Chicken help needed!

[ToLiveToLaugh]

I know there's backyard chicken, but my hen is sick now and I don't want to set up a new account. So please please forgive and help me out?

I'll start by saying that this hen is old. She's one of my originals, and that's one of the reasons I want to find out whats up with her. She's either almost 3 or 4, I can't remember. Also a note, I don't live at my parent's farm anymore, I'm out of town at college. Yesterday my brother found her laying on her side, limp, out behind the hen house. She'd been sleeping on the ground the previous two nights. Our guess now is that she was too weak to get up on the roost.

So my brother called me and I headed home (speeding only a little). By that time, he's used a syringe and opened her beak and gave her water, and also put her on a low temp heater that we use to warm up the cat (she's old, too). By the time I got there, she was doing a little better, holding her head up and laying more on her breast and less flat on her side (although she still has dropped wings, sticking out to the side, etc).

I made some very watery rolled oats and gave her some of the oat water, still very thin. I've been alternating just water or oat water followed by water every 30 min (day) or 2 hours (last night). Since getting home, I added a little carrot and celery broth and millet water to the oat water. Still pretty much water, I'm just trying to get "good stuff" in.

Her comb was lifted off in the back (like it had been torn away from her scalp- maybe the roo?) and so I put a little triple antibiotic ointment on that. She's up here in my apartment with me now since no one else has the time for intense care. She's still laying on her breast, holding her head up, and trying to turn her head away when I go to give her water (although she swallows once its in), but her wings are still dropped and she will slowly start to fall over to one side or the other. She's also laying on her feet curled, not flat at all. She doesn't really seem aware of where her legs or wings are or what they're doing.

I guess my questions are these: is there something specific that causes symptoms like these, or was it just dehydration and hypothermia? Should I be worried at all for the rest of my birds? Is this probably the end, and I should just keep her comfy as best I can?

I'm sorry if I seem neurotic at all. She's more of a pet than a farm animal, and she was there for me when other people weren't. Any advice you guys could give would be appreciated a ton! Thank you so much.

 

[Ohioann]

Sounds like it may be neurological .. a stroke, perhaps. I would keep her comfortable and hydrated, which you are doing. If financially possible is the an avian veterinarian anwhere near you? Perhaps a phone call to them or to your closest college ag department might provide some information.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

you might try contacting threehorses over on BYC via email (just search for her id, then send an email via the link).

i know its hard when you dont know what to do. you can try a little molasses in her water. keeping her warm and doing what you've done is all great work.

 

[Dace]

My hen did some thing very similar. I was thinking that she was egg bound so I started soaking her in a warm tub. That is when I found worms swimming around in the water. She was infested with them internally.

I got some wormer into her and she died the next day.

I hope your girl is ok and pulls thru.

 

[cjparker]

You might want to try some plain yogurt for feeding. It has done amazing things for a couple of my chickens that got badly beaten up by a feral cat.

 

[ToLiveToLaugh]

Dace- We checked by feel and I don't think she's egg bound. I've looked pretty closely at all of her droppings (the things we do for animals....) and there weren't any signs of worms. It's all been pretty liquid, obviously, considering her diet. When she was pooping last night, it was yellow and runny and smelled terrible. I look online and through Gail Damerow and didn't see anything matching symptoms. And then today she pooped and it was black and runny, closer to normal. A little less smelly.

cj- I don't have any yogurt. Does anyone know if a little whey or milk in her water would work?

ohioann- The college I'm at here has a great ag program. Unfortunately, no one is around because of the weekend. Maybe I could go and pester the vet school to take pity and ask questions for me without charging. =\

Thank you guys so much! I'm doing the best I can. I know it's very possible I'll lose her, I just want to make sure she isn't in pain as much as I can.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

her wings are still dropped and she will slowly start to fall over to one side or the other. She's also laying on her feet curled, not flat at all. She doesn't really seem aware of where her legs or wings are or what they're doing.

I hate to tell you this, but these can be symptoms of Mareks.

 

[ToLiveToLaugh]

I hate to tell you this, but these can be symptoms of Mareks.

From what I've read, Mareks normally shows up younger in the bird, prior to 5 months. I know sometimes it can show up later suddenly, but my impression was that it couldn't be the paralysis "down in the leg" type?

Also, what exactly do they mean by paralysis? She doesn't seem to know her feet are there, but if I disturb her (lift her up, etc) she'll move them a bit.

 

[FarmerDenise]

Mareks is found only in birds less than a year old. there is another disease similar to mareks that occurs in older birds. I unfortunately had a lot of experience with both

I am so sorry for your bird. I also recommend finding an avian vet to help. sometimes a blood test or fecal test is needed for a good diagnosis. Keeping her hydrated and getting some nutrition in her is very good. If you have whey, you can give her that. Have you felt her crop? Is it empty? Since you haven't fed her any solids, it should feel empty, if it doesn't feel empty she might have an impacted crop, there are other things that can go wrong with the crop too.

If you think she is in pain, you can give her some aspirin. Add 1 1/4 aspirin (ground up) to 1 quart of water. Then let her drink as much as she wants. You can also give her gatorade to help hydrate her.

Here is a site that I often refer to for answers
http://www.poultry.msstate.edu/extension/pdf/diseases_poultry_diagnosis_symptoms.pdf

Hope your little hen pulls through

 

[FarmerDenise]

Here is another site I really like.
She used to write on the BYC forum all the time and was very knowledgeable.
The site is a bit busy though and has lots of information.

I usually read through a bit and print out the information I am most interested in. That way I have it on hand in my binder.