Help! Hen with diarrhea and is lethargic

Rocking W

In the Brooder
Apr 3, 2025
16
23
36
Hi all,
I posted on another thread regarding our hen pecking her leg wounds but now she has new symptoms. She’s having diarrhea and as of yesterday, she’s been lethargic. She just stands or sits, closing her eyes. She doesn’t eat much.
We have a vitamin supplement she’s been getting daily in her water and have offered scrambled eggs and water-down laymash. She is 25 weeks (hen), who just started laying eggs 2 weeks ago.

As mentioned on other thread, her injury began on March 9, and we’d been keeping her leg bandaged and it had been healing, and she was eating and acting normal until yesterday. 😔
See attached photos of her leg injury and how she looked just 5 days ago. There’s also a photo of one of her poop droppings, but I was told by a friend that looked normal. Now I’m wondering if she has a gut infection?
What do you recommend that we can give her?
 

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I posted some suggestions on your other thread. How does her crop feel early in the morning before eating or drinking? Is it empty and flat, full, firm, doughy, or squishy? Could you get new pictures of her leg wounds? Could they possibly be skin cancers or are you certain they are wounds? Have her eggs been normal? How is the stress level in her flock been? Is there a rooster or any bully hens? What is she eating? Do you have pouktry grit available? Does she get out to free range?
 
I posted some suggestions on your other thread. How does her crop feel early in the morning before eating or drinking? Is it empty and flat, full, firm, doughy, or squishy? Could you get new pictures of her leg wounds? Could they possibly be skin cancers or are you certain they are wounds? Have her eggs been normal? How is the stress level in her flock been? Is there a rooster or any bully hens? What is she eating? Do you have pouktry grit available? Does she get out to free range?
We will check her crop tomorrow.
Her eggs have been normal, accept for today, the egg broke or she broke it today. I’ve been out of town and my husband has been caring for her.
I will be able to get more pictures when I return and give you more information. He said that she’s eating the scrambled eggs that he’s offered her today and moistened feed. I’ve asked for him to make sure she’s drinking the electrolytes, vitamin that are in the “poultry Nutritious-drench supplement liquid we mix in her water that she’s been drinking since her injury on March 9.

Thank you so much for reaching out to me. ❤️
 
I posted some suggestions on your other thread. How does her crop feel early in the morning before eating or drinking? Is it empty and flat, full, firm, doughy, or squishy? Could you get new pictures of her leg wounds? Could they possibly be skin cancers or are you certain they are wounds? Have her eggs been normal? How is the stress level in her flock been? Is there a rooster or any bully hens? What is she eating? Do you have pouktry grit available? Does she get out to free range?
I didn’t see your suggestions on the other thread regarding this new symptoms.
Nonetheless, her wounds are healing! I’ll post photos here from today and on the other thread. We decided to keep her leg bandaged—just loosely vs tight after cleaning it with the Silver spray for chickens and applying antibiotic ointment.

She’s eating the moistened chicken feed and scrambled eggs and is drinking more nutrient rich water (see photo).

She has been isolated in our garage since March 9; the date of her injury. We’ve also taken her outside almost daily to free graze and supplying her with her water and feed, but separated from the rest of the flock. We live in the desert, so she has access to natural grit outside.

No rooster and no bully hens. All hens are now 25 & 27 weeks old and they get along well with each other.
 

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I didn’t see your suggestions on the other thread regarding this new symptoms.
Nonetheless, her wounds are healing! I’ll post photos here from today and on the other thread. We decided to keep her leg bandaged—just loosely vs tight after cleaning it with the Silver spray for chickens and applying antibiotic ointment.

She’s eating the moistened chicken feed and scrambled eggs and is drinking more nutrient rich water (see photo).

She has been isolated in our garage since March 9; the date of her injury. We’ve also taken her outside almost daily to free graze and supplying her with her water and feed, but separated from the rest of the flock. We live in the desert, so she has access to natural grit outside.

No rooster and no bully hens. All hens are now 25 & 27 weeks old and they get along well with each other.
 
Unfortunately, we had to put Happy down yesterday because she was not improving 💔😭

We feel God’s mighty peace and comfort over us today, so thank you to those who were praying over us! 🕊️❤️

I’m sharing some of favorite pictures of her—taken this month! ❤️

She was such a fighter! Through many prayers over her and us, she was able to walk again and rejoin her flock after her first injury Dec 23 when she suddenly became lame.

Then on March 9, when she re-injured the same leg, she was still able to lay eggs beginning on April 1st. ❤️

But although her leg wounds were healing, due to the constant diarrhea, and stress on her, she was no longer eating, drinking on her own nor stand up. She was clearly suffering!

Finally, I appreciated the advice given on this forum and will be checking in periodically as we still have 14 lovely ladies who need continued care! ❤️

Gratefully Yours,
Nancy
 

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I am so sorry that you lost her. You took very good care of her, and I’m glad that she is nit suffering. I was hoping that you could get a necropsy through your state vet to see if she had some type of cancer that had made her lame and have no appetite. The state labs for the most part are very helpful in diagnosing a sick chicken. If you ever need to do one in the futre, keep the body cold, not frozen and send it in to the state vet lab. Here is a list of them to find one close to you:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry...7IOlHOhP-eD8qMtZ70RNq6BMO9kVUn3x6so7q0Z_JgEr8
 

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