3 sick hens this morning

[lou-q]

This morning, our three young hens are acting like they are sick. At first, they could not stand up or walk. We have gotten two of them to eat very soupy ground up layena mixed with warm water. They have not eaten much, but they are taking a little bit of it on their own from a spoon. They stand up once in a while and try to walk but sit right back down. Could they have been poisoned somehow? If so, what can we do to help them?

Lou Q

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Did they have access to moldy feed, how are they doing, you could try a flush with Epsom salts or molasses, hopefully someone more familiar will help figure it out.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. How are your hens doing now? It does sound like a toxin from mold in the feed, botulism from a dead animal, or a chemical that they have been exposed to. If you have any deaths, I would recommend sending in a refrigerated body to your state vet for a cause of death. There can sometimes be viruses to affect flocks such as avian influenza, but I would rule out the ones above first. Give them vitamins and electrolytes (such as SaveAChick) and feed them with a dropper if they won't drink. Keep them warm, perhaps bringing them inside.

 

[lou-q]

Thanks for the reply. They are still alive and seem a little better.
No moldy food, so we don't know what they could have gotten into.
We'll be trying to feed them something in a little while.
Yesterday being New Years day everything was closed.
We sure would like to save them as they are part of our family.
I looked all over the yard and the only thing I found was some mold on the horse manuer pile, but that mold is nothing new as there is usually some on the pile.
Thanks again, I'll report latter.
Lou

 

[casportpony]

Thanks for the reply. They are still alive and seem a little better.
No moldy food, so we don't know what they could have gotten into.
We'll be trying to feed them something in a little while.
Yesterday being New Years day everything was closed.
We sure would like to save them as they are part of our family.
I looked all over the yard and the only thing I found was some mold on the horse manuer pile, but that mold is nothing new as there is usually some on the pile.
Thanks again, I'll report latter.
Lou

Welcome to BYC! Can you post a picture of their poop?

-Kathy

 

[Eggcessive]

Also, how old are your young hens? Are they young enough to still easily get coccidiosis? Cocci symptoms are runny stools or blood in poop, sleepiness, weakness, refusing food, and standing around puffed up. Corid (amprollium) is the treatment, and is found at feed stores in the cattle dept.

 

[lou-q]

The hens are just over six month old. They just started to lay eggs a couple of weeks ago. In fact two laid eggs yesterday one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
The closest feed store is over 75 miles away. We live in the Florida Keys and have to go to the mainland for feed stores. Today the highway is backed up for miles and would take me several hours to get there and back. We are trying electrolytes like Gatorade and some layena mixed with Gatorade.They have made it so far over 24 hours since we found them on the floor of the hen house. One seems better than the other two. Someone suggested vitamin K but you need to have a prescription to get it.
Thanks for the replies,
Lou

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you think they could have gotten into rat poison? That would be the only reason vitamin K would help. Chopped kale would be rich in that, and my chickens go crazy for it, but I have to tear it into dime-sized pieces. Let us know how they are getting along.

 

[lou-q]

Thanks for the replies and concerns,
We didn't have any rat poison out. They have our yard to roam on a daily basis so we don't know what they got into. That worries us because they are out every day. We are encouraged as they are taking more food and drinking a bit more from an eye dropper, also they are holding their heads up longer and keeping ther eyes open wider.
Just a few minutes ago my wife was hand feeding them with an eye dropper and when she put the first one down it got up and walked to the glass door like she wanted to go out. So I opened the door and she went to the hen house to lay an egg about 50 feet away and was able to fly up to the nest box. They all seem to be getting stonger,so time will tell.
Thanks again,
Lou

 

[Eggcessive]

That is good to hear that there is some improvement. Hopefully, no one intentionally fed them anything to harm them. Keep us informed of how they are getting along.