my hen cries when I pick her up

[sunniechick]

I have 4 hens- 3.5 years in age. My Delaware Marilyn recently started sleeping in the nesting box instead of getting on the roost. I picked her up and noticed she has significant weight loss. I can feel the indentations on either side of her breast bone- this isn't like her she is a very robust gal. I was watching her walk and her legs were really stiff, she was dragging her feet and very unsteady like she was drunk. She has issues picking her feet up. I gave her some tart cherries and that seemed to help her a bit for a while.
She has an appetite and she has been drinking her water. Poop is normal- solid- no fly strike, no worms. I bought her worming medication- and she started it yesterday- just in case. She has been in my house in a little pool for the last two days. She will stand for a few minutes but mostly sits there. Sometimes when I put her down she will collapse and kind of roll to the side, other times she is sitting up right and alert. There have been a few times I have picked her up to move her and she cries like I hurt her. Her eyes are bright, there is no runny nose- no weezing. Her bum is soft, her crop is soft and not smelly- I don't know what to make of it. I have been adding electrolytes, antibiotics and probiotics to her water, herbs to her oatmeal, she has been eating some fruit and baby food- anything I can get her to eat to gain weight and stay hydrated.
I am at a complete loss. We don't have a vet that handles chickens so I am flying blind here. Thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[PirateGirl]

Is there a chance she is broody? Weight loss and spending time in the nest box with no other symptoms of anything else could be a broody. My broody wouldn't even stand when I took her off her nest, she would just lay in whatever position I set her in for a few seconds until she eventually would get up and go back to the nest box. Has she been laying?

 

[sunniechick]

No, she really hasn't been laying, the girls have been molting so egg production is low. I've gone through broody with her and this isn't it. I don't know if she fell and bruised or broke something or if its worms- I am trying 100 different things so I don't lose her.

 

[anna-newhampshire]

I bought her worming medication- and she started it yesterday- just in case.

I'm afraid this is a mistake. Worming medication is not very easy on the body and it's best to use it only if it's really needed. Also, the antibiotics in the water - I think this is a typo?

Any fruit or veggie in season is great for them, balanced with a little protein. About the tart cherries - they are so great in cobblers, I only wish I could find them in NH, haven't eaten them in years...
The oatmeal should be balanced with some protein too. Does she get diarrhea from cheese?

 

[Fishkeeper]

You realize the antibiotics are pretty much going to cancel out the probiotics, right? I wouldn't have the antibiotics in there at all unless you get any indication that there's actually an infection that needs treating. Otherwise you'll screw up her intestinal flora, plus overuse of antibiotics is how we get antibiotic-resistant diseases.

 

[sunniechick]

I'm afraid this is a mistake. Worming medication is not very easy on the body and it's best to use it only if it's really needed. Also, the antibiotics in the water - I think this is a typo?

Any fruit or veggie in season is great for them, balanced with a little protein. About the tart cherries - they are so great in cobblers, I only wish I could find them in NH, haven't eaten them in years...
The oatmeal should be balanced with some protein too. Does she get diarrhea from cheese?

 

[sunniechick]

the antibiotics I sprinkle on her oatmeal- I can't find anything that fits her symptoms so I am trying anything and everything so I don't end up with a dead hen. The closest diagnosis I can find to her symptoms is worms and that is why I am treating her for them.
She had some string cheese yesterday and some yogurt and it doesn't give her diarrhea. Her stool is normal. The cherries are an antioxidant and helps with inflammation- as she isn't standing and having issues with bending her legs- the cherries. After she ate a few her walk improved and she was bending her feet and toes and walking better.

 

[staceyj]

I’m not getting into the fray about medications, but if she’s molting she might be sore.
My hens HATE being handled when they are molting.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your hen. At her age she could be suffering from one of several reproductive problem. Internal laying, salpingitis, egg yolk peritonitis, and cancer can be common. Although it may be something else bothering her, most of the time we don’t realize what was going on until we do a necropsy after death. Some will lose weight, have trouble walking, stop laying eggs, lose appetite, and may have an enlarged lower belly from egg masses or fluid. Many try antibiotics to prolong life, but there are no cures for most repro disorders. Not all hens have the same signs. Here is a little reading:
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/egg-peritonitis
http://www.theveterinaryexpert.com/backyard-poultry/egg-yolk-peritonitis/

 

[anna-newhampshire]

Hey Sunniechick I have good news.

There was something about your insistence with the worms diagnosis that made me pick up my homeopathic materia medica (for people). I already knew the remedy prescribed most often for worms by homeopathic vets and I wanted to refresh my memory about the general profile of this remedy.

Lol look at this and I quote: 'A marked feature running through is TOUCHINESS, the patient is aggravated by being handled [...] At first on taking him out of the crib he SCREAMS WHEN TAKEN HOLD OF' Hahaha now look at the title of your thread. Bullseye!!! We also have good appetite matching the remedy profile.

Well, well, well, a mother (or owner) always knows...

Okay so you can ditch the antibiotics and I suggest we treat her homeopathically. The worming medication will take care of the symptoms, but will do nothing about the underlying immune system weakness that allowed the worms to take up residence. Homeopathy will cure her for real, repairing her immune system so no worms will ever take hold again. The cost of the remedy is less than $10.

Let me know what you decide, it takes a while to explain how to proceed and I wouldn't want to waste my time if you think I'm barking mad or something lol.