Help with a sick chicken

Omnibes9

Hatching
Jan 18, 2025
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Hi! This is my first time posting here but I was wondering if someone might be able to help me with a sick chicken.

She was hunkered down this morning under the ramp in the chook house. She's very wobbly on her feet and is panting. She doesn't seem to have any physical injuries on her legs. Her nose and eyes are all clear too. Her vent was a bit messy but not too bad.

She has been eating a little bit and has had grain, sprouts and grass today. I've got her separated in a comfy spot, away from the other chooks and with some soaked bread just in case. Does anybody have any ideas on what might affecting her and what I could do to help her? Thank you in advance!
 
Hi! Thank you for responding.

She's just over 4. Her diet is grains (mostly wheat and barley), food scraps (mostly veggie) plus whatever she scavenges when the chooks are freeranging. I am fairly sure she has laid recently, although her and another hen have almost identical eggs. She has been pooping and her crop looks OK. Their enclosure is kept clean and there's plenty of water available. Thanks again!
 
She was hunkered down this morning under the ramp in the chook house. She's very wobbly on her feet and is panting. She doesn't seem to have any physical injuries on her legs. Her nose and eyes are all clear too. Her vent was a bit messy but not too bad.

She has been eating a little bit and has had grain, sprouts and grass today. I've got her separated in a comfy spot, away from the other chooks and with some soaked bread just in case.
She's just over 4. Her diet is grains (mostly wheat and barley), food scraps (mostly veggie) plus whatever she scavenges when the chooks are freeranging. I am fairly sure she has laid recently, although her and another hen have almost identical eggs. She has been pooping and her crop looks OK.
Welcome To BYC

Can you post photos of her and her poop?

If she normally lays eggs and hasn't laid, then I'd consider giving her Extra Calcium for several days just in case she's struggling with expelling an egg or material.

Calcium Citrate+D3 would be good to give. 1 tablet daily, just pull down on the wattles and pop the tablet into the beak. Let her swallow. Aim for at least 300mg daily.

You don't mention your location - where are you in the world?

Is it hot - could she be suffering from heat exposure?
 
Does she get any chicken feed? That diet isn't balanced or beneficial.
Any chance she could have found something moldy or Toxic?
I do mix a poultry mix into the seed, which has crushed maize, lupins peas and sunflower seeds through it. Not that I'm aware of. I don't give the chooks moldy/toxic scraps and there's nothing toxic in the garden or in the grass that I can think of. I also haven't been spraying with poisons or anything that may have contaminated something.
 
Welcome To BYC

Can you post photos of her and her poop?

If she normally lays eggs and hasn't laid, then I'd consider giving her Extra Calcium for several days just in case she's struggling with expelling an egg or material.

Calcium Citrate+D3 would be good to give. 1 tablet daily, just pull down on the wattles and pop the tablet into the beak. Let her swallow. Aim for at least 300mg daily.

You don't mention your location - where are you in the world?

Is it hot - could she be suffering from heat exposure?
No probs, I'll get some photos when I get back home and post them.

Extra calcium is a good idea. I'll give that a go.

Sorry, I forgot to mention that! I'm in Victoria, Australia. It's been decently hot (30c), which is pretty standard for where I live.
 

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