Listless chicken - won't eat or drink anything. Was fine yesterday :-(

[Melissa C]

Hi all,

When I went to check on my hens this morning, my sweet girl Goldie had her tail down and was looking very listless. Her eyes are very watery and she has some clear liquid coming from her beak. Yesterday she was completely fine and running around. I even saw her nibbling on a mouse. Today she won't eat or drink anything. I tried giving her some nutridrench in water with a syringe and it mostly dribbles out of her mouth. She got sick so suddenly and I can't figure it out. I saw some eyeworms and treated both eyes. I have her isolated from the flock and she's laying down with her eyes closed. Her crop is a little squishy. She laid an egg this morning so she's not egg bound. Any ideas??

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

I'm sorry about your hen
It could be sour crop.
@Eggcessive

 

[Eggcessive]

What is your general location? Did you actually see eye worms or mucus in her eyes? Eye worms are rare, but people do see them in certain tropical regions such as Hawaii and similar places. What did you treat the eye worms with? Have you seen any bubbles or foam, or pus in either eye? Has there been any sneezing or coughing? Does she swallow any mucus in her beak? I wonder if she could have a respiratory disease. Can you check her crop first thing in the morning, to see if it has emptied? If it is still squishy before she eats or drinks, let us know. Offer her electrolytes often so that she doesn’t get dehydrated. You could try using some Monistat cream orally 1/2 inch into her beak twice a day for possible sour crop. Do you have any pictures of her eyes?