At a complete loss, odd illness!

[Wyorp Rock]

You are not a terrible chicken keeper.

There are so many causes of illness, it can be hard to find the right answer. If you have a vet that can perform a fecal float, that may prove very helpful.

If she will stress out from being separated, then leave her with the others if she isn't picked on. Stress can make things worse.

Sour crop can be caused by numerous things, moldy feed is one of them. Worms, coccidiosis, reproductive problems can impact crop function. I would check her crop to make sure it's emptying overnight, just to make sure that part of her is working.

Hopefully @Eggcessive will chime in with her thoughts.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My husband is in the cull camp and I have been in the past but I’ve just lost my old cockerel and another hen and one went missing, I’m getting fed up of loosing chickens!

It seems to happen in groups. I have nothing get unwell for most of the year and suddenly I start losing some from random things.

Generally I see it in the spring and fall. I believe the weather changes causes enough stress to set stuff off.

I don't like losing any either, but I'm always helpless to stop it. Just yesterday a 6 year old Wyandotte was lethargic in the morning and dead by the afternoon. About 2 weeks ago I lost my 9 year old RIR x EE cross in a similar manner. Seems it comes in 3's so I'm wondering who's next.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It seems to happen in groups. I have nothing get unwell for most of the year and suddenly I start losing some from random things.

Generally I see it in the spring and fall. I believe the weather changes causes enough stress to set stuff off.

I don't like losing any either, but I'm always helpless to stop it. Just yesterday a 6 year old Wyandotte was lethargic in the morning and dead by the afternoon. About 2 weeks ago I lost my 9 year old RIR x EE cross in a similar manner. Seems it comes in 3's so I'm wondering who's next.

It does seem to work that way. I think weather changes as well as hormones possibly play a big roll. Coming into lay after winter or going into molt is when I have had some problems. All of mine have been reproductive/internal laying problems, it's very frustrating.
Do you ever perform any post mortem investigations?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It does seem to work that way. I think weather changes as well as hormones possibly play a big roll. Coming into lay after winter or going into molt is when I have had some problems. All of mine have been reproductive/internal laying problems, it's very frustrating.
Do you ever perform any post mortem investigations?

No because it doesn't necessarily matter to us. It never seems to be any rampant diseases, and most die from different things. I'm too squeamish and husband says it won't do any good.

I've only seen a few that I believe have been reproductive over the years, but obviously I can't prove it. Most just die one day, a few hang on and we cull to end their suffering.

In general my flock appears very healthy, but I expect about 5-10 to die a year because of the number of birds I keep. About half die between 4-6 years of age and the rest live on up to 10 years.

 

[Lutman_Chick]

It seems to happen in groups. I have nothing get unwell for most of the year and suddenly I start losing some from random things.

Generally I see it in the spring and fall. I believe the weather changes causes enough stress to set stuff off.

I don't like losing any either, but I'm always helpless to stop it. Just yesterday a 6 year old Wyandotte was lethargic in the morning and dead by the afternoon. About 2 weeks ago I lost my 9 year old RIR x EE cross in a similar manner. Seems it comes in 3's so I'm wondering who's next.

Oh Gawd! I hope no one is next, but for me if my Poot doesn’t make
It then she’s the 3rd!

 

[Lutman_Chick]

Thanks everyone for your tips and advice so far, you’ve all be super helpful.

 

[Lutman_Chick]

 

[Lutman_Chick]

Few pictures, I’m trying to get a video up but with the terrible weather we are having upload is slow. She’s actually a bit brighter today though marginally so

 

[rebrascora]

Hi
If you are uploading a video, it needs to go onto the likes of Youtube or Vimeo and then a link posted here.
Is it just her particular stance when you took the photo or is she twisting her neck/head to the side? Is she still eating and drinking well?
I'm also in the UK and there is a wonderful service for doing faecal floats called Westgate Labs who offer a mail order service which is very fast and efficient and the staff are really knowledgeable and helpful and best of all it is not as expensive as a vet to do this testing. It is about £15 for a poultry sample but that includes sampling kit and first class postage and if you can get it in the post before lunchtime, you often get next day results. I have used the service for my horses for years for worm egg counts and can highly recommend them. Kits can be purchased direct from them or via other online sites or sometimes feed stores will stock them.

I would not rule out Marek's just because others are not displaying any symptoms. Marek's is odd in that it has dormant phases and outbreaks occur at times of stress. What stresses one bird may not stress another. It may be something as simple as recently been knocked down the pecking order. Just like people with cold sores, not everyone with the virus has an outbreak at the same time.... it is the same family of virus ie Herpes.

 

[Lutman_Chick]

Hi
If you are uploading a video, it needs to go onto the likes of Youtube or Vimeo and then a link posted here.
Is it just her particular stance when you took the photo or is she twisting her neck/head to the side? Is she still eating and drinking well?
I'm also in the UK and there is a wonderful service for doing faecal floats called Westgate Labs who offer a mail order service which is very fast and efficient and the staff are really knowledgeable and helpful and best of all it is not as expensive as a vet to do this testing. It is about £15 for a poultry sample but that includes sampling kit and first class postage and if you can get it in the post before lunchtime, you often get next day results. I have used the service for my horses for years for worm egg counts and can highly recommend them. Kits can be purchased direct from them or via other online sites or sometimes feed stores will stock them.

I would not rule out Marek's just because others are not displaying any symptoms. Marek's is odd in that it has dormant phases and outbreaks occur at times of stress. What stresses one bird may not stress another. It may be something as simple as recently been knocked down the pecking order. Just like people with cold sores, not everyone with the virus has an outbreak at the same time.... it is the same family of virus ie Herpes.

Yes, tried YouTube this morning but it kept failing and had to go out on site could only grab a couple of snapshots at the time

That is her stance, her head is slightly cocked to the side, she looks a bit hunch backed. She has picked up slightly today.

I recently gave away their cockerel mate, could this of triggered stress? I did dose them with acv when he left and the others are fine, it really is a odd one. It seems like it could be many different things or none of them. I’m mostly concerned that whatever it is that it’s contagous and will get the whole flock, but wouldn’t I of seen something by now?

I have done worm counts with ‘the chicken vet’ online, is this the same thing as the test your referring to?

Thanks for your comments