tail down, lethargic , drinking.

[Crazychocolatedog]

Hi’ I’ve had my 6 chickens for 1& 1/2 years . A few of them just molted heavily. One of them, was my 1 1/2 year old Easter egg chicken. None of my chickens have been laying eggs for weeks now.
It’s winter here in Ma. ..chilly at night , 20-35.
~ this hen, has been walking slowly , but prefers to plop down. She been snuggled into the corners of the run (they don’t free range unless I’m there to watch them) ....but she manages to roost at night. Seems unbalanced when she hops up.

Yesterday I felt like I hadn’t seen her eat much. So I put her in a dog kennel , in the run with food and water so she could get to them easily.
~ this morning, she wouldn’t touch her meal worms...or yogurt. (I was trying to get her to eat anything). Initially, I thought she hurt a wing, because she limped one day late, last week,...but then seemed ok after that.
Today she drank some water, maybe 1/8 cup.....didn’t eat much. Has been in a crate and hunkered down all day. Not much poop in the crate...seems like clear wet pine shavings with a little bit of bright white smears.
any suggestions ?
Don’t judge me please, I live in the city, no “chickens” doctors locally. There is one 1 hour away that charges $200 to walk in the door. I’d like to try home remedies before I head that route.
‘thanks

 

[azygous]

Don't worry, we won't judge you for not using a vet. Most do not know how to treat chickens anyway. It's why many of us come here to solve our chicken health issues.

Your descriptions are thorough and good, but a photograph or a video of a minute duration could help us use our vision to intuit what may be going on with your hen. We've learned to tune into subtle physical and behavioral cues, and from experience, we can then make some pretty good guesses.

At the least, a heavy molt can sap appetite resulting in a state of starvation, causing weakness that can mimic illness. Or it could be a bacterial infection. A photo of the poop can help in this regard. It would be helpful if you can start looking around for an antibiotic in case we determine she has an infection.

Then there are crop disorders that can result in starvation and weakness. Read through this, and maybe you can rule that out. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[EggSighted4Life]

any suggestions ?
Don’t judge me please,

No reason to judge, we are here to help each other and learn along the way. Sorry your hen is unwell!

Sounds like a possible crop issue. Do they have grit available? This link might help...

https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-anatomy-crop-impacted-crop-sour/

Great job identifying an issue and isolating the bird to observe her. There are other possibilities, but this is the most likely place to start. Did this hen actually molt as well already? If not, reproductive issues could be suspect.

Hope she recovers quickly!

 

[Crazychocolatedog]

Don't worry, we won't judge you for not using a vet. Most do not know how to treat chickens anyway. It's why many of us come here to solve our chicken health issues.

Your descriptions are thorough and good, but a photograph or a video of a minute duration could help us use our vision to intuit what may be going on with your hen. We've learned to tune into subtle physical and behavioral cues, and from experience, we can then make some pretty good guesses.

At the least, a heavy molt can sap appetite resulting in a state of starvation, causing weakness that can mimic illness. Or it could be a bacterial infection. A photo of the poop can help in this regard. It would be helpful if you can start looking around for an antibiotic in case we determine she has an infection.

Then there are crop disorders that can result in starvation and weakness. Read through this, and maybe you can rule that out. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

thank you SO Much for responding . !!!
I did make a video. I don’t know how to upload a URL. Maybe I can email to someone and they can post it for me ?? but I think it’s her right leg.
with my hand under her belly for support - she would stand on her left leg. When I alternated to the right - she squatted down. her toes work fine and could clench my finger.
For the night - I removed her from the kennel , which was in the run, and placed her onto a towel in the coop.
But ~ she managed limp over and jump onto the perch. She was wabbly ( it’s wide 4 x2- wide side up ~ about a foot off the floor)
And she ate some scratch before going to bed.
whew

 

[Crazychocolatedog]

https://video.fbed1-2.fna.fbcdn.net...88504d1250ca7cbae317334904e6&oe=5DF97D5A&dl=1

 

[Crazychocolatedog]

No reason to judge, we are here to help each other and learn along the way. Sorry your hen is unwell!

Sounds like a possible crop issue. Do they have grit available? This link might help...

https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-anatomy-crop-impacted-crop-sour/

Great job identifying an issue and isolating the bird to observe her. There are other possibilities, but this is the most likely place to start. Did this hen actually molt as well already? If not, reproductive issues could be suspect.

Hope she recovers quickly!

Thank you. I lost one to a crop issue during my first year. I tried everything to help her.( The things we learn the hard way )
This chickens crop doesn’t feel squishy or hard. It feels like theres just a small amount of food in there .
But once I got her in the house to examine her ....I think it’s more of a leg issue. See video. I think the white poop...might be from lack of food.
I did manage to entice her to eat some sunflowers seeds, and nuts and a couple of corn kernels before bed.
If it’s really her leg...I’m wondering what else I can do besides, the kennel...and baby aspirin.
poor baby. (I’m having a big glass of wine tonight ...I’m so upset)

 

[aart]

Is her belly swollen?
I'd give her some electrolytes.

 

[azygous]

I'm afraid I, for one, can't make your video link work. If you can get your video posted onto YouTube, then copy the link and paste it here, the video will automatically embed here, ready to be viewed.

 

[Crazychocolatedog]

Is her belly swollen?
I'd give her some electrolytes.

No. Her belly and everything else seems to be in great shape.

 

[Crazychocolatedog]