My young hen is dying.

[SandraVG]

I'm trying to save my cream crested leg bar. We got her this July 2023. She was lively on Sunday. On Monday she wouldn't stand and eyes were half shut. We thought she was dying. Tuesday she laid 2 eggs, it was her first time laying, so I assume she had inbound eggs. I tried to feed her, but she just sleeps. I brought her inside and has been trying to give her yogurt, egg yolk, crushed calcium with sugar water. Is there anything else I can do? I'm also researching about Marek's disease. My rooster might have died from it and maybe that's what's making my hen sick?

 

[SandraVG]

Time got away from me, but I just wanted to thank everyone for your input and advice. I just wanted to give a follow up report. Day 1-3 I had to syringe feed her. Day 4-5 she started to eat on her own. Day 6-7 started integrating her back into the flock. Day 8 she was back. She started laying eggs again after 2 weeks and doing well now. Thanks again!!!

 

[nuthatched]

When did you get them? Is she new?
What is her diet?

 

[SandraVG]

What does her poo look like? Could you send a photo of it?

She squirted out some poo this morning, very watery & stinky. She hasn't pooped since. She's literally head down and will only drink when I pick her head up and bring the water to her.

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

It seems most likely that she is having reproductive trouble. Can you feel an egg when you gently press the area around her vent?

I would put a whole calcium pill in her mouth to swallow if you haven't already. Also putting her in a warm, steamy bathroom or on a warming pad might help, though you'd need to look out for signs of overheating. Keep her hydrated as best you can with sugar or electrolyte water. If you have nutri-drench I'd add a little of that to her water.

 

[nuthatched]

Sorry about that, I meant that her immune system was down, after straining to get those 2 eggs out for the first time. And I learned that Mareks sticks around your flock, so I thought maybe it's an opportunistic virus like the flu. So I wonder if initially she was laying around because of the inbound eggs, but now she's sick with something else. And yes, I've been giving her yogurt and egg yolks, but she hardly takes any. Do you think it would be bad to give her some with the syringe? She's not eating on her own. And am I prolong her suffering? so hard!

You can use a syringe to feed her, yes.
It doesn't sound like mareks to me, just a laying or digestion issue.
Search tube feeding in the search bar.

 

[Sally PB]

Time got away from me, but I just wanted to thank everyone for your input and advice. I just wanted to give a follow up report. Day 1-3 I had to syringe feed her. Day 4-5 she started to eat on her own. Day 6-7 started integrating her back into the flock. Day 8 she was back. She started laying eggs again after 2 weeks and doing well now. Thanks again!!!

Thank you for the update! It's so nice to read that a bird gets better.

 

[SandraVG]

When did you get them? Is she new?
What is her diet?

We got all our chicks in July from the same source. We get organic feed from Scratch & Peck, occasion grubterra, chickens free range in the yard, so weeds, grass, kale, compost pile.

 

[Rose the Legbar]

What does her poo look like? Could you send a photo of it?

 

[nuthatched]

We got all our chicks in July from the same source. We get organic feed from Scratch & Peck, occasion grubterra, chickens free range in the yard, so weeds, grass, kale, compost pile.

How's her crop feel? Doughy? Squishy? Hard? Oh could be a crop problem or she found something bad in the compost pile