Hen with sudden alarming weight loss

[WingsysRoost]

I had a hen with what I believe was cancer and the first signs were severe, sudden weight loss and difficulties with egg laying (repeated soft eggs despite calcium supplements). She was very lethargic, as well, and her feathers just did not look like those of a healthy chicken. Her comb and face got very pale. She could not gain weight, either, no matter what I fed her.

You've received some good suggestions on what to check already. If you are able to weigh her, that would be useful information as well. If you make a mash (warm water mixed with their food, allowed to cool before feeding), would she eat that? She might be having a difficult time with the dry food for whatever reason, which would be another reason for a drastic weight loss.

Another option to try would be egg. I usually do scrambled or hardboiled mashed. If she is capable of gaining weight, egg is a very good source of protein and works really well.

 

[ShaylaJ]

I had a hen with what I believe was cancer and the first signs were severe, sudden weight loss and difficulties with egg laying (repeated soft eggs despite calcium supplements). She was very lethargic, as well, and her feathers just did not look like those of a healthy chicken. Her comb and face got very pale. She could not gain weight, either, no matter what I fed her.

You've received some good suggestions on what to check already. If you are able to weigh her, that would be useful information as well. If you make a mash (warm water mixed with their food, allowed to cool before feeding), would she eat that? She might be having a difficult time with the dry food for whatever reason, which would be another reason for a drastic weight loss.

Another option to try would be egg. I usually do scrambled or hardboiled mashed. If she is capable of gaining weight, egg is a very good source of protein and works really well.

Thank you for your input! if it is cancer what can I do about that, or is it just something I have to make her as comfortable as I can with until she passes? I fed her some food that I turned into a mash with water like you said but she didn't eat much of that but she did eat some raw egg I gave her. She is an ameraucana so she is a bigger chicken so what should I look for when I weigh her, just seeing if she is gaining weight?