Help chicken is very lethargic!

[BirdWorld]

I let the chickens out earlier and noticed one was just sitting in the grass with her eyes closed. When I came to take a closer look she looked at me and shuffled a bit but didn’t get up. I pet her and she didn’t move, so I picked her up and put her in the coop. I put some mealworms in front of her, she usually loves those. All the other hens came to eat but she still didn’t move! I don’t know what could be wrong with her...

 

[BirdWorld]

 

[BirdWorld]

Update: she still hasn’t moved, she’s making a sort of slow head bobbing movement as she breathes (With her mouth open), and I can hear a sort of deep grumbling noise coming from her... throat or stomach I guess? She coughed a few times as well. And there is a little clear discharge from her nose. I really have no idea what’s going on.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Oh no, she sounds like she needs a vet. I’m sorry I can’t help, but I hope she’ll be okay!

 

[BirdWorld]

Thanks @Tiel Feathers. I think it might be a respiratory problem. I tried giving her ACV in water but she won’t drink or eat. Is there anything else I can do other than bringing her to the vet? I’m hoping to avoid that if possible, I don’t know if there are any vets near me that treat poultry.

 

[Shezbug]

How old is she? @fashionfobie

 

[BirdWorld]

How old is she? @fashionfobie

I really don’t know, I adopted her from a farm when she was already fully grown. She can’t be too old, as she was laying eggs steadily prior to getting sick.

 

[Shezbug]

Not sure about where you are but where I am the chicken farms only ever sell off the chooks that poor layers, are not the healthiest or ones that are past their prime.
Either way, the pic you posted of her shows a rather miserable hen- I’d be calling vets if that’s the sort of thing you are inclined to do with your chooks. She doesn’t look well.
If she was a good layer then was she fed well enough to support her health while frequently laying? I really have no clue what could be wrong as I’ve been lucky enough to hardly ever have unknown health issues with any of my past birds.
Can you call your AV and maybe have a chat?

 

[BirdWorld]

Not sure about where you are but where I am the chicken farms only ever sell off the chooks that poor layers, are not the healthiest or ones that are past their prime.
Either way, the pic you posted of her shows a rather miserable hen- I’d be calling vets if that’s the sort of thing you are inclined to do with your chooks. She doesn’t look well.
If she was a good layer then was she fed well enough to support her health while frequently laying? I really have no clue what could be wrong as I’ve been lucky enough to hardly ever have unknown health issues with any of my past birds.
Can you call your AV and maybe have a chat?

Actually, the reason I adopted her and her sister from that farm was because the rooster they lived with attacked them. This is what Cinnamon looked like when I first got her about 5 months ago:
She improved quickly and has been perfectly healthy and happy for months.
She has been laying an egg every two days on average. She is on a pelleted diet and also eats vegetables, fruit, seeds and grains. I have heard her cough a few times but it was on three separate occasions so I’ve never thought much of it. I just hope whatever’s wrong with her isn’t contagious, she lives with 6 other hens. I can try calling the vet tomorrow, right now it is probably after hours.

 

[Zara]

@Catherine89

 

[Shezbug]

I have no idea where you are but I would certainly call as soon as you can.

I have been told by a few people this last week that there have been thousands of emus, chooks, turkeys and other birds euthanised due to an outbreak of avian flu somewhere here- I have not checked up exactly where but from what they’re saying it’s been fairly close to me.

Get that little lady checked ASAP so as to keep everyone healthy- wishing for the best!

 

[MiniMacaw]

It does sound like she needs a vet ASAP.
In the meantime, it may be beneficial to bring her into the house in a dog kennel or something comfortable that can have a blanket base. Putting that cage in the bathroom with the door closed and the shower on high can get some helpful steam into her if she’s having trouble breathing. This is just a bandaid though. Without knowing what’s actually happening with her it’s hard to say if this will do much good.

I do recommend with how she looks to bring her in though. Any predator, rats, raccoons, etc will attack before a hen is gone. Even ants (which I’ve had to save a hen from before and shocked me) will quickly swarm a very sick hen that is unable to move quickly away.

What is the weather like where you’re at? My hens get susceptible to illness when it’s chilly because we live in the desert and they’re used to 100+ degrees. However, many hens can get ill if there’s a sudden temp spike as well.

 

[Shezbug]

Passing on a message... Can you take a better look at the wing to see why the feathers are like that?

 

[BirdWorld]

Another Update: she’s actually looking a a lot better today! I gave some pellets and she ate them, so at least she’s moving. Here is a picture:
She’s still all fluffed up, but there is definitely some improvement. @MiniMacaw, there actually has been a temperature drop here, but I didn’t think much of it because it usually gets much colder in the winter. @Shezbug, I think the feather just got knocked out of place somehow, it’s normal now.

 

[Shezbug]

Ok, now I’m baffled....
what is this?

 

[BirdWorld]

Ok, now I’m baffled.... View attachment 354594
what is this?

Lol that’s a shadow, she was in the run which has netting around it

 

[Shezbug]

Lol that’s a shadow, she was in the run which has netting around it

Ohhh I see it now lmao. I spent so long trying to work out what the heck was going on there

 

[Catherine89]

I got to this post late but i hope she is doing better. I have 36 chickens and have been lucky so far and have not had respiratory issues with them. If she's still doing poorly I would separate her from the rest these type of problems can spread quickly to the whole flock. She also may need to see a vet for some antibiotics. I hope she's doing better.

 

[Catherine89]

I would like to add. I have had two that have had issues with their crops not emptying like they're supposed to. If their crops are getting too big it can cause them to have breathing issues sometimes. You can always tell if it is because they won't hang down quite a bit. Hers looks fine from the picture but sometimes it's hard as tell

 

[BirdWorld]

I called a vet and they said to give her a medicine called VetRx, have you heard of it?

This is what it looks like. I gave it to her yesterday and she actually seems better!
If she’s acting pretty normal is it likely she’ll get sick again?