Recent content by redhens

Final update: After consultation with the vet, we have decided to have her put down. She's been sick for 10 days and though the doctor is keeping her alive, she's not actually getting better, nor is he optimistic that she will.

Update: She's been diagnosed with a mycoplasma infection and is still at the vet. I just talked to the nurse and she says her eyes are still open only to slits and she's still not eating either, so they're trying to stimulate her appetite. Anyone have any experience with this and any guess...

Update: Took her into a local vet and he says it looks like something upper respiratory. He's going to hang onto her for a few days, rehydrate her, and give her antibiotics and eye drops. Consultation: $35, Medications & Hospital Stay: estimated $50-60. So, our $5 chicken just became a $90...

Update - she made it through the night pretty much unchanged. Eyes still won't open more than a slit and she's still all puffed up, but I have had better luck getting sugar water down her throat today. About how much and how frequently should I be attempting to get her to drink?

I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary yesterday morning when I let them out, but my nephew did the afternoon and evening duties and says they weren't around in the afternoon (they have free range of the fenced part of our yard during the day, which is about 1/4 acre, so they're often in a...

Okay, an update. Her poop is yellowish orange, about the color of breastfed baby poop, and definitely more liquid than usual but not completely runny. She perks up when I shake the food near her, but doesn't try to peck - again, not sure if she really doesn't want it or if she just can't see...

One of my hens (Production Red, about 1 year old) can't seem to open her eyes more than a slit. I can't see any discharge (from her eye or anywhere else), inflammation, or anything else that seems out of the ordinary. She's all puffed up like she's cold (it's currently 33 degrees) but trying to...