What do I do now (chicken looks drunk)?

[Renee]

I'm a bit panicky right now. My hen, Audrey, was not well this morning and is much worse this afternoon. This morning she looked listless, sat in the back of the run by herself with her wings held low and back on her haunches. No egg. She appeared to favor one side a little and looks drunk. This afternoon, she let me just pick her up (she usually runs) and her head hung down and her eyes closed. When I let everyone out to free range at 5:30, she didn't run out with the others, and when I carried her out and set her down she started scratching and lost her balance and fell over.

Could this be Marek's? Does Marek's come on that quickly?
Where would she get it? I have four hens that I have raised from chicks from Ideal (born March 26 this year).
Should I separate her from the other hens tonight? Is it too late to vaccinate the others? What is the proper procedure at this point?
Thanks all for your help.
Renee

 

[cjeanean]

Sitting back on haunches is familiar, I don't remember where the post is. Actually, there are several. What does her poop look like? Might be cocci, I think that's one of the symptoms....

 

[chickenannie]

I highly doubt it's Marek's but she's weak for some reason -- could be cocci, or worms, eating something toxic nearby, or malnutrition due to a lice infestation. These are probably more likely than any kind of rare disease.
These illnesses usually only go on for a few days and can deteriorate quickly, so check it out asap for any of the above. Search the posts here, you'll find tons of info on how to look, read symptoms, and treat.
good luck...

 

[Renee]

Can you tell that I am hovering over the computer waiting for replies while I frantically search cocci, Mareks, etc?

She is not fluffed up. There are no lice, mites, or fleas on her, no blood in her poop that I can see.
She is holding one wing lower than the other.

I guess I'll bring her inside, put her in a cat carrier and see what develops tonight. I can't take her to a vet now, don't know what to treat! Any one else with advice please, please post asap.
Renee

 

[brandywine]

Do chickens have strokes?

How old is the hen?

 

[chickenannie]

You can tell if she has malnutrition because she would be very light, and her breastbone would be gaunt.

If one wing is lower, perhaps a wing injury? Maybe it got infected? do you see any signs of infection?

could also be something like her being eggbound (search that).

But my guess would still be cocci or worms...

 

[Renee]

Thank you, Chickenannie and brandywine, for your replies.

Audrey is a beautiful and usually vocal five-month old Silver Campine and she has been a daily egg-layer since the first week in August.

She is asleep now in a kitty carrier in the spare room, her head/neck is stretched out and she's out like a light.

I will look at her poop later tonight to see if there is any blood in it. There was no blood in it earlier this evening, but it was runny.

I have no food or water in the cat carrier, it's too small. Is that ok? The girls never eat or drink in the hen house overnight: even though I keep a feeder and waterer in there it is never touched in the morning when I go out to clean up their poop.

I really try to keep their coop, run, and yard spotless. I wash out the hen house every day, I have dry pine shavings in the run, and I rake up any poop/vegetable scraps/ leaves that fall into their chicken yard at least once every two weeks. I don't know what can be wrong! I let them free range in the larger back yard for an hour or two every evening; do you think she might have eaten something really bad?

What is the safest thing to do? Should I feed her hard-boiled egg or yogurt in the morning and go buy some vitamins for her water in the morning?

Oh, I hope the others don't get sick too! And I thought she was getting more affectionate when she jumped up on my lap yesterday and let me scratch her head. She was probably just feeling really sick.

 

[FisherMOM]

sounds similar to my sick hen today.. except the wing thing. But still.. how is her crop? Could she have a sour or impacted crop?

 

[Renee]

Hi fishermom,
Maybe. One of the other hens had something wrong with her crop, but she was throwing up and swinging her head back and forth. We syringed out her crop and got big wads of pine shavings out and she was fine after that (I guess that convinced her to stop eating pine shavings!). This chicken's breath does not smell, her crop is not enlarged, and actually, she feels a bit light to me (am I imagining that?). She is staggering and falling over, and when I pick her up, her head just hangs down.

I cannot see any problems with her pupils or eyes. Usually when a bird feels sick, they puff up, right? She is not puffed up. Her feathers are all close to her body as usual.

Worms?
Mycotoxins? AAAARRRRGGGG!!!! Why do animals always get sick when you can't get to a vet?

 

[FisherMOM]

well, I figured I'd mention that. I may need to clean out my girls crop.. guess I need a syringe or something... oh boy.

I hope your girl gets better. Mine is in a dog crate here in the house. Just pitiful.

I feel your pain and worry.