3 yr Buff has no appetite

[The Tiny Homestead]

I have Braveheart, a 3 yr 4 month old Buff Orpington hen, On July 23, in the early evening when I brought out treats I noticed that she didn't come over, but just watched the other birds. When she stood up, I noticed she was walking slowly. She also had a little bit of purple tinge to just part of her comb. She had been fine 5 or 6 hours before. My first thought was bound egg. I soaked hir in epsom salts, and examined her vent. I didn't feel anything wrong inside. Next morning she was walking normally, but still not interested in food. Her crop had empties d and was not squishy, no sour smell. Within a day or two she was acting mostly normal, but seemed on edge, like she had been spooked, and still no interest in food. I checked her for lice or mites, checked her feet, and pretty much everything I knew to try. Since then (2 weeks now), she has been eating very little, and losing weight. I did get her into the vets 3 days after this started (visit on the 26th) The vet couldn't find anything wrong. The Vet Recommended electrolytes, and vitamins from tractor supply, and giving her a few days. I also started giving some probiotics. I brought her back on Monday Aug 4th. They did x-rays and ultrasound but didn't see anything. This whole time, Braveheart has eaten some. but not nearly enough to sustain her weight, Which was around 6-3/4 lbs when this started, but is now around 5 3/4 lbs. I have been force feeding her what I can. She has been eating strawberries, blueberries, some fresh corn, banana and oatmeal omelet. Other things she has been offered are, oats, polenta, fried and scrambled eggs, sunflower seeds, millit, scratch gran, of course pellets, mealy worms, collards, kale, and they range in a well grown backyard with lots of forage. The vet did a full fecal screening. We're waiting for short term results from that, and my vet had me make an appointment at a vet who specializes in exotic birds and poultry. It's not until Aug 19th, which is a long time for a bird who is losing weight.. I should add that she still chases away the 2 lower birds on the pecking order, still does a lot of scratching, and still flies up to me when it's time to go in in the evening, but she never has a full crop. Thanks for any possible help.

 

[alinas2010]

I have Braveheart, a 3 yr 4 month old Buff Orpington hen, On July 23, in the early evening when I brought out treats I noticed that she didn't come over, but just watched the other birds. When she stood up, I noticed she was walking slowly. She also had a little bit of purple tinge to just part of her comb. She had been fine 5 or 6 hours before. My first thought was bound egg. I soaked hir in epsom salts, and examined her vent. I didn't feel anything wrong inside. Next morning she was walking normally, but still not interested in food. Her crop had empties d and was not squishy, no sour smell. Within a day or two she was acting mostly normal, but seemed on edge, like she had been spooked, and still no interest in food. I checked her for lice or mites, checked her feet, and pretty much everything I knew to try. Since then (2 weeks now), she has been eating very little, and losing weight. I did get her into the vets 3 days after this started (visit on the 26th) The vet couldn't find anything wrong. The Vet Recommended electrolytes, and vitamins from tractor supply, and giving her a few days. I also started giving some probiotics. I brought her back on Monday Aug 4th. They did x-rays and ultrasound but didn't see anything. This whole time, Braveheart has eaten some. but not nearly enough to sustain her weight, Which was around 6-3/4 lbs when this started, but is now around 5 3/4 lbs. I have been force feeding her what I can. She has been eating strawberries, blueberries, some fresh corn, banana and oatmeal omelet. Other things she has been offered are, oats, polenta, fried and scrambled eggs, sunflower seeds, millit, scratch gran, of course pellets, mealy worms, collards, kale, and they range in a well grown backyard with lots of forage. The vet did a full fecal screening. We're waiting for short term results from that, and my vet had me make an appointment at a vet who specializes in exotic birds and poultry. It's not until Aug 19th, which is a long time for a bird who is losing weight.. I should add that she still chases away the 2 lower birds on the pecking order, still does a lot of scratching, and still flies up to me when it's time to go in in the evening, but she never has a full crop. Thanks for any possible help.

Sorry to hear about Braveheart, I wish they could tell us what’s wrong.

With a purple comb, my mind goes to something such as water belly. Is she laying eggs? How do they look if she is? She may have something reproductive going on causing some issues that are hard to see. Is her belly squishy or bulgy compared tot he other hens? Also how do her droppings look?

Any discharge from the eyes, ears, nose? How about her mouth, any weird crust or lesions in or around her mouth?

 

[The Tiny Homestead]

Sorry to hear about Braveheart, I wish they could tell us what’s wrong.

With a purple comb, my mind goes to something such as water belly. Is she laying eggs? How do they look if she is? She may have something reproductive going on causing some issues that are hard to see. Is her belly squishy or bulgy compared tot he other hens? Also how do her droppings look?

Any discharge from the eyes, ears, nose? How about her mouth, any weird crust or lesions in or around her mouth?

She stopped laying, when she stopped eating. Two vets examined her, and ruled out eggbind and waterbelly. Waterbelly was my first thought, so I picked up Braveheart and her sister Maizie, sitting with one on each side of my lap for comparison, and there was no difference.I checked everything I could think of, including legs and feet, as did the vets, when I brought her.Droppings have been on the wet side because she has been eating mostly berries. Today, when I had her in the house after work, she pooped twice, and both were solid and normal looking, though smaller than usual.She is pretty much normal, even chasing the lower ones on the pecking order, flying onto my shoulder at bedtime as usual, and enjoying being held a lot, like mine all do.