2 sudden sick hens, 1 dead, another needing help.

[Chickycammy]

This morning when I went out to my chicken coops and saw that 2 of my 4-month-old girls were acting funny. I moved them into a coop of their own, gave them extra water with vitamins in it, yogurt, grass and extra food. I don't know what's wrong and it was very sudden.

I lost one just 20 minutes ago. The other is wide-eyed, eating, and drinking but still acting odd. Odd as in, laying on her side and tucking her head as close to her chest as she can get. Sudden jerky moments seem to scare her badly and she's making a soft sound. She's lost weight as well.

I really have no idea what happened to them. They were fine yesterday, scratching around and enjoying the other hen's company. They ate and drank water and even did some dust bathing. Is there anything else I could try to be able to keep this one alive? I'm scared that maybe someone gave them something they can't have as my neighbors aren't the best people and dislike my chickens a lot.

 

[The Chicken Whisperer]

I those people poisoned your hens I will march up to their house and give them a piece of my infuriated mind! I feel so bad for you! Can the remaining hen eat hard food? If not I would give her oatmeal. Maybe electrolytes in the water. I really hope your hen gets better, and that the other one stays healthy. You might consider putting up motion detector cameras, to rule out the neighbor idea. Best of luck!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Odd as in, laying on her side and tucking her head as close to her chest as she can get. Sudden jerky moments seem to scare her badly and she's making a soft sound. She's lost weight as well.

I'm sorry for your loss.
What do you normally feed your pullets?
Photos or video of the way she is laying/acting would be good.

Tucking the head in sounds like a neurological condition. I would try to get her hydrated, offer some Poultry Nutri-Drench. For food, offer her some mash up hard boiled egg.

Let us know how she is.

 

[Chickycammy]

I'm sorry for your loss.
What do you normally feed your pullets?
Photos or video of the way she is laying/acting would be good.

Tucking the head in sounds like a neurological condition. I would try to get her hydrated, offer some Poultry Nutri-Drench. For food, offer her some mash up hard boiled egg.

Let us know how she is.

I gave her some eggs last night before it got too dark. I watched her this morning for a good while. She's more active but is staying inside the coop and not wanting to come out into the run with the others.

I gave her more vitamins and I also added some grass into the coop since she wasn't able to get out in the run. I was thinking it'd help. I also gave her some oyster shell. Pretty much trying to cover all the bases for what it could be.

It's really upsetting as I lost their father to old age and they were the only 2 I kept from all his babies. The hen that died looked just like him too.

I'll post a pic of her as today she's looking pretty rough.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings Chickycammy,

What is the growth at the bottom of the hen's comb? I have it circled in yellow. There also appears to be something just under her eye, too. Did the other hen, that died, have any growths? This may be an important to clue to what is ailing your chicken. Also what are the weather conditions where you live?

God Bless

 

[Chickycammy]

Greetings Chickycammy,

What is the growth at the bottom of the hen's comb? I have it circled in yellow. There also appears to be something just under her eye, too. Did the other hen, that died, have any growths? This may be an important to clue to what is ailing your chicken. Also what are the weather conditions where you live?


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God Bless

She's had that since hatching, I don't know what it is and it doesn't seem to bother her. It's hard to the touch and not moveable. I just checked her about under her eye and it was a bit of mud from when she was trying to eat the grass. The other hen didn't have anything on her, I checked her all over making sure she didn't get spider or snake bit.

It's been raining a lot here. I live on the NC/SC line and it's almost always raining lately. I keep the coops and runs covered but the ground has been wetter than normal.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What do you normally feed your pullets?

Check the crop to make sure it's empty by morning. Inspect her for lice/mites and get a fecal float if you can.

 

[rebrascora]

I'm so sorry you lost a bird and have another one sick.

In my experience, you are almost certainly dealing with an outbreak of Marek's disease. It is very common at this age and yes it comes on very suddenly. It can cause rapid decline and death as well as sudden death with no obvious symptoms, but most birds will battle it for days or maybe even weeks and months. It depends on how aggressive the strain is. Neurological symptoms are common but not exclusive. The best you can do is offer a good quality vitamin supplement and probiotics and see how this guy does... I'm guessing by your comments that you are unaware that the bird you have pictured is a cockerel.
I have to say that some of the marks on that comb look like fowl pox to me and if you have been having wet weather, mosquitos may have set that away, although you seem to be saying that they are just dirt or long term deformities.
If this is Marek's it also suppresses the immune system and leaves birds vulnerable to secondary infection like coccidiosis. Again your wet weather may have accelerated an overgrowth, so it may be worth assessing the poop of this surviving one and consider treatment with Corid, but if you decide to do that, hang fire on the vitamin supplement until treatment with Corid is finished.

Good luck

 

[Chickycammy]

What do you normally feed your pullets?

Check the crop to make sure it's empty by morning. Inspect her for lice/mites and get a fecal float if you can.

I don't see any lice or mites on her, her skin is pretty clear. I haven't seen her poop yet. What's a fecal float?

 

[Chickycammy]

I'm so sorry you lost a bird and have another one sick.

In my experience, you are almost certainly dealing with an outbreak of Marek's disease. It is very common at this age and yes it comes on very suddenly. It can cause rapid decline and death as well as sudden death with no obvious symptoms, but most birds will battle it for days or maybe even weeks and months. It depends on how aggressive the strain is. Neurological symptoms are common but not exclusive. The best you can do is offer a good quality vitamin supplement and probiotics and see how this guy does... I'm guessing by your comments that you are unaware that the bird you have pictured is a cockerel.
I have to say that some of the marks on that comb look like fowl pox to me and if you have been having wet weather, mosquitos may have set that away, although you seem to be saying that they are just dirt or long term deformities.
If this is Marek's it also suppresses the immune system and leaves birds vulnerable to secondary infection like coccidiosis. Again your wet weather may have accelerated an overgrowth, so it may be worth assessing the poop of this surviving one and consider treatment with Corid, but if you decide to do that, hang fire on the vitamin supplement until treatment with Corid is finished.

Good luck

I have some vitamins and also CORID, will that help? If not I'll look up whatever I need to buy to help with it. Yes, we've had bad mosquitos to the point I'm covered when I go outside without any bug spray.

She's a mixed breed between a RIR and a Leghorn and as far as I know, she's a hen. Unless my rooster is into both cockerel and hens XD He's been courting her and doing his cute dance until she got sick and I moved her.