from the upper side of her beak. She seems to like the mixture, but is now impatient with me fiddling with her. I have her outside now and she just sort of stands around with her head down and eyes closed most of the time. She is better than she was over the weekend, so hopefully she is getting better. Have no idea what this is. She has been the best layer up until now. I hope you have good luck nursing back your girl!

 

[dlhunicorn]

You can read thru my reproductive disease articles:articles :

http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=linksgeneralinfo&action=display&num=1158765194