3 year old red sex link lost almost all body weight but is still eating.

[Cellochick]

I have a 3 year old red sex link hen that has lost almost 2 pounds but is still eating plenty. Her keel is sticking out almost 3 inches from the rest of her body, and has all of her other bones protruding as well. I have tried deworming and electrolites and they are not helping. She has stopped laying eggs this spring so she isnt egg bound. There are no mites or bugs on her, or any of my other chickens. I found her sitting on the coop floor about 2 weeks ago so i isolated her into a kennel in the house. She is acting lethargic and not moving a lot. Her crop is always full, and whenever I feed her she seems ravenous. I had a 2 year old black sex link hen have all of the same symptoms last month and she died. I feed my chickens Purina layer cumble mixed with oyster shell, grit, corn, and scratch grains, as well as letting them free range daily and giving them fruit and vegtable scraps. None of my other chickens are seeming to have any problems. Does anyone have any thoughts on what this may be?

 

[casportpony]

Worms.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Go to TSC and get some fenbendazole 10% (Safeguard or Panacur, liquid or paste) or Valbazen and deworm her. You'll find them in the cattle, goat and horse sections. Do not let anyone try to sell you Wazine, it only kills roundworms.

 

[CedarAcres]

It certainly sounds like it could be worms. I'd take a fecal sample to your vet & have them run it. It only cost me $10 the last time I had one done. Make sure you're using the right wormer for the type of worms that she has. And if she has them, the whole flock probably does too.

 

[casportpony]

It certainly sounds like it could be worms. I'd take a fecal sample to your vet & have them run it. It only cost me $10 the last time I had one done. Make sure you're using the right wormer for the type of worms that she has. And if she has them, the whole flock probably does too.

No offense intended, but I wouldn't waste my money on a fecal as they aren't always accurate. If it were my hen/flock, I would worm all of them ASAP with a broard-spectrum wormer like Safeguard or Valbazen.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

It certainly sounds like it could be worms. I'd take a fecal sample to your vet & have them run it. It only cost me $10 the last time I had one done. Make sure you're using the right wormer for the type of worms that she has. And if she has them, the whole flock probably does too.

But you do make a good point in that a vet could help in choosing an effective worming program! Then take what the vet suggests, research it and compare it to what other people advise.

-Kathy