Chicken very lethargic. Sleeping all the time...

[Meaghan Hamilton]

Hi there, my little 15 month old ex battery hen is very lethargic. She is sleeping all the time and had to be encouraged to leave the coop. She didn't eat this morning but did drink some water. This behaviour I've noticed started about a month ago when I noticed that she had stopped laying eggs. Slowly each day she has shown less interest in scratching around and being social with the other hens. She always has runny poo all over her back feathers. I have washed her every month, but within minutes her backside is covered with a runny brown substance. I've checked for mites, nothing. She has no discharge from her beak/nostrils. Her face isn't swollen and her comb is a very healthy red. She doesn't feel bloated or seem to have lost any weight. But as she is resting she appears to always be trying to push out a poo with every breath but not straining or holding the push, just a rhythmic small push as she breathes.

I have four altogether. None of my other birds have the same symptoms. I have checked to see if she is egg bound with no eggs to be found. I gave her a 15 minute warm bath with a blow dry treatment and this appeared to make her better. She went straight back into the chicken run and gobbled down some food. But within half an hour she was asleep again in the run.

They only get a once a week small treat. The water is changed daily and the coop cleaned daily with a coop cleanout once every week. I worm them every month and use mite powder. The four hens share a 6 hen coop. Has anyone had the same problem?

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

I appreciate you say that there is no abdominal swelling but have you compared her to your other hens? The symptoms you describe are consistent with internal laying.... this is when eggs(yolks) released from the ovary fail to make it into the oviduct and instead, fall into the abdominal cavity. There they put pressure on the digestive tract causing partial blockage as well as organs like the heart, lungs and liver. The fact that her comb is still red (signifying that she is probably still ovulating) but not "laying" eggs and her listlessness and pulsing vent in rhythm with her breathing and runny poops causing a soiled vent, all point in that direction. The only symptom that is missing is a swollen abdomen, usually below the vent and between the legs....sometimes causing a wider more upright stance. The swelling is not usually a noticeable lump but rather, a broader bloating. They also usually feel significantly heavier when you lift them compared to another bird of the same breed.
Higher production breeds like red sex links are more prone to reproductive disorders like this. Unfortunately there is no cure if it is internal laying, but if she is a pet that you are prepared to fund veterinary treatment on, you can get hormonal implants that prevent her from ovulating and thereby stop the problem worsening and the body can reabsorb some of the fluid, but they are at risk of the mass of egg yolks in their abdomen becoming infected (egg yolk peritonitis). Surgery may be an option to remove the egg yolks but vets who will do it will be few and far between and it will be pretty risky. Some hens do live years with the condition without getting EYP, once they stop ovulating.

It is also possible that your hen has a tumour which is blocking or partially blocking her digestive tract and causing the symptoms you describe but I would expect the hen to have a paler comb and face and be losing body condition (ie muscle wastage) particularly in her breast area.

Hopefully the above will give you some ideas on what to research.
Good luck with her.

Regards

Barbara

 

[Meaghan Hamilton]

Hi

I appreciate you say that there is no abdominal swelling but have you compared her to your other hens? The symptoms you describe are consistent with internal laying.... this is when eggs(yolks) released from the ovary fail to make it into the oviduct and instead, fall into the abdominal cavity. There they put pressure on the digestive tract causing partial blockage as well as organs like the heart, lungs and liver. The fact that her comb is still red (signifying that she is probably still ovulating) but not "laying" eggs and her listlessness and pulsing vent in rhythm with her breathing and runny poops causing a soiled vent, all point in that direction. The only symptom that is missing is a swollen abdomen, usually below the vent and between the legs....sometimes causing a wider more upright stance. The swelling is not usually a noticeable lump but rather, a broader bloating. They also usually feel significantly heavier when you lift them compared to another bird of the same breed.
Higher production breeds like red sex links are more prone to reproductive disorders like this. Unfortunately there is no cure if it is internal laying, but if she is a pet that you are prepared to fund veterinary treatment on, you can get hormonal implants that prevent her from ovulating and thereby stop the problem worsening and the body can reabsorb some of the fluid, but they are at risk of the mass of egg yolks in their abdomen becoming infected (egg yolk peritonitis). Surgery may be an option to remove the egg yolks but vets who will do it will be few and far between and it will be pretty risky. Some hens do live years with the condition without getting EYP, once they stop ovulating.

It is also possible that your hen has a tumour which is blocking or partially blocking her digestive tract and causing the symptoms you describe but I would expect the hen to have a paler comb and face and be losing body condition (ie muscle wastage) particularly in her breast area.

Hopefully the above will give you some ideas on what to research.
Good luck with her.

Regards

Barbara

Thank you so much Barbara. The first ailment you described is exactly how she is. I picked her up this morning to bath her and she is definitely bloated. What a shame. How long will she continue like this before the inevitable happens?

 

[rebrascora]

It's hard to say. Does it feel like there may be a build up of fluid (ascites). This is often a result of internal laying and can be drained giving almost instant relief although it will not cure the problem, it will reduce the pressure on internal organs and that will almost certainly prolong life for perhaps a month or maybe longer and can be repeated as necessary but you need to take precautions to prevent infection. It can be done with a large 18 gauge needle and often there is as much as a pint that can be removed in this manner. You can do it yourself if your funds don't run to veterinary treatment as mine don't. You tube is helpful for tutorials on this.

Another thing that I have found helps with this illness is moulting and winter down time.... when their body naturally stops ovulating. I had a hen last year that was really bloated and walking like a penguin last summer. Once she moulted and stopped ovulating, her body seemed to reabsorb some of the swelling (most likely the fluid) and she was much improved until the spring when her comb turned red and she started to swell again and sadly passed a couple of months ago. Your girl's age, at 15 months, suggests that her first adult moult is just around the corner, so if you could trigger a premature moult by reducing her exposure to daylight now and reducing her access to food, you may be able to extend her life by 6 months or so. Unfortunately, red sex links are egg laying machines and sometimes don't shut down during moult, but it might be worth a try.
Hormone implants work out at about £120-150 for 6 months from what I have read and I can understand that not being an option for many people, including myself.

 

[Meaghan Hamilton]

You have been a huge help. Unfortunately your right I don't have the funds. Thank You again. X