Worried about one of our chickens...

[jhunting]

So two days ago, one of our chickens started acting out of the ordinary (We usually refer to her as the bi*ch of the group, never lets us near her, pecks at our hands whenever we try to). She basically was just sleeping on the perch and surprisingly did not move out of the way when I went to say goodnight to our flock. My husband did not notice anything out of the ordinary the next morning, but by that night, she was acting very sleepy, with her head turned to the right, and clicking her beak. She let me pick her up without protest, and i was able to be more hands on with her than we've ever been. This morning, she had moved into a nesting box and did jump down onto the floor of the coop, but found a corner and just sat there. We have since separated her from the flock. Her crop is empty from what we can tell. No serious diarrhea or any other vent/cloaca symptoms. We did have a look down her throat, and there was what looked like a good amount of mucus in there, but she has not had any labored breathing or "coughing/sneezing". Here is a video of what her actions are like. As I type this, she has stood up from the position she is in in the video but continues with the odd head movements, clicking, and eye closing. Any help would be very much appreciated! We can't seem to figure out these symptoms...

 

[foreverlearning]

She looks weak and pale. Have you checked her vent and wings for lice and mites? They are hard to spot because they are so tiny and move fast. I would dust just in case with poultry dust or sevin 5%. Put rocks in her water so she doesn't drown in her weakened state.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Do you have her isolated where you can watch what she eats and note what her stools look like. I agree with checking for mites. Has she been wormed lately? Did she have a Mareks vaccine? Is she eating? Clicking sometimes can mean a heart or respiratory problem. I would be tempted to start an antibiotic such as Gallimycin (erythromycin) or Oxytetracycline. If she shows other respiratory symptoms, then Tylan would be best. Is there any possibility that she could have coccidiosis?

 

[Michael Apple]

Do feathers pull out easily on the hen? Clostridium toxins can be a problem if spoiled foods and meats are ingested. 1/2 cup of tepid water mixed with 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts can clean out the problem. Tube feed.syringe feed carefully 2x a day for 2-3 days. Your bird looks in bad shape from the video. If it isn't too late, the bird may recover.

 

[realsis]

How is she doing today? Poor baby. Is their any wheezing that you can hear when you listen closely? Does her tail Bob up and down when trying to breathe? If yes she could be struggling to breathe. Does she have a cough or any mucus? How is her stool? What color and consistency? Is their any blood in her stool.? Is it yellow and frothy? If you can help by answering these questions maybe we can help figure this out. Was any new birds brought in recently? How Long has she been this way. ? Is she eating at all? If not you might consider tube feeding her so she does not become weaker.

 

[dawg53]

Worm her. She may or may not make it

 

[casportpony]

Wow, she looks *really* sick to me. I'd probably dust, worm *and* give an antibiotic, too, but I would also have her in a very warm room (80-85 degrees) and I would tube fluids to her.

-Kathy

 

[jhunting]

She is about the same today... She ate some greens overnight, but they passed through her without being digested. Her stool was white, with the greens in it, liquidy. Her eyes were open fully this morning, which was encouraging. She does stand up with some prompting, and she has definitely been moving around the crate she's in. None of those respiratory symptoms whatsoever, other than what looked like mucus in her mouth/throat.

 

[Michael Apple]

If you decide on antibiotics, Penicillin is effective against bacterial infections which can cause enteritis. With tabs 250 mg 2x a day for 5 days is the dose for an adult standard breed hen. The other option is an injectible Pen G. Dosage is 1/2 cc in the breast muscle or subcutaneous for 5-7 days. here's some info that is helpful for injections: https://sites.google.com/a/poultryp...oultry-podiatry#chickens_penicillin_injection
The problem with enteritis is that once there's too much damage to the intestines, it is irreversible. I hope that isn't the case. here's some more info on enteritis:
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou...verview_of_necrotic_enteritis_in_poultry.html

Some helpful tips on avoiding it:
http://en.engormix.com/MA-poultry-i...les/flushing-poult-enteritis-t2693/141-p0.htm

 

[casportpony]

She is about the same today... She ate some greens overnight, but they passed through her without being digested. Her stool was white, with the greens in it, liquidy. Her eyes were open fully this morning, which was encouraging. She does stand up with some prompting, and she has definitely been moving around the crate she's in. None of those respiratory symptoms whatsoever, other than what looked like mucus in her mouth/throat.

I don't want to scare you, but mucus in the mouth can mean that she's dying. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that she is dying and I would certainly try to save her, just be prepared.

-Kathy