- May 18, 2013
- 103
- 4
- 104
I've had one of my hens, Claire, an almost 2 year old Buff Orpington, inside for the past week or so. Some background on her before I get into this possible sickness, last winter wasn't nearly as harsh as this winter in central Massachusetts, but she seemed to have problems with her feet. I would feel them, and they would be freezing cold. No signs of frostbite, but slightly pinkish/reddish between the toes. Other than cold feet, she was fine, she still was getting on the roost every night and laying eggs almost daily.
This year, most days for her would be spent in the corner of the coop, neck retracted, and slightly puffed up feathers. Her feet were also cold like they were last winter, I've noticed that she isn't able to bend her toes much at all, but will sometimes rest her foot curled up and put some weight on it.
Once she started to not go up onto the roost at night, and stay in the corner and not move from that spot, I brought her inside the house. I kept her in the office side of the basement with room temp water, food, and some cranberries. She stayed huddled up for a bit, then went and layed down in front of the space heater with her wing outstretched. That night, I put her in a large storage bin with hay, food, and water. I brought her up to my bedroom and had the heater on (not directly pointed at the box though) and a baby humidifier going all night. This was all about two weeks ago, and I kept her in just overnight.
For this past week or so, I've had her in my room in the same set up as I said above. Her breathing is still pretty loud, it sounds more congested lower down in her lungs rather than mucus in her nostrils. On an inhale she breathes through her nose, and on the exhale will open her beak slightly, with her lower jaw protruding. All this time she has been inside, I've had the humidifier going all night and all day, which has seemed to help slightly, but not to the point where she is completely cleared of whatever congestion she has. While her nose is not runny, some days her eyes will have tiny bubbles in them. Every so often she will move her beak and it sounds like her mouth if very sticky felling, like mucus in her throat. Her breathing doesn't sound very wheezy,maybe the slightest bit on the inhale, she sounds more like shes making the noise on her own.
Her eating is alright, I have a bowl of her regular layer pellets available at all times, and Ill sprinkle some scratch in her bedding and in her food. What I find odd is when I hold a small hand full of pellets in front of her, she gobbles them up like shes starving, but wont really go to the bowl of food on her own. I've tried mixing some pellets with warm water and olive oil to make it into a mash, but she didn't touch it. I have offered her fruits, and yogurt which she loved, but didn't seem to care for the fruit. She also doesn't drink as much as I was expecting. Sometimes Ill hold the bowl in front of her like I do with the food, and she seems thirsty, but wont go over to the dish of water much on her own. She feels a bit thin, too. Her poop is normal, but she sometimes makes a little screech like shes constipated and in pain. at other times she will makes this screeching noise out of nowhere and its quite concerning. I've researched symptoms of egg binding, as she hasn't laid in egg in what seems like months, but she is still passing manure. If she were egg bound, what would I be feeling for in her under carriage area? I've thought that this whole change in her overall self could be a molt, as she didn't molt when every other hen did. This is their first year of a molt, too. While she has been inside, I've noticed a lot of regrowth of feathers, but her symptoms are still the same as they have been.
I've mixed a solution of VetRX and put some around her nostrils and a couple dots on her throat and throughout her feathers. It has helped slightly with the wheezing and congestion, but hasnt gotten rid of whatever is causing these issues. Ill insert some pictures of her if that helps at all
I've had a friend look at her who is a vet, but doesn't specialize in birds or poultry. Is it worth taking her to a vet that does treat poultry? I want to do everything I can to keep my hen alive and well, as long as she isn't in pain, which she doesn't seem to be in much pain, but she really isn't herself. Its almost like she has a cold..
Here's some pictures if they help.
(she has poop on her face in this pic)^
This year, most days for her would be spent in the corner of the coop, neck retracted, and slightly puffed up feathers. Her feet were also cold like they were last winter, I've noticed that she isn't able to bend her toes much at all, but will sometimes rest her foot curled up and put some weight on it.
Once she started to not go up onto the roost at night, and stay in the corner and not move from that spot, I brought her inside the house. I kept her in the office side of the basement with room temp water, food, and some cranberries. She stayed huddled up for a bit, then went and layed down in front of the space heater with her wing outstretched. That night, I put her in a large storage bin with hay, food, and water. I brought her up to my bedroom and had the heater on (not directly pointed at the box though) and a baby humidifier going all night. This was all about two weeks ago, and I kept her in just overnight.
For this past week or so, I've had her in my room in the same set up as I said above. Her breathing is still pretty loud, it sounds more congested lower down in her lungs rather than mucus in her nostrils. On an inhale she breathes through her nose, and on the exhale will open her beak slightly, with her lower jaw protruding. All this time she has been inside, I've had the humidifier going all night and all day, which has seemed to help slightly, but not to the point where she is completely cleared of whatever congestion she has. While her nose is not runny, some days her eyes will have tiny bubbles in them. Every so often she will move her beak and it sounds like her mouth if very sticky felling, like mucus in her throat. Her breathing doesn't sound very wheezy,maybe the slightest bit on the inhale, she sounds more like shes making the noise on her own.
Her eating is alright, I have a bowl of her regular layer pellets available at all times, and Ill sprinkle some scratch in her bedding and in her food. What I find odd is when I hold a small hand full of pellets in front of her, she gobbles them up like shes starving, but wont really go to the bowl of food on her own. I've tried mixing some pellets with warm water and olive oil to make it into a mash, but she didn't touch it. I have offered her fruits, and yogurt which she loved, but didn't seem to care for the fruit. She also doesn't drink as much as I was expecting. Sometimes Ill hold the bowl in front of her like I do with the food, and she seems thirsty, but wont go over to the dish of water much on her own. She feels a bit thin, too. Her poop is normal, but she sometimes makes a little screech like shes constipated and in pain. at other times she will makes this screeching noise out of nowhere and its quite concerning. I've researched symptoms of egg binding, as she hasn't laid in egg in what seems like months, but she is still passing manure. If she were egg bound, what would I be feeling for in her under carriage area? I've thought that this whole change in her overall self could be a molt, as she didn't molt when every other hen did. This is their first year of a molt, too. While she has been inside, I've noticed a lot of regrowth of feathers, but her symptoms are still the same as they have been.
I've mixed a solution of VetRX and put some around her nostrils and a couple dots on her throat and throughout her feathers. It has helped slightly with the wheezing and congestion, but hasnt gotten rid of whatever is causing these issues. Ill insert some pictures of her if that helps at all
I've had a friend look at her who is a vet, but doesn't specialize in birds or poultry. Is it worth taking her to a vet that does treat poultry? I want to do everything I can to keep my hen alive and well, as long as she isn't in pain, which she doesn't seem to be in much pain, but she really isn't herself. Its almost like she has a cold..
Here's some pictures if they help.
(she has poop on her face in this pic)^
