Dying chicken?? Help!!

[Cherissa]

I have a sapphire splash, big and healthy who suddenly fell ill tonight. She is very lethargic, unable to walk, salivating. There is a goo coming from her vent. She has labored breathing. I have no clue how to help her or what to do. Any ideas??

 

[Pentatonchix]

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @azygous @CHlCKEN

 

[Cherissa]

She’s about a year old. I’m trying to flush her vent. She lays very large eggs. Could one maybe have broken?

 

[danielle2003]

My hen was also lethargic, salivating, and couldn't stand. I gave her 1 ml of Benadryl twice in the morning and evening. This made her sleep a lot. We kept her inside the house in a laundry basket. The cause was a spider bite (we think it may have been poisonous). She soon began to stand up, and was doing fine the 2nd day. I really hope this helps, and that she recovers quickly!

 

[danielle2003]

My hen, however didn't have goo coming from her vent. Your hen could be egg bound. I had a hen once who was egg bound, and I placed her in warm water and gently massaged her vent, and I broke the shell, and slowly flushed it out. The warm water may help her!

 

[azygous]

Do not flush the vent. It's not like a human colon. It connects to the oviduct and bacteria can be forced up into that area and cause infection.

 

[Cherissa]

I gave her a warm bath and palpated her abdomen. I couldn’t appreciate any swelling. I’m assuming an egg would be obvious if she was bound. She did lay today. She’s almost too lethargic to keep in a tub of water. Eyes are closed and head down.

 

[Cherissa]

Do not flush the vent. It's not like a human colon. It connects to the oviduct and bacteria can be forced up into that area and cause infection.

Ok, I’ll stop flushing. I’m truly at a loss and don’t know what to do to help her.

 

[azygous]

Your hen is in crisis, likely reproductive. She isn't dying. Not yet.

Describe the "goo". Color? White, yellow, clear? Watery or more like mucous?

Is she squatting? If you push against her vent with the flat of your hand, does she squat like she want s to poop?

If she laid an egg earlier, she may have another egg hung up inside. Do you have any calcium supplements? Tums? Give her one.

 

[Cherissa]

It’s mucus. Thin with thick streaks. She cannot stand. She’s breathing heaving. Her vent looks as if she is trying to push something out. I’d have to dissolve the tums and feed with a syringe. She’s so sleepy is that ok?