1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
EE, 3 yo, markedly thinner than flock mates and thinner than normal. Keel bone very sharp, no meat on her.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
This afternoon when I scattered scratch as I always do, I was shocked at her condition. She was extremely weak, supporting herself on her wings, but she acted very hungry. I looked closer and saw fecal material around or under her vent. She was eating but appeared very weak. She looked fine yesterday and as she often does, had attempted to make a break for it when I opened the gate. She's my escape artist. I haven't been letting them free range since losing birds to a coyote several weeks ago, and she misses it. Her crop felt very full and tight. Gritty, like full of scratch. I massaged it gently and it did seem to loosen a little.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
I only noticed it this afternoon. I brought her in after roosting and bathed her thoroughly. She's very weak.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No. Everyone else seems fine.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No. After bathing, I did an internal exam. Her vent was dry and very tight but I could not feel an egg or broken egg inside. However, while drying her, when she was lying on her right side, there seemed to be fullness in her lower abdomen behind her legs.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
I am at a loss. Nothing that I know of.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
We feed feather fixer pellets and all-flock crumbles. The older hens have been molting. We kind of mix or alternate the feeds because nobody is crazy about the FF. We toss a handful of scratch out morning and afternoon, and I toss mealworms out in the afternoon as well. There's grit and OS available 24/7. That's it. Table scraps are extremely rare.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
No clue. Have her separated tonight on puppy pads, will update tomorrow.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Soaked her in Epsom salts, pitched that filthy water away, soaked her again in warm water with a bit of Dawn dish soap, clipped the dirty feathers away when I could see her vent so I knew she wasn't prolapsed (whew!), checked for a stuck egg, blow-dried her and put her in a clean crate for the night. OH! And I gave her a Tums just in case she is egg-bound.
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?
With all y'all's help, I think I can treat her as well as any local vet. Not sure we have any that treat chickens, to be honest, and even if we did, I am not in a position to spend hundreds on a 3-yo hen that in my opinion right now, does not look like having a better than even chance of survival. Frankly, I won't be surprised to find her dead in the morning. She went down REALLY fast.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Oh sorry, did not think to take a picture. I will tomorrow if she's still with us. She was so weak she couldn't argue with me about the bath and blow-dry, although she wanted to.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use.
She lives in an 8x10 walk-in coop with 23 other hens and pullets. They are not crowded, however, as 12 pullets sleep on a 6' roost under a window along one wall, and Ivory (this hen) typically shares a 4x6' pallet with 11 adult hens against the opposite wall. Lots of room for everybody. When I went to get Ivory tonight I could not find her. She was huddled by herself on the floor in the farthest corner under the pallet. I had to duck-walk under there to retrieve her. Bedding is shredded paper from the bank where my husband works. We've used it for close to ten years with no problems. It wicks moisture out of the droppings and stays clean and dry, and does not breed mites or lice.
Thanks for any help or suggestions.
ETA: SUNDAY, 11/28/21. In spite of the efforts of the OP and the advice and recommendations of the respondents to this thread, my hen was too far gone and, sadly, did not recover. We euthanized her this morning. Thanks again to those who tried to help, especially to azygous and Wyorp Rock whose knowledge and experience are always greatly appreciated and beyond compare.
EE, 3 yo, markedly thinner than flock mates and thinner than normal. Keel bone very sharp, no meat on her.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
This afternoon when I scattered scratch as I always do, I was shocked at her condition. She was extremely weak, supporting herself on her wings, but she acted very hungry. I looked closer and saw fecal material around or under her vent. She was eating but appeared very weak. She looked fine yesterday and as she often does, had attempted to make a break for it when I opened the gate. She's my escape artist. I haven't been letting them free range since losing birds to a coyote several weeks ago, and she misses it. Her crop felt very full and tight. Gritty, like full of scratch. I massaged it gently and it did seem to loosen a little.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
I only noticed it this afternoon. I brought her in after roosting and bathed her thoroughly. She's very weak.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No. Everyone else seems fine.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No. After bathing, I did an internal exam. Her vent was dry and very tight but I could not feel an egg or broken egg inside. However, while drying her, when she was lying on her right side, there seemed to be fullness in her lower abdomen behind her legs.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
I am at a loss. Nothing that I know of.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
We feed feather fixer pellets and all-flock crumbles. The older hens have been molting. We kind of mix or alternate the feeds because nobody is crazy about the FF. We toss a handful of scratch out morning and afternoon, and I toss mealworms out in the afternoon as well. There's grit and OS available 24/7. That's it. Table scraps are extremely rare.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
No clue. Have her separated tonight on puppy pads, will update tomorrow.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Soaked her in Epsom salts, pitched that filthy water away, soaked her again in warm water with a bit of Dawn dish soap, clipped the dirty feathers away when I could see her vent so I knew she wasn't prolapsed (whew!), checked for a stuck egg, blow-dried her and put her in a clean crate for the night. OH! And I gave her a Tums just in case she is egg-bound.
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?
With all y'all's help, I think I can treat her as well as any local vet. Not sure we have any that treat chickens, to be honest, and even if we did, I am not in a position to spend hundreds on a 3-yo hen that in my opinion right now, does not look like having a better than even chance of survival. Frankly, I won't be surprised to find her dead in the morning. She went down REALLY fast.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Oh sorry, did not think to take a picture. I will tomorrow if she's still with us. She was so weak she couldn't argue with me about the bath and blow-dry, although she wanted to.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use.
She lives in an 8x10 walk-in coop with 23 other hens and pullets. They are not crowded, however, as 12 pullets sleep on a 6' roost under a window along one wall, and Ivory (this hen) typically shares a 4x6' pallet with 11 adult hens against the opposite wall. Lots of room for everybody. When I went to get Ivory tonight I could not find her. She was huddled by herself on the floor in the farthest corner under the pallet. I had to duck-walk under there to retrieve her. Bedding is shredded paper from the bank where my husband works. We've used it for close to ten years with no problems. It wicks moisture out of the droppings and stays clean and dry, and does not breed mites or lice.
Thanks for any help or suggestions.
ETA: SUNDAY, 11/28/21. In spite of the efforts of the OP and the advice and recommendations of the respondents to this thread, my hen was too far gone and, sadly, did not recover. We euthanized her this morning. Thanks again to those who tried to help, especially to azygous and Wyorp Rock whose knowledge and experience are always greatly appreciated and beyond compare.
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