I'm afraid something is really wrong

[New2ThisLife]

I'm new to this chicken life. I was given a chicken that I think may be "sick." She's a bit lethargic and has been keeping her distance from the other girls compared to when we got her last week. She had a poopie butt and we gave her an epsom salt bath which perked her up a bit but the next day she's still hanging her head and segregating herself. I'm afraid she's dying? Any ideas? Also, I don't know her breed, google says she's possibly a bielefelder kennhuhn.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you know why the person rehomed her? Was she an older bird or poor layer? How old is she? Being a single new flock member, it can be common to feel uncomfortable, keep her distance and she may be kept from food or water. First, I would see if her crop is empty or full, firm or squishy in the mornings before she eats or drinks. Crop disorders can give a clue. Does she lay eggs? Have you checked for any lice or mites under her vent area and elsewhere? Look for any enlargement of her lower belly. Has she been wormed? What does she eat, and does she have grit and crushed oyster shell to take as she needs them? It is usually best to keep a new flock member in quarantine for a month to see if any symptoms of disease show up. I would make sure there are at least a couple of feed and water stations to give her a chance to eat. Offering a treat to her such as some scrambled egg or some watery chicken feed may draw her near, and I would just handle her some to examine her.

 

[arianna7]

looks like a Welsummer, although im not completely sure what's wrong with her.

 

[New2ThisLife]

Do you know why the person rehomed her? Was she an older bird or poor layer? How old is she? Being a single new flock member, it can be common to feel uncomfortable, keep her distance and she may be kept from food or water. First, I would see if her crop is empty or full, firm or squishy in the mornings before she eats or drinks. Crop disorders can give a clue. Does she lay eggs? Have you checked for any lice or mites under her vent area and elsewhere? Look for any enlargement of her lower belly. Has she been wormed? What does she eat, and does she have grit and crushed oyster shell to take as she needs them? It is usually best to keep a new flock member in quarantine for a month to see if any symptoms of disease show up. I would make sure there are at least a couple of feed and water stations to give her a chance to eat. Offering a treat to her such as some scrambled egg or some watery chicken feed may draw her near, and I would just handle her some to examine her.

I do know the person, she gave them all to us at the same time. She had no idea how old she was but that she's an "older" girl along with the others. I believe she does lay. Didn't see any lice or mites. I was worried about the poopie vent. We cleaned her off well but it was caked on pretty well. I honestly don't know what to look for with vent gleet. I was just worried she was slowing down and separating herself. She looks sad and miserable if that's a way to describe it.

 

[Eggcessive]

Vent gleet symptoms are a raw bare vent area with white or yellow patches, basically a fungal infection. The vent may leak white urates constantly. What you are seeing could be some diarrhea that has caked on or not cleared her area under the vent, and it tends to collect more. If she has a lower belly that is enlarged, that can cause the dropping to not make it down to the ground. Most treat that with washing it off, and possibly trimming any extra fluff that is in the way. Many older hens will suffer from reproductive disorders or infections, internal laying, salpingitis, cancer or water belly. They may be lethargic, lie around, or separate themselves. I would try to determine if she is laying. Do you ever see any abnormal or soft eggs?