Suddenly - Hen standing with eyes closed tail down and gaping, does not look good at all.

Dpsp16

In the Brooder
Oct 27, 2020
3
3
42
Orange County NY
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
1 1/2 year old Austra White, chick from Meyer Hatchery
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Standing/ sitting tail down, wings dropping. Eyes closed and won't open them. Puffed up and when walking will tumble. My husband notices some liquid coming out of her vent when I picked her up. Only a small amount and I couldn't see anymore.

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
30 minutes or so

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No all are well

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. No real signs of trauma, bones in her legs seem fine.

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.

We let them out to free range about 2 hours ago, and everyone ran out and ate well. Then carried on dust bathing and forging. We noticed about 15 minutes ago she was near where they dust bath with a few down feathers around her. And he comb has a small tiny mark with new blood on it. I believe the rooster may have just interacted with her. But she was found on small slope, so it might have been an awkward angle.

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.

Yes, all the chickens gathered around us eating their pellets until wanting to go free range and went to dust bathe. Everything looked well

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. all poop looks normal from everyone, nothing strange or out of the ordinary.

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
I tried to think of putting her in warm water at firs, but she didn't like it so I took her out. Thinking perhaps egg bound but I don't know enough about that to assume. We normally get 10-12 eggs a day and only got 8 so far today.

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?
We do not have avian or poultry vets in our area. I would do the most I can.

11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use. Our coop is pine shavings, pretty clean for this time of year, dry with good ventilation.
 

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She could possibly be in shock. If that is the case, isolate her from the rest of the flock and put her in a quiet space with feed and water and also some electrolytes. Poor baby!
 
She is pretty weak for sure. Electrolyte water, pedialyte, gatorade, or Poultry nutridrench would all work to help build strength. Homemade electrolytes with 1 tsp of sugar per quart of water and a small pinch of salt also work. Scrambled egg and watery chicken feed would be good to offer her. Could she be starting to molt at 18 months old? Just sitting looking like that could attract some pecking. I would try to leave her with her flock, but you could separate in a dog crate in the coop. If she could be egg bound, I would give her a human calcium tablet with vitamin D 300-600 mg orally, just placed into the beak to swallow. Instead of soaking her, just place her on a warm towel.
 
Hello Everyone! Thank you for your quick replies! So, I brought her in and she was looking rough. But then all of a sudden she woke up and jumped out of the bin and rushed back outside. Her eye is swollen a bit like seen in the first picture, so she must of been pecked in the eye or something. She ran into the coop as it was getting dark, and no one seemed to notice she was missing. I will check her in the morning, but she must have been in shock. Crazy, I thought she was going to die!
 

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