Hen with sudden alarming weight loss

[ShaylaJ]

Hello! I have a hen (named Connie) that is at least three years old but I'm not entirely sure how old she is. I have noticed that she is alarmingly skinny. I'm not sure why she is like this, I was thinking maybe old age but I don't have enough experience to be sure. She does not have any other symptoms that I have noticed yet, she just looks rough and skinny. I couldn't even find her crop and it is usually easy to find the crops on my other chickens (especially at night which is when I checked her crop).

I would really appreciate some help on figuring out what is wrong with her and how I can help her. Thank you

 

[nuthatched]

Have you ever wormed her?

 

[ShaylaJ]

Have you ever wormed her?

No I do not think so. We have this powder stuff that is supposed to help with things like that which is mixed into their food but we have never dewormed her. Do you think it is worms? What signs and symptoms should I be looking for?

 

[nuthatched]

No I do not think so. We have this powder stuff that is supposed to help with things like that which is mixed into their food but we have never dewormed her. Do you think it is worms? What signs and symptoms should I be looking for?

Weight loss, lethargy, dullness etc.
If the powder is de, it's not going to do a blessed thing.
Do the others allow her to eat?

 

[ShaylaJ]

Weight loss, lethargy, dullness etc.
If the powder is de, it's not going to do a blessed thing.
Do the others allow her to eat?

The others don't stop her from eating, she is at the top of the pecking order so doesn't get pecked away and she has access to food. Yesterday I tried feeding her scratch and food by hand but she would just peck the pieces and then drop them.

 

[LaFleche]

The others don't stop her from eating, she is at the top of the pecking order so doesn't get pecked away and she has access to food. Yesterday I tried feeding her scratch and food by hand but she would just peck the pieces and then drop them.

Take a close look into her beak and down her throat to see any obstruction or maybe yellowish/whitish lesion.

Does her crop empty overnight?

 

[ShaylaJ]

Take a close look into her beak and down her throat to see any obstruction or maybe yellowish/whitish lesion.

Does her crop empty overnight?

Ok I will go out and look now. I'm not sure if it empties at night because I am having trouble finding her crop at all. I'll try and keep a close eye on it though.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you look into her beak and throat for anything unusual, such as yellow patches? Does she have a sour or bad odor from her crop? What do her poops look like? Has she laid eggs recently? Does she have any enlargement of her belly down below her vent? Is is hard to know exactly what would cause her to lose so much weight, but cancer could be a possibility. Crop problems, reproductive infections, or intestinal infections should be ruled out. If you should lose her I would either get a necropsy by the state vet (most accurate,) or a home/necropsy autopsy to look at the organs. Post any pictures here for opinions.

 

[ShaylaJ]

Ok I will go out and look now. I'm not sure if it empties at night because I am having trouble finding her crop at all. I'll try and keep a close eye on it though.

I looked in her beak and down her throat and everything looks normal

 

[ShaylaJ]

Can you look into her beak and throat for anything unusual, such as yellow patches? Does she have a sour or bad odor from her crop? What do her poops look like? Has she laid eggs recently? Does she have any enlargement of her belly down below her vent? Is is hard to know exactly what would cause her to lose so much weight, but cancer could be a possibility. Crop problems, reproductive infections, or intestinal infections should be ruled out. If you should lose her I would either get a necropsy by the state vet (most accurate,) or a home/necropsy autopsy to look at the organs. Post any pictures here for opinions.

Her beak and throat look normal. It doesn't seem like their is an odor from her crop and I don't think it is something like sour crop because her crop is not bulging out or anything. Her poops are very runny and white so I think she has only been drinking water and hardly any food. I don't believe she has laid any eggs recently but she is also older so she might be done laying.