DogwoodCoop
Hatching
- Dec 21, 2023
- 5
- 0
- 7
I have a 8 month old buff orpington hen that had an unknown illness in recent months. First time owner here btw but I've gotten a lot of great advice on this site so far.
My hen started out with the typical slower movements, staying by my side, stumbling around, not so energetic, etc. Then I noticed it ate less and less within a couple of days and she had also been scratching around her eye and neck region. I had already been giving my hens ACV in their water and the occasional garlic, as well. I saw on a random thread that some people had tried Hypericum Perforatum (a natural nerve pain remedy), so I tried that too, along with the Epsom salt bath, removing her from the flock and being in a warmed and isolated kennel in the garage, while still taking her out for some sunlight every day.
She quickly bounced back but still had that slight stumbling effect. Her comb and wattles have stayed in their early growth stage (pink and short) while my other BOs have the full red ones now. She still scratches at her eyes and moves slowly. She'll occasionally peck and hold her own if another hen is invading her feeding time, and she keeps her mouth open sometimes too.
Bottom line is she has never been 100 percent again but she can still have basic functions like eating, normal poops, roosting, and so on. She's just not thriving anymore and I'm trying to rule out so many illnesses and diseases like Merricks, conjunctiva, worms, respiratory infections, etc.
Any advice or suggestions are welcomed. I understand I may have to cull this hen but I don't feel like it's gotten to that point in these last few months.
My hen started out with the typical slower movements, staying by my side, stumbling around, not so energetic, etc. Then I noticed it ate less and less within a couple of days and she had also been scratching around her eye and neck region. I had already been giving my hens ACV in their water and the occasional garlic, as well. I saw on a random thread that some people had tried Hypericum Perforatum (a natural nerve pain remedy), so I tried that too, along with the Epsom salt bath, removing her from the flock and being in a warmed and isolated kennel in the garage, while still taking her out for some sunlight every day.
She quickly bounced back but still had that slight stumbling effect. Her comb and wattles have stayed in their early growth stage (pink and short) while my other BOs have the full red ones now. She still scratches at her eyes and moves slowly. She'll occasionally peck and hold her own if another hen is invading her feeding time, and she keeps her mouth open sometimes too.
Bottom line is she has never been 100 percent again but she can still have basic functions like eating, normal poops, roosting, and so on. She's just not thriving anymore and I'm trying to rule out so many illnesses and diseases like Merricks, conjunctiva, worms, respiratory infections, etc.
Any advice or suggestions are welcomed. I understand I may have to cull this hen but I don't feel like it's gotten to that point in these last few months.