- May 27, 2014
- 25
- 0
- 55
Don't really know if there is any hope. I got 6 hens in June - they were to young to lay at the time. All were fat and eating well.
The smallest one - who was always eating like crazy just started acting funny - she was skin and bones. Took to vet - he was clueless but put her on worm medicine and antibiotics - she stood the next day and then died.
6 weeks later - one of my hens who was laying and always a good eater started to drink more than usual. Comb color was good, no wings dropped, tail up etc. Free ranged one day and the next not doing much - 3 days later she was dead. I tried antibiotics and worming again for her. Wormed the other 4 as well.
One month to the day today I go out and my biggest and fattest hen is looking funny. Tail feather down and not eating like usual. Checked her and she has lost weight. Gave her Nutridrench this morning and antibiotic. She seemed a little better this afternoon. But not eating like she usually does.
I must say that I am on a local chicken group on FB and was reading about someone losing 3 hens in a week. I found out from this guy that he had bought them from the same place I had. He bought his in March and me in June. He lost his last month.
I have suspected it was from where I bought them. I feed them good layer crumbles along with herbs, probiotics. Change water daily and clean run and coop. My neighbors don't do half of what I do - they have lost 15 to predators so I cannot let mine out a lot.
The guy who bought his from the same place said it was Mareks. My vet thought it could be that too. The first just wasted away, the second wasted away but also had a large lump under one wing.
So is there any hope or do I just keep them comfortable and they succumb to this? Really not sure if I will get more chickens and try again later. Too hard to watch them just die like this.
The smallest one - who was always eating like crazy just started acting funny - she was skin and bones. Took to vet - he was clueless but put her on worm medicine and antibiotics - she stood the next day and then died.
6 weeks later - one of my hens who was laying and always a good eater started to drink more than usual. Comb color was good, no wings dropped, tail up etc. Free ranged one day and the next not doing much - 3 days later she was dead. I tried antibiotics and worming again for her. Wormed the other 4 as well.
One month to the day today I go out and my biggest and fattest hen is looking funny. Tail feather down and not eating like usual. Checked her and she has lost weight. Gave her Nutridrench this morning and antibiotic. She seemed a little better this afternoon. But not eating like she usually does.
I must say that I am on a local chicken group on FB and was reading about someone losing 3 hens in a week. I found out from this guy that he had bought them from the same place I had. He bought his in March and me in June. He lost his last month.
I have suspected it was from where I bought them. I feed them good layer crumbles along with herbs, probiotics. Change water daily and clean run and coop. My neighbors don't do half of what I do - they have lost 15 to predators so I cannot let mine out a lot.
The guy who bought his from the same place said it was Mareks. My vet thought it could be that too. The first just wasted away, the second wasted away but also had a large lump under one wing.
So is there any hope or do I just keep them comfortable and they succumb to this? Really not sure if I will get more chickens and try again later. Too hard to watch them just die like this.
