[Winterbourn]

Hi

I have recently started to keep chickens and have 6 rescued battery hens in a large run and garden.

On Thursday night, one of my girls escaped the run, flying out, during a severe rain storm. She wandered for about half a mile before being found and kept in a garage for a couple of nights. I retrieved her on Saturday morning, but since then she has been very lethergic and not her usual self (she was a very friendly bird). She has seperated herself from the other girls and spends most of her time sitting rather than standing. (even at night where she sleeps in the nesting box rather than her perch)

I fear she may have caught a cold or flu, but she has no obvious symptoms like a runny beek. She is eating a drinking, just not as much as usual.

Do I need to isolate her? (She is not being picked on)
Can I give her anything to help?
Could it just be stress?

I would appreciate any advice.

thanks

[joyfull]

As you have already put her in with the others then if she had caught any illness then they would have caught it by now. She may be just out of sorts after having left the batt farm, then coming to you, being frightened by the storm, homed in a garage and then back to you. Keep an eye on her and put some acv in their water just as a tonic. It is a very stressfull  time for any ex batt being rehoused so she may just need that little bit of tlc. hugs to her from me  xx

[Jaspertilly]

Can anyone help with advice for another poorly chicken?  She is very lethergic and skin and bone.  Her comb is floppy and blue tinged.  She has been sick for a few days.  I have given her some warm mash and she will take a little at a time and today made her a mix of egg yolk, honey, mash, grated apple, soaked dry cat food and yoghurt which she has taken a little of.  She will drink a little water too but only eats or drinks if I put it really close to her.

She last laid a few days ago.  I can't feel any obvious egg inside her but not really sure how to check.  I can't feel an impacted crop either.  I did give her 2.5ml of liquid paraffin saturday evening and yesterday morning just in case that was the problem.

She does walk around a bit but is moving less today that she was yesterday, broadly she is just standing there all fluffed up.

[grumpydad]

sorry she is not well, but if she looks ill, then she is really poorly, been there a few times in the last couple of weeks.
if she has lost the meat from her breast, and is not eating too much then she needs a vet asap.
her crop should be full at night, if it is not, then she is not eating enough, and you wont be able to spoon or in my case syringe enough down her.
very sorry, but she sounds very ill.

martyn

[Jaspertilly]

She has perked up a bit and has walked about more than yesterday, pecking a little and being strong enough to cluck at the dog if he goes too close, or run to any scraps being thrown to the others, but not strong enough to muscle in and get some.  Looking at her square on, she has a bulge just above her breastbone on the left, very soft and squidgy.  she's not great though and I'm not very optimistic.

Thank you for responding earlier

[Aunt Sally]

Is she on antibiotics for the crop problem ?

[Jaspertilly]

Just wanted to let you know that she is so  much better!  proper colour back in the comb and preening and much more eating.  Crop seems back to normal too..Not sure what it was but thansk again for the responses.

[iwantanallotment]

Great to hear she's so much better, thanks for letting us know. Maybe it simply was stress after her adventure?

So many poorly hens around right now, aren't there?
I lost a 7wk old chick earlier - she seemed fine at 2.30, but found her dead at 3.25 

All the best for your girl, hope she's soon fully back to rights