[atsndave]

Can anyone give some advice - one of our chooks has been very off colour last couple of days, not moving around much, looks like having trouble swallowing.  Husband thinks this particular chicken swallowed a small mouse whole about a week ago, can anything be done to help ?

[bantam novice]

Hello there,
sorry to hear about your chook.     Welcome to the forum.  I am new to chicken keeping myself but you could try seeing if she has a temperature.  You do this by feeling under her wing and then under the wing of another hen to see if she feels any hotter. 
From what I have heard and read chickens do go for small rodents and bugs as well as corn mash and greens etc.  I do not think that would affect her.  Someone with more experience may have a different opinion.
Is she eating and drinking at all or do you think she has stopped and is completely "blocked up" ?
You may need to find a local chicken-friendly vet.  Not all vets understand chickens.
There are a lot of experienced people here who can give you good advice.

[atsndave]

Thanks for this, she is drinking plenty of water but not really interested in food at all, jsut sitting in the coop looking very sorry for herself.  I just wondered whether eating a mouse whole is taking a long time to digest and she has some stuck somewhere, will just have to keep monitoring her

[henamoured]

I'm not sure if this would be a result of eating a mouse - mine have had them in the past and actually looked/laid better for them!
I'd have a good look at her for other things - all the usuall suspects: injuries, mites, lice, sniffles, discharges from eyes, vent, sour/compacted crop.
Is it possible she could have eaten a poisonous plant?
Is she laying ok? Could be soft egg on the way? (Can you feel an egg between the bones under her vent?)
If she's still drinking then you can probably afford to wait and see for 24 hours. One of mine gorged herself on some treats last week and I realised she's had too much when she went a bit quiet and off colour the next but she was right as rain the following one. Shan't make the same mistake again.
Hope it rights itself.