What is wrong with Miss Belle?

[Lilfrogjr]

So, we are new to having "Girls".... We acquired chickens from a friend about a month ago with the hopes of being able to get fresh, good quality eggs. One of our girls has not really been acting like herself. She won't perch at night in the coop and one of her eyes she keeps closed. I have not noticed any discharge from her eyes. She "sits" a lot too. She eats and drinks though and gets around o.k. I am really having a hard time figuring this one out. We keep the pen clean, fresh food and water with some kitchen scraps. And none of them have laid any eggs at this point. I am fine with no eggs. Obviously I am concerned about their health and happiness. Please help!

 

[cafarmgirl]

This may be a tough one to figure out, that is often the case with chickens. How old are these hens and how long have you had them? Have they been on a regular deworming schedule? Have you checked them carefully for external parasites like mites/lice? Parasites can really wear down a chicken, eventually even kill them. That is where I think I would start. It concerns me that she doesn't want to roost at night, usually they are feeling pretty crummy when they start showing signs that we can actually see.

Check the birds over really well, down to the skin all over. Then go into the coop at night with a small flash light and check the roost, see if you see any mites crawling around, that's when they like to come out. You can also use that time to just stand quietly and have a good listen to her breathing. Listen for any wheezing, rattling, anything at all out of the ordinary that might point to a respiratory bug.

Have you previously had chickens on your property? If you have then another consideration would be that this hen, being new to you, has come into contact with a cocci strain that she has not met up with before and therefore is not immune too. That would require a course of Corid.

 

[Lilfrogjr]

I am not sure of her age, I believe less than a year. The friend I got her from said she was laying eggs, although not regularly, before we took her. We have had them roughly a month now, and I do not know whether or not they have ever been treated for worms. We have not done anything in the time we have had them. We have never owned chickens before. She is one of 9 girls. The four we acquired from a friend and then we got 5 more from someone else. She did start acting/feeling down before the other girls arrived, and is the only one not acting like herself....

 

[Lilfrogjr]

She is acting more sluggish today......

 

[ten chicks]

She is acting more sluggish today......

First rule,never mix birds without quarantining them first,this prevents any diseases contaminating your flock. I would look at Coccidiosis, because you have mixed hens from different breeders,you may have cocci problems. Cocci is a parasitic infection of the intestinal tract,it is spread by droppings which get int feed water via droppings. Some symptoms of cocci are runny/watery poop(may or may not contain blood,depends on which of the 9 strains it is)fluffed feathers,lethargic,not eating/drinking properly,weight loss,general look of unwell. If symptoms match purchase Corid(amprolium)dose for Corid 9.6% liquid is 2 tsp per gallon of water,dose for Corid 20% powder is 3/4 tsp per gallon of water(this may be increased to almost 1 tsp(actual .92 tsp)this is severe outbreak dose). Do not give vitamins during treatment(interferes with the ability of medication to work). Have you checked for all the issues that Cafarmgirl suggested?

 

[cafarmgirl]

I agree with ten chicks, I think in the absence of any other obvious symptoms, I'd start with treating for cocci. Even if just to rule it out. You have to start somewhere and that's one thing that can easily kill her, and fast. When that treatment is done then maybe some vitamins and probiotic's. Then deworm them. You just have to start going down the check list basically. And it could be that it's none of these things. Chickens do get internal problems like cancer, egg laying issues and other organ problems that can be just about impossible to diagnose and even more impossible to treat.

Something else to check....what color is this birds comb? Is it nice and red or is it very pale or yellowish or bluish? Occasionally comb color can be an indicator of what might be going on.

 

[appps]

The swollen eye could be a clue. Have you googled chicken eye problems to see if any sound similar?