# Sick hen please help



## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

My chicken named Coopy is sick. I found her on the ground in the roosting area standing with her tail down and kinda like a penguin. She's been tired acting for 3-4 days and today she is really bad. I offered her water, she didn't want none, food and she ate a few tiny bites and walked into the nesting box and sat. She has her eyes open most of the time but doesn't make any of her usual sounds. 



Her abdomen is a lot like a full water balloon she's breathing weird (heavy) so I though maybe egg bound? I don't feel a egg though it just feels like a large water balloon and since yesterday she's had a purple comb tips. She has a few simpums of egg binding like labored breathing and standing like a pingwin should I soak her?


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

She prefers sitting now I gave her a tiny bit water when she breath sometime ticking ?!!! PLEASE HELP! I don't know what to do!!!


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

She's not egg bound it's way to big to be. I gave her antibiotics yesterday 200mg tetracycline... I'm goin to give her electrolytes &probiotic to help her. Any other ideas?


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

I hate to type this but you may have to put her down.Some people try to draw the fluid from the abdomen w/ a syringe and they say it works but the problem returns.I've always let them go until I notice some distress,then I cull them.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

If she is heavy with fluid in the abdomen it usually means internal laying or ascites and there's nothing you can do. Sorry.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

I don't think I'd ever be able to cull. I got her to drink a few sips of water and she ate a little bit of snow. I have vet syringes from tsc but how do you do this with out hitting internal organs or going in to far? Could a vet do this for me?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Wyandotter said:


> I don't think I'd ever be able to cull. I got her to drink a few sips of water and she ate a little bit of snow. I have vet syringes from tsc but how do you do this with out hitting internal organs or going in to far? Could a vet do this for me?


Youtube is your friend:
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...AC5A8DAD0EBF69E58CEAA&view=detail&FORM=VIREHT


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

What if what comes out is red ? If it is then is it internal bleeding? Are these good for doing that...


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

If you are giving fluids, don't use the needles. If you have 3ml syringes they can slide to the back of the throat to deposit fluid. With a 6, it may be too big. In a pinch I use aquarium tubing attached to the syringe, if you use tubing, you can pass 2-3 inches down the throat without hitting any organs.

If she has a full abdomen and no umpacted egg, she may be laying internally and there's nothing you can do about that.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Thank you. I haven't been tubing, I get her to drink some on her own, she seems really thirsty. I started her on antibiotics a few days ago and electrolytes are given a few times a day as well as some egg and a few seeds. I know this May not actually fix her but I guess it could help her feel better.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

The easiest thing you can do is buy aquarium tubing and either Kaytee baby bird feeder in one of those pet superstores, or even Ensure in a pinch.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Thanks! Also she had a bumble foot about a year ago and has had a hole in the area, which is packed with hard dirt. It seems irritated but I can't get the dirt to come out.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

You can soak her foot in really warm water and loosen it up


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Thanks!!!!


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

How's the hen doing?


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

She's doing better. She ate some worms I found for her and some of her normal chicken food. She drank some water and she is free ranging. She also slept on the roost instead of the nest I had made for her.

I have another hen who is her sister who was Laying a egg it seemed hard for her and she threw up a lot of water while pushing it out and she was gurgling. :/ When she finally laid it, it was a soft shell egg. She's acting tired now, I put out some oyster shell to help her. Why was it so hard to push out such a soft egg?


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

here's the egg she laid.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

No idea but hope it doesn't continue. I think you giving calcium is good.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Do you know if I can give tums to her? if so how much?


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

No,don't give her an antacid.Chickens digestive system is different than a human.They can get a sour crop,but that is a bacterial infection.I see my girls spit up water at times but I don't think anything is wrong.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

The hen who had swollen bellys belly was not swollen for a few days (days following antibiotics) I noticed yesterday she's getting swollen again and standing like a pingwin like before. I gave her yogurt yesterday and about an hour ago for probiotics but it think she needs antibiotics again. 

So can I give antibiotic
(oxi-tetra cycline again even though I haven't gave antibiotics in about 6 days and I just gave yogurt an hour ago an yesterday. Will it harm her to give antibiotics right after she was givin probiotics (yogurt)... 

I really think the antibiotics were helpin but a few days after I stopped giving them she started acting more tired and swollen belly. Continue antibiotics?

Also sorry for my spelling & grammer I'm rushing.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Grammer is not important. Ifshe has a hard belly, or a water belly, you will feel it underneath right in front of legs. If this is so there's nothing you can do, and have to think about if she's enduring pain.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

I don't feel water belly in front of her legs only her abdomen area. Should I start antibiotics? They seemed to help, when I stopped she went back 2 being sick and I feel bad about stopping them. Thank you for your help with her.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

The area in front of legs I mean that as her abdomen. Where is she swollen and what does it feel like?


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

FYI If you have hard water,you need to mix the antibiotics in distilled water or double the recommended dosage.I was told this by a veterinarian when I had a rooster on it w/ no improvement.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Thank y'all! Sorry about that I thought you were talking about her crop area. It's in her abdomen and it's like a water balloon but much less full than it was before I gave antibiotics.

Is distilled water like in water bottles? Also she doesn't like to be hand fed or givin water by me she only drinks on her own so can I mix antibiotics in apple sauce?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

You can buy distilled water at Walmart under the brand name "Great Value" in 1 gallon plastic containers.
Oxytet is a soluable powder and should be mixed in water. You stated that she only drinks on her own. Then there shouldnt be a need for applesauce.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Ok thank you. I gave her some tetra cycline (higher concentrated than before because it's hard to get her to drink) and I gave her apple sauce just as a snack and she drank a sip of water on her own afterwards. 

It seems like only her body is lethargic-- She makes some chickens sounds, looks around, pecks other chickens and eats a little but it's hard for her to walk. Also I have a hen who pooped egg without shell. I noticed she pooped a little soft shell which I managed to pull out some.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Today is day 3 of antibiotics she is walking much more, less walking like her belly is super heavy and she's drinking and eating more! I think the anti biotics are helping again!


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Good news!!!I hope she recovers.We all know what it's like to loose a prized pet...


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