Could she be sick and molting?

[bambi]

I posted a few days ago about a molting hen. Now I am thinking she is not well. I couldn't find the question section so I will do my best to present the problem.
AGE: 9mths
FEED: layer, corn, boss, rice, greens,apples,barley,yogurt,scrapes,scrambled eggs she is not eating anything also I have tried salmon and tuna
POOP: normal
BEHAVIOR: staying isolated from the rest does not leave the hen house area.
CONDITION OF HEN: very thin crop empty
What have I done: I have checked her over no signs of mites. She is showing replacement of feathers. I have tried the foods above and then some and she has no interest in them. She does however peck around the food dish at the flooring but does not seem to me she is searching for food and if I toss it on the flooring she has no interest. Her crop is empty. The other hens have nothing to do with her and will chase her off or she will run away from them if they come towards her. She has always been a lone wolf but she is acting alot different now. She is not sneezing her comb is still red. She has not layed for several days but she is showing no signs of laying destress that I am aware of.

Can anyone give me any feed back, answer or avenues to look into?

 

[bambi]

Also forgot to add she is not drinking.

 

[bambi]

Anyone? please

 

[Lesa]

Sorry you are having trouble with your bird... Is it possible for you to separate her- maybe bring her inside in a cage? I think you will have better luck getting her to eat and drink, if she is away from the others. I can almost always get ill birds to drink, if I hold a small bowl of water up to their beaks. Hope others will chime in. Good luck!

 

[jjthink]

Not sure how cold it is there these days but if you haven't already, I would provide her with a comfortably warm quiet comfy place to be with all her creature comforts nearby if she does decide to eat or drink. Important that she doesn't have to expend energy trying to keep warm when she's ill.

 

[bambi]

Lesa, I can but her in a cage and bring it inside. jjthink, I tried to put a container of water up to her as well as food but no she won't go for it. I don't know if you can answer this but your opion is greatly appreciated. If I take her in how would the best way be for me to keep excepted by her fellow hens? She is the lowest of the pecking order and the other hens really never cared for her. How long would you suggest I keep her inside? Thank you it is much appreciated

 

[Lesa]

When you bring her in, you will be better able to assess the situation. In a few days, if she seems better- eating, drinking, pooping- I would return her to the coop in the dark, when all others are roosting. Take a look at the bottom of her feet when you bring her in, just to make sure no bumblefoot problems exist. Good luck!

 

[bambi]

Thanks. I am willing to give it a try.

 

[fiberart57]

She won't normally have a hard molt during her first year but will lose a few, or more than a few, feathers in what I call a soft molt. She shouldn't have bare skin.

If she's at the bottom of the pecking order, she may just be afraid of the others.

Try moistening her layer food and see if she'll eat that. You might even separate her from the rest and hand feed it to her. My little Australorpe at the bottom of the pecking order was afraid to go to the feeder and this worked for her. It also seemed to help her self esteem; being singled out for special treatment from the "rooster".

Keep trying scrambled eggs and other nutritious treats for her but decrease the other food. Apples are nice but can send things through their digestive tract quickly.

WHEN do you check her for mites? If you check her during the day, there's a chance that you won't see them. Some breed of chicken mites only come out at night and feed and spend the daytime hiding in cracks in the coop. The best time to check for mites is at night, or in the dark, when they've been on the perch a while. Take a flashlight out and check around the vent and under the wings.

This is also not a bad time to assess how she's interacting with the others. I have an Andalusian who gets cranky sometimes and I can tell what her mood is by where she sleeps on the roost. Some nights, the other chickens won't come near her and she's all alone. Other nights she's cuddled up with someone. If yours isolates herself from the others every night, then there's some socialization problems and I'm not sure what to do.

Good luck,
Mary

 

[jjthink]

Reintegration is always a concern but right now getting her well trumps that. Is the cage big enough for her to move around and for food and water and oyster shell and grit to be in there without being in her way (I know she's not eating right now but those things need to be accessible). I use a small bathroom when I need to create a temporary infirmary. A big dog cage can work very well, lined with a thick layer of comfy pine shavings or straw.
JJ