3 Yr Old Hen Walking on Hocks, Thin

[Stephine]

Another update: Penny lived a happy, active life for about 6 more months, then went down rapidly over the course of a few days and died. Who knows... I just kept her with the flock, not wanting to stress her out and really not knowing what else to do for her. I am glad she did ok, considering...
I find this whole chicken health thing quite puzzling. She has a brooder mate, also a light Brahma, who has been afflicted with ascites for years now, really squishy belly, slow waddle, all that. I am not treating her other than good general care. That one is doing just fine, still!

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about losing Penny. A necropsy by the state poultry vet could have diagnosed what was wrong. The other hen with the large lower belly could have internal laying, salpingitis, ascites, or other disorder. I usually do home necropsies on most chickens who die, just to learn if anything looks obvious. Oviduct cancer, ascites, lash eggs from salpingitis, and fatty liver disease have been common findings on my older hens.

 

[Stephine]

Yes, in normal times I might have sent her to be necropsied, but with the „plague“ we‘re keeping things pretty minimal here, especially since we’re still rebuilding our home we lost in the wildfires and I am completely overloaded anyway. And I am way too squeamish to do a necropsie myself! I have made my peace with loosing a chicken now and then, especially with the stress of the wildfire and evacuation they have had to go through, and the fact that they are hatchery chickens. I still have 9 out of my first 13 hens and they are now over 4 years old... My 3 year olds and the 1 year olds are doing splendid, thankfully!