Puffed up Lethargic Hen --- Please Help!!!

[HidingInTheHenHouse]

When I let the chickens out this morning, I noticed one sitting off by itself, all puffed up with her head pulled way in. I tried giving her treats, but she wasn't interested, so I took her in the house to go into the "Sick" box to see if she would improve with some heat. It was below 30 F last night, so I thought maybe she was cold. I gave her warm water with electrolytes and vitamins and a cooked egg yolk. She seems very light, not heavy enough for her size. I don't know what her droppings are like because I had to go to school, and she didn't have any before I left.

I lost another hen with very similar symptoms a couple of months ago. I never determined what was wrong with her, she just sat there for days in the sick box, ignoring all food and drinking very little, until she died.

I would really like to not lose another one, since these were some of my only true Americanas, and they're not even laying eggs yet. This hen is about 16-18 weeks old.

Thank you everyone for reading this and for any suggestions.

 

[spook]

To me it sounds like a case of cocci before the bloody poop. I'm sure someone else has better suggestions then myself, but I'd give her some unflavored yogurt, grass clippings (6 of them, just enough to entice her to eat at the yogurt). Using a spoon, drizzle liquid along her beak see if she can take some in. Or dip her head in the water and in a cup, add a bit of sugar to the cold water (she might have a fever and cold may feel good)
I hope she turns out fine, keep us posted!!!!!!!!

 

[joyful-homemaker]

I would say probably worms. That is what mine were doing till I wormed them.

 

[HidingInTheHenHouse]

I have some Wazine. I also have some Amprol. Should I just go ahead and give both? What is the Wazine dosage, and if she isn't drinking much, will it still work?

 

[Cetawin]

I just lost a pullet a few minutes ago with similar symptoms...look at the pics I posted of Lilly in my thread and read the symptoms and such...see what you think.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=103931&p=1

I am having a fecal float test done at the vets and a vet is coming by this evening to look at her (a house call can you believe it). I will keep you posted on what I find out.

The hen you lost a couple months ago...did she die in your arms? Did she scream or anything right before she died?

sorry if I sound morbid but I am really concerned having only just lost one...my first loss.

 

[HidingInTheHenHouse]

She seems to be doing better this afternoon. I'm going to go ahead and worm her while she's in the house. She is much more alert and reacts when I go into the room she's in. She ate all of the egg yolk while I was at school, so I gave her a mix of more egg yolk, cooked rice, crumbles, and the liquidy part in cottage cheese (no yogurt in the house).

Her poop is not runny or bloody. Mostly grass green with the white cap.

The hen I lost a couple of months back was dead in the box when I returned home. My other hen, who I think died from a broken internal egg, died in my arms. It was very hard. She was my favorite hen. I didn' t know you could become so attached to chickens. She did some sort of flapping spasm right before she died, but didn't make any noises.

 

[Wynette]

Keep us posted on your girl...I hope she makes it!!

I lost a few this year and did a whole heck of a lot to try to save them, including very expensive trips to the vet, force feeding via syringe and tube, antibiotics, vitamins, electrolytes...the whole nine yards.

When I lost the last one, I contacted the state vet to see what the charge for a necropsy would be. We discussed the symptoms, and he said there is literally hundreds of diseases with these same symptoms, and he'd do a necropsy for $150. After the $ I put out for the avian vet, I did not have the $ for the necropsy, so I never did find out what was going on.

I ended up moving the entire flock to a quarantine area, and spraying down the entire coop, inside & out, the dirt in the run, and the walls...everything, with Oxine solution. I left them all in quarantine, out of the coop/run, for 3 weeks, and moved them back 4 weeks ago. So far, so good.

Sorry if I sound like a wet blanket, that's not my intention; just wanting to include my own experience. Please do keep us posted on your girl - we all care a bunch!!

 

[Cetawin]

I am glad yours is eating and acting better. I will keep my fingers crossed because I now know first-hand how hard it is to lose one.

I hope she gets well soon for you.

 

[HidingInTheHenHouse]

Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts and prayers. She is continuing to do better, eating and drinking. She still seems to be a bit puffed up, but not lethargic since she squawks at me everytime I pet her or change her water, but that is normal since she has never been inside or extensively handled.

I am going to keep her inside for another day and a night to make sure she gets the 24 hours of Wazine medicated water. And just to keep an eye on her.

So far, so good.

Sometimes I think it is harder on the emotions to keep chickens, just from the higher sickness and death rate as opposed to your average cat or dog. Their health just seems more delicate and so much more enigmatic. I just keep a bunch of stuff on hand now in case a chicken gets sick.

 

[Wynette]

I know what you mean, Hiding. I've had that discussion many, many times with chicken friends. I think in large part it's because they are so small compared with most dogs and some cats. Plus, dogs and cats live in our homes (in most cases) and we see them much more often. When a chicken gets sick, it's sometimes hard to tell any body condition changes due to all those feathers. Then, it seems that by the time we realize they are ill, they are further along than we suspected. Sigh. It's heartbreaking. GLAD your girl seems to getting better! The spunkiness is, I think, a really good sign!