Added PICS: Hen has limp comb, lethargic, tail down

[tlaquepaque]

I've been reading but just can't figure this one out. Possible egg bound but just don't feel anything and she's pooping. I can't find any kind of disease with just these symptoms. Help if you can!

1) What type of bird , age and weight. 3 year old RIR
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Comb is limp (folded over), tail is down, lethargic, hasn't gone up from run to coop and spent the night outside at least one night,
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? 2-3 days
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? no
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. no
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. No idea
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. She will eat and drink. I got her out of the run and by herself and she is eating chicken food and tomatoes and pasta for a treat.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. poop looks greenish, there was some stuck to feathers under vent so I cleaned her up.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? At first I thought she was just dehydrated from not going into the coop to drink. I got her out and gave her food and water but she still hasn't perked up. Was thinking she was egg bound so I gave her a bath and felt around but I don't feel anything. I vaselined her vent just in case.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Probably won't take her to the vet. I will treat her at home. I have her in a large pet carrier in the living room right now.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use coop with enclosed run

 

[chkn]

You need to worm her if you have not done so. When did she stop laying and how does her vent look?

 

[tlaquepaque]

No, I haven't wormed her. That's a good idea. Where can I buy that medication?

I don't know for sure when she stopped laying. Her vent looks okay to me. It is pulsing some which is what made me think egg bound. But I don't feel anything.

 

[chkn]

The feed or pet supply. I would recommend Valbazen but I'm not sure where you would get it right now since the farm type feed stores are probably closed for the weekend.

So another route instead would be to use Wazine once and then 7-10 days later use pour on Ivermectin which you can get at the pet supplies. I'd recommend switching over to Valbazen when you can. Once you use Valbazen you won't want to use anything else so you'd be throwing away a couple bucks on the Wazine. The Ivemectin would be useful later on for both internal and external parasites.

The pulsing does sound like she's trying to lay. Did you actually feel inside her vent for an egg? There's some pretty good threads here today on what to do with the egg binding. Bathing, lubricating the vent inside and out, aspirin, calcium and a splash of gatorade mixed with water administered orally.

 

[tlaquepaque]

Okay, I have some piperazine that I got for kittens. I'll try to find some info on dosage and might try that until I can get something else. I emailed the owner of the local feed store. She might open up for me tomorrow if they have valbazen in stock.

 

[froggiesheins]

Well you could do some general feel good things for your hen as well as worming. Give her a warm water soak for possible egg bound......You will have to look up the rest of the info on that soak&probe for egg bound on BYC, can't remember. Electrolytes in the water, some protien/yogurt. Has she been over heated? Is it hot hot hot by you? Does she have any external bugs on her? Hope some of this helps some.

 

[tlaquepaque]

She's looking better this morning after a night indoors. She's outside wandering around now and her tail is up although she may be fluffed up some. The feed store owner told me where the key is and I let myself in to get some womer meds. I must be a regular customer! Haha. I'm not sure it is worms causing the problem but it does make sense and I don't think it would hurt to worm the flock. I've never done it before. This is my first year not free-ranging. I lost 2 last August to coyotes so decided to keep them confined. I didn't even think that it might make them more susceptible to parasites. Hopefully she will continue to improve.

 

[Horsepower]

One of my 3 yr old RIR hens did the same thing. I seperated her and soaked in warm water. She had gotten a lot better and I went out one day and she had died. Good luck!

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

One question I don't think I saw on the list: If it is a hen, has she stopped laying?

If that is the case, she could be laying internally. Have you palpated her abdomen? Does it feel soft and empty or does it feel full and does it seem to give her pain when you palpate it?

 

[tlaquepaque]

She hasn't laid an egg since I've separated her. I'm not sure if she's been laying regularly. I've suspected not because my amount of daily eggs are down.

However, I have checked for a stuck egg. Her abdomen is soft and doesn't seem to cause pain. I gave her a bath anyway and even stuck some vaseline in her vent.

It is hot here. At least for Ohio anyway. 89 and humid. The other girls seem to be fine. But that could have something to do with it. I think she is the weakest of my chickens. I had to bring her inside this winter for possible frostbite. I think she's the "outsider" of the flock and wasn't roosting with the rest.