Wild One Turned Passive Overnight

[LittleBits]

We have a sick chicken. About 3 y/o. She was a wild one - hardest to catch, not tame at all. Squawked and ran when you looked at her from across the pen...not kidding about that either!

She was this way last night when I shut the coop door - jumping up and down off the roost, depending on where I was, her usual squawking self. This morning, around daylight, she was laying in the pootray, wouldn't stand up, one eye closed. She didn't even flinch or try to get away when I picked her up. I placed her on the coop floor and she didn't even try to stand up.

She's now on the porch in a small swimming pool with some pine shavings and I have been trying to get her to drink some water. No go. She keeps her wings out from her body a little and her head is up but both eyes closed now and they stay that way. Legs are tucked under her.

She is one of the hens in my flock that won't grow back any feathers and this picture is purple because of the BluKote I sprayed on them quite awhile ago thinking the feather loss might be excessive pecking. (It's not.)






Food: Crumbles with a very small amount of corn mixed in, table scraps, handfuls of grass and weeds each time I go to the coop; they do not free range.

I don't feel anything but really haven't figured all that out yet (how it's suppose to feel, etc.) No obvious injury. Temp here is in the 50s.

A short time after we got these chickens, 2 died that acted like this but that was around May or so. No other problems in the flock. They've all been wormed and "de-mited" - in August. She has not pooped since this morning.

I hate to lose another hen but it looks like it's heading that way...
Any advise or direction would be most welcome. Thanks everyone.

 

[Farmer Viola]

I would try to get some type of electrolytes into her asap. I use a product called rooster booster, it is vitamins electrolytes, especially for use when they are not eating (http://roosterboosterproducts.com/).

Not wanting to move and wings hanging are signs she doesn't feel good internally. is her crop empty? I'm sorry, I really don't know what's wrong with your hen. You said she won't stand, if provoked, can she walk at all (do her legs work properly?)

on the feather loss, is she molting? it is the time of year for a molt.. or how long has it been that way? If it is 50 at daytime, how cold is it at night? Without feathers she would be more exposed to the cold than usual.

is she still laying eggs?

she has not pooped since this morning. is she egg bound?

her comb and wattle look a very healthy red!

Quote: what exactly did they do? did they have trouble walking, too? did they lose their feathers?

I have a suspicion that I have lost some of my birds to marek's, even though they were vaccinated for it. From what I have read, being vaccinated for MD and contracting it causes the typical MD symptoms not to manifest in the exact same way. But leg weakness is one of them. I had that in my flock, so it just made me wonder about your girl's inability to walk/move. Unfortunately, there isn't a way to save them from MD, and I just started dispatching them immediately when I saw the signs. I'm sorry friend!


edit:
i found this:
http://simplelifeainteasy.blogspot.com/2012/03/egg-yolk-peritonitis-diagnosing-sick.html
it sounds somewhat similar, they suspected egg bound and then discovered it was EYP.
their hen also went from spacky to tame!
Quote:
it can be difficult to diagnose a chicken, but being the one who is able to observe her behavior, you are best equipped for the job! just throwing out possibilities...

 

[LittleBits]

Wild One died about 7pm tonight. She just got worse and worse throughout the day. None of the other hens exhibit any symptoms of anything. They're all acting normal, but then so did she right before I put them all to bed. Hope it's nothing contagious...

Thanks for your reply, Farmer Viola; I appreciate it very much. I will be reading those links tomorrow.

 

[Farmer Viola]

ahh, sorry to hear it

I myself am still trying to diagnose birds I have lost months ago. it can be impossible! you did everything you could for her