ReluctantChickenOwner
Songster
- Aug 21, 2022
- 68
- 123
- 123
Hi all, it's been a long while since I've posted or searched BYC. Life. I still have my original hens; some 2yrs old, some 3yrs old. Usually, they are all seemingly healthy, but one Novogen passed away last month overnight in the coop. I found her lying on the bedding. I had noticed her often by herself that day, but didn't follow through on it. Now, I have another Novogen with a limp. There is no apparent injury on the leg or foot, that I can tell. I can't feel any breaks....but?
I searched through BYC last week, and found that others caged injured hens to let them rest; giving Vit B-complex. I did this for over a week. I kept her in the house in a dog cage. Kept it cleaned out and fed her, and gave her the B-complex. A couple of times I took her out to a side yard to see how her limp was doing. Seemed better. So, yesterday I put her in the cage out with her hen friends, but in the cage first. Then last night I snuck her into the coop. She did jump up on a roost and settled in. This morning she came down and out to the run by herself.
However, I still see her by herself a lot, and I'm afraid she is not eating. She is still limping too. Each time I checked on her, her crop was empty. It's getting late and it still feels empty. I don't think she is eating. All the other hens have full crops like usual before going to roost. Any other ideas as to what it could be? I've have local friends mentioning Marek's disease causes neurological issues that could cause the limping. If it might possibly be that, what else should I look for? Will she eventually die?
So far, no other hens seem sick. Sad. Thanks for your time.
Laura
I searched through BYC last week, and found that others caged injured hens to let them rest; giving Vit B-complex. I did this for over a week. I kept her in the house in a dog cage. Kept it cleaned out and fed her, and gave her the B-complex. A couple of times I took her out to a side yard to see how her limp was doing. Seemed better. So, yesterday I put her in the cage out with her hen friends, but in the cage first. Then last night I snuck her into the coop. She did jump up on a roost and settled in. This morning she came down and out to the run by herself.
However, I still see her by herself a lot, and I'm afraid she is not eating. She is still limping too. Each time I checked on her, her crop was empty. It's getting late and it still feels empty. I don't think she is eating. All the other hens have full crops like usual before going to roost. Any other ideas as to what it could be? I've have local friends mentioning Marek's disease causes neurological issues that could cause the limping. If it might possibly be that, what else should I look for? Will she eventually die?
So far, no other hens seem sick. Sad. Thanks for your time.
Laura
