Lethargic, pale comb and one eye not opening

[Vincentville farm]

I found on of my chickens acting lethargic this morning. Second chicken in about a month. I was able to come up to her and pet her without her protesting or moving. She has a pale comb, unlike the last chicken I dealt with, and is keeping one eye closed.
I have no idea what to do. I brought her into the house and gave her a safe box to rest in. I gave her a warm soak, without epson salt as I have none. I have provided sugar water and scrambled eggs to her.
She fell a sleep in the bath and is refusing food and water. Her body is hunched, and I believe I felt an egg in her abdomen. She is so low energy that she isn't even trying to lay it. Her tail is down and her body is hunched up.
Other than the lethargy, her presentation is completely different from my last sick chicken.
Here are the questions asked for this forum:

• What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
• She is a Barred Rock about a year and a half old. I haven’t weighed her but she seems normal for her size to me.
  2) What is the behavior, exactly.
• Lethargic. Not moving away. Keeps one eye closed. Back is hunched. Tail down. Head drawn in. Her comb is pale.
  3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
• Just discovered her this morning. In the run on one of their overturned summer tubs.
  4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
• No. I had one several weeks ago that was ailing and passed. Other than lethargy their presentation has no similarities.
  5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
• No signs of trauma.
  6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
• I have no idea. Possibly egg bound? As I am inexperienced, I think I felt an egg in her belly, but am not certain. She had a ‘buddy bird’ sitting beside her for a while as I cleaned the coop but was not molesting her in any way.
  7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
• Previously: layer crumble from Grange Co-op, oyster shell, dried soldier fly larva. Now: won’t eat or drink. Have scrambled egg and sugar water available for her.
  8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
• I haven’t seen any signs of poop on her or from her.
  9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
• Warm water soak, offered food and water, have her in a quiet place.
  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?
• I have no avian vets around me, so I’m on my own here.
  11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
  12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
• I have 22 hens and one rooster. They have a large run that is completely fenced and secure. They have a large coop that I clean daily. Their bedding is GEM Soft Shavings. They have six nesting boxes, a dust bath with diattenuations earth mixed with soil, ash, lavender, and lemon balm, and have multiple roosts throughout their coop and run.

Update: She did eat the little bit of egg I gave her and all she wants to do is sleep. She is not even attempting to pass the egg, if that is indeed what her problem is.

 

[IdahoPrepper]

When a bird is like that they are hard to treat. You need a vet. If no vet you can try things like crushed hard boiled egg with pro-biotics and electrolytes mixed in for food. If not eating and drinking its not good. You could try metranidazole down the mouth with shringe.

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock

 

[Eggcessive]

I would quickly give her a human calcium tablet 300-600 mg plus vitamin D or Tums broke in tow. Given orally in case she is egg bound. Then get her drinking some fluids.

 

[Vincentville farm]

I cannot get her to drink anything. I put crushed Tums in her water and a piece in front of her. She ate 2 bites of scrambled egg (one one time and another much later). I have given her 3 15 minutes soaks, last two with epson salt.
She goes to sleep in the baths and i put my finger under her beak so it doesn't fall into the water. Now she is laying with her feet out to the side instead of under her.
I also noticed that the eye she is not opening looks swollen. I'm adding pictures of it.
If she is egg bound, she is making no efforts to pass the egg.
She did just stir and tuck her feet back under her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Any lice or mites?
Her right eye is swollen and looks like it may have pus in it. Can you open it up, flush it out, press any pus or debris out of the eye. Apply an ointment like Terramycin eye ointment into the eye.

I would give her the TUMS directly in the beak, they don't dissolve well in water and if you are relying on her to eat a piece on her own, that's futile. Open the beak, but the Calcium into the beak and let her swallow.

Work on hydration and see if you can encourage her to eat wet mushy feed.

Has she pooped at all? If she has, photos of that may be helpful.

 

[Vincentville farm]

Any lice or mites?
Her right eye is swollen and looks like it may have pus in it. Can you open it up, flush it out, press any pus or debris out of the eye. Apply an ointment like Terramycin eye ointment into the eye.

I would give her the TUMS directly in the beak, they don't dissolve well in water and if you are relying on her to eat a piece on her own, that's futile. Open the beak, but the Calcium into the beak and let her swallow.

Work on hydration and see if you can encourage her to eat wet mushy feed.

Has she pooped at all? If she has, photos of that may be helpful.

She finally passed about an hour ago. She did not poop at all until she trashed in the end. And the poop was thin but normal color. Thank you for your advice. I will save it for the future. Hopefully I won't need it for a long time to come.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She finally passed about an hour ago. She did not poop at all until she trashed in the end. And the poop was thin but normal color. Thank you for your advice. I will save it for the future. Hopefully I won't need it for a long time to come.

I'm sorry

 

[Eggcessive]

I am sorry that you lost her. The swollen eye and lethargy could be signs of MG or other contagious respiratory disease. I would watch for any others showing signs of illness (bubbles in an eye, sneezing, swollen eyelid, nasal drainage, lethargy.) If you still have her body and are in the US, you could take it in to your state poultry vet lab to get a necropsy and testing to find out what she had. Here is a good list of state vets to contact:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry...7IOlHOhP-eD8qMtZ70RNq6BMO9kVUn3x6so7q0Z_JgEr8