🚨 Potential Dying Hen? Help??!

[Nelson-Collier]

—Update 3: she ate a few bites of food from my hand. I’m giving her that cooked egg now. Fries (no oil),cut into fine pieces. Put some small seeds (black oil sunflower) in with her food, better something then nothing, the protein will do her good...

 

[rascal66]

I wish you luck with your hen.

If you're curious at all, this was my thread with what we think was blackhead. I couldn't confirm diagnosis, so not 100% certain.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pullet-with-yellow-urate.1375083/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you get some better photos of her with some light?
To me it looks like her comb and the back of her head is dirty - see if that wipes off with a damp cloth.

Check her crop first thing in the morning and let us know if it's empty before she's had anything to eat/drink.

Does she lay eggs? How old is she?

You mention the others bullying her, she may be being kept from food water. I would add some electrolytes to her water, look her over for injury and lice/mites. While you're at it, feel her abdomen below the vent between her legs for bloat or feeling of fluid.

W.R.

 

[micstrachan]

I agree with advice by Eggcessive and Wyorp Rock. I noticed your hen is molting. Last year my hen nearly starved herself to death during molt. I hadn't been handling her because of molt and she suddenly became weak, tired and even a little wobbly. When I went to check on her during the night, she had fallen from the roost and was sprawled on the coop floor. I immediately brought her inside and provided a comfy carrier with lots of warmth. I provided baby bird formula and she gobbled it up. After a few days and nights inside with her own food and warmth, she was ready to go back out with the flock. My point is, are you sure she was eating when she was with the flock? Molters will sometimes shy away from the crowd.

 

[Nelson-Collier]

Can you get some better photos of her with some light?
To me it looks like her comb and the back of her head is dirty - see if that wipes off with a damp cloth.

Check her crop first thing in the morning and let us know if it's empty before she's had anything to eat/drink.

Does she lay eggs? How old is she?

You mention the others bullying her, she may be being kept from food water. I would add some electrolytes to her water, look her over for injury and lice/mites. While you're at it, feel her abdomen below the vent between her legs for bloat or feeling of fluid.

W.R.

I’ll get some better photos in just a few minutes. It’s definitely not dirty. It may be dirty, but I mean the color... it got worse over time and her **comb** was like... oozing... I wasn’t able to get up early enough to check that. She’s been picking at her food and water, which is good, she wasn’t eating or drinking anything. I mentioned earlier she does not lay eggs. 7 hens and only 2 lay eggs. I got them April 7 2018 at 1 week old, so over 2 years. In a post yesterday I added electrolytes to her water and she finally started drinking a little. I’ll check her over when I go to take the photos. The hens were in fact going through with mites, but I’ve treated them and I haven’t seen any symptoms really...

 

[Nelson-Collier]

I agree with advice by Eggcessive and Wyorp Rock. I noticed your hen is molting. Last year my hen nearly starved herself to death during molt. I hadn't been handling her because of molt and she suddenly became weak, tired and even a little wobbly. When I went to check on her during the night, she had fallen from the roost and was sprawled on the coop floor. I immediately brought her inside and provided a comfy carrier with lots of warmth. I provided baby bird formula and she gobbled it up. After a few days and nights inside with her own food and warmth, she was ready to go back out with the flock. My point is, are you sure she was eating when she was with the flock? Molters will sometimes shy away from the crowd.

I’ve mentioned in the thread she wasn’t eating and I didn’t see her drink water, so I brought her in, gave her electrolytes, and she ate a lot of the cooked egg I gave her. I’ll update in a second.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It may be dirty, but I mean the color... it got worse over time and the waddle was like... oozing

I mentioned earlier she does not lay eggs. 7 hens and only 2 lay eggs. I got them April 7 2018 at 1 week old, so over 2 years.

The hens were in fact going through with mites, but I’ve treated them and I haven’t seen any symptoms really

Wattle oozing sounds like injury.

I must have missed that she wasn't laying eggs. A 2yr old hen that's not laying eggs unless she's molting, I would suspect has a reproductive issue which can be very common and cause a decline.

I would re-check for mites and lice again.

 

[Nelson-Collier]

Wattle oozing sounds like injury.

I must have missed that she wasn't laying eggs. A 2yr old hen that's not laying eggs unless she's molting, I would suspect has a reproductive issue which can be very common and cause a decline.

I would re-check for mites and lice again.

I have golden comets, most people I talk to say they stop laying between 2 1/2 to 3 years.. she’s almost 3...
I just checked on her and her waddle is dark still. I felt it and it’s hard to the touch, almost like a massive scab or a burnt potato chip. The red part of her waddle is fine... how do I check for lice and mites?

 

[Nelson-Collier]

Wattle oozing sounds like injury.

I must have missed that she wasn't laying eggs. A 2yr old hen that's not laying eggs unless she's molting, I would suspect has a reproductive issue which can be very common and cause a decline.

I would re-check for mites and lice again.

I checked her and I’ve noticed a bubble on her chest where her crop should be. I felt it gently and she didn’t seem to like it but she will let me touch her anywhere else... what is it??

 

[Nelson-Collier]

She’s eating and drinking a little... she pooped... her butt looks dirty, not sure how to handle that... she’s sleepy (spots on her beak are from the egg).. I felt the bump on her chest where her crop is, could it just be an empty crop? I’m so worried and confused and baffled...