Listless hen for several months, now being attacked

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coryjp75

coryjp75

Chirping
12 Years
Sep 12, 2009
13
0
75
Portland
I have 3 Australorps and 2 Silver-Laced Wyandottes that have been raised together for just over a year now. One of the Australorps has been rather listless for a few months now. She doses off by herself in the run, while the others forage. If I toss out scratch she goes for it, but doesn't have the energy that the others do. Recently, the Silver-Laced Wyandottes have taken to attacking her, pecking at her head feathers and forcing her to the ground. It looks to me, like they are trying to kill her. I've been wondering for sometime if she has some sort of illness, but now that she is being attacked, I have separated her. She is no longer laying eggs - not sure how long this has been going on but she does eat, drink, and poop (looks normal).

Not sure what else I can do for her. Any suggestions or ideas?
 
I suspect you are right, and you may well lose her. Doubt there is anything else you can do short of a vet. I'm sure you have tried special treats, vitamins, etc. Sounds like you just have a bird with some sort of internal problem. Sorry.
 
Worms, lice, mites, can all lead to a downward spiral in a hen's energy level. There are medications out there to treat these conditions.

I don't know what is wrong with your chicken. If you are SURE she doesn't have mites or lice OR some other respiratory infection/enteritis etc., then you might research deworming just in case.

Some people on this board deworm their fowl on a regular basis. Others just wait until they see worms. It is a personal decision. I would like to hear what you think about these things I have brought up. Or you could just do a search on here and internet.

I *again* have very little experience with sick chickens. I have never had to deworm any chicken (except that I feed mine DE). I am only responding to your question since it looks like you don't have many responses.

I am thinking about what I might do if I saw that in a chicken over one year old in my flock. I absolutely agree separating her was important.

I hope someone with more sick chicken experience will chime in.
 
Quote:
Oh, I am sorry. I recently had a similiar situation except my barred rock was one of my older hens. I was totally surprised when her egg-mates and the others attacked her one day while free ranging. I found her alone and bloodied after a "normal" chicken morning. I separated her, leaned up her wounds, mostly superficial and only let her free range when I was around to watch over and make sure they was left alone. She was not and I still don't understand why. My little flock has gotten along well seemingly forever. Unfortunately, she died, about 10 days later, but I have attributed that to her age and her physical and mental decline over the last 6 months.

I hope others can offer you answers.
 
Quote:
Thank you for your response. I treated her for worms on her first day, then followed-up the next day with an antibiotic/electrolyte cocktail. Her comb is lightening up in color and she looks healthier. I'll give her wounds a little more time to heal and then try putting her back in with the flock - under observation, of course.
 
Oh I'm so happy to hear she's doing better!!!! Good little hen!!!

love.gif


And good for you!

hugs.gif
 
coryjp75. I'm curious as to what wormer and antibiotic you used? Instinct tells healthy chickens to get rid of the sick ones...survival of the fittist.
 
Quote:
Dewormer: Wazine 17
Antibiotics: Durvet - DURAMYCIN 10
Electrolytes: Durvet - Poultry Vitamins & Electrolytes-M55
(sometimes I use Emergen-C)

Having read many of the postings here regarding treatments, I doubt the Duramycin did much, but I felt I had to do something. My guess is that she has been malnourished for some time, being the weakling of the flock, she continued to suffer. I know chickens try to kill off sick members of the flock, but it doesn't seem she had any infectious diseases which makes me wonder - why?
 
The hen seems healthy except for low weight but the other birds will not leave her alone. I tried to put her back in with the flock and five minutes later she was being pecked to the ground and then more of my birds joined-in.

She is one of the oldest members of my flock (1-1 1/2years old) and the attack seems to be instigated by others of her age group.

Other than some sort of chronic illness that has no visible symptoms, I'm out of ideas why this is happening.
 
She still seems healthy except for hunkering down in one spot and dozing off during the day. The two other hens of the same breed have a bright red comb while her's is dark and shrivelled.

Any ideas?
 

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