Is my chicken sick ?

[CountryHaven]

Not sure if my hen is sick or not . She is a red sex link and I noticed she is a lot lighter then the other chickens. I noticed her because of her beak this week had a weird chip out of it (I got hem with their beaks trimmed so the top is much shorter then the bottom which had the chip) I was worried it was affecting her eating so I trimmed it slightly just to even it up . The temperature has dropped her this week in ontario to below zero Celsius at night and during the mornings . The coop is insulated and they are locked in at night so their is no draft, but she is the only one who is puffed up and her wattle looks paler and more shrivelled then usual. Puffed up during the day as well where everyone else looks normal and she is the only one to tuck her head while she sleeps. I have been bringing her in the house the last two days just for a few hours and feeding her a fatty snack ... I'm wondering if her beak was an issue and now it is better since its been trimmed up ..she ate like a little piggy . They are about 10 months old .. This is their first real winter and did not molt this year . This is also my first winter with chickens. I checked for lice and mites and all look clear ...any advice ?

 

[Bridebeliever]

How many hens is she in with? Is she getting bullied? Can she get to the food and water or is she being chased away from it? Chickens really are made to with stand the cold. Bringing her in and out of warm temperatures could keep her from regulating temperature so I wouldn't do that too much.

 

[CountryHaven]

Nope ... Not bullied tons of food and water inside and outside the coop. I have 29 hens and all get along well . I had read a bunch of other threads that had said to bring her in ... But I didn't want to bring her in for long because of those reasons ... Just to ensure she is eating and I had to trim her beak and didnt want to do it in the coop in case she bled .. She just seems lighter when I pick her up and is all puffed out like she's cold .. We are not nearly there yet to the cold temperatures .. She's roosts and snuggles with others while sleeping . I'm keeping an eye on her .. Just har:/d when your reading tons of other posts thinking it could be 1000 different things or nothing ..:/

 

[Bridebeliever]

Oh tell me about it! You could diagnose her with 50 different ailments! I would do some things for her like give her some extra food separate from the flock and see how she does. I personally LOVE to ferment feed and it's very healthy for them and they love it. A little ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) in the water is good. Good luck!

 

[Hholly]

It never hurts to give some Corid in case it's coccidiosis. Being lethagric and puffed up are symptoms. Good luck.

 

[Teila]

Howdy CountryHaven

Yep, it is truly amazing how the symptoms of whatever actually ails them are also the symptoms for so many other things!

Sometimes their poop can be an indication of something wrong and/or an aid in diagnosis.

Do her poops look OK? No diarrhoea, discolouration, abnormalities etc?

 

[CountryHaven]

I read something else about the vinager in their water.. What does fermenting feed entail?? That is new to me . I love my chickens and bake treats for them on the weekends especially now it's getting cooler to add some natural fats and they are still getting pumpkins and squash regularly too . they are very loved and spoiled ..

 

[CountryHaven]

checked poop while she was in the mud room having her snack.. Looked normal .. I'm going to stop at tsc tomorrow on my way home from and pick up a few things to have on hand .. Def lethargic compared to the others who are always on the move.. Thanks everyone !!

 

[Bridebeliever]

I read something else about the vinager in their water.. What does fermenting feed entail?? That is new to me . I love my chickens and bake treats for them on the weekends especially now it's getting cooler to add some natural fats and they are still getting pumpkins and squash regularly too .

they are very loved and spoiled ..

Okay! I love fermenting so I'm happy to talk about it! First off, reasons why I love it:

1. Healthy for my chickens!
2. Saves money - Less Waste and they need to eat 1/4 less than usual!
3. Less smelly poo!
4. Healthy for my chicken...wait, I said that...but really, it's my main purpose.

I use Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar in my ferment...not everybody does, but I do and my chickens gobble it up! I also add "juice" from my homemade sauerkraut to my feed ferment as well. You can use both or neither. I'm going to give you two good links regarding fermenting chicken feed. They are worth the read and will help you understand the 'why'.

http://ohlardy.com/fermented-chicken-feed/

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/p/fermented-feed.html

 

[CountryHaven]

Okay! I love fermenting so I'm happy to talk about it!  First off, reasons why I love it:

1. Healthy for my chickens!
2. Saves money - Less Waste and they need to eat 1/4 less than usual!
3. Less smelly poo!
4. Healthy for my chicken...wait, I said that...but really, it's my main purpose. :yiipchick

I use Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar in my ferment...not everybody does, but I do and my chickens gobble it up! I also add "juice" from my homemade sauerkraut to my feed ferment as well.  You can use both or neither.  I'm going to give you two good links regarding fermenting chicken feed.  They are worth the read and will help you understand the 'why'.

http://ohlardy.com/fermented-chicken-feed/

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/p/fermented-feed.html

Thanks so much I will read until it !