Black star hen

[Heather McFloyd]

Hey everyone

I have 2 black star hens, both 3.5 years old. One is molting but healthy, a heavy girl who likes to check in on me every day. She's the boss hen.

The other one hasn't laid in a while, has lost a lot of weight and is very pale. She is eating some but not much and moves slowly. She had a lot of soft shelled or no shell eggs early summer before she stopped laying. No lash eggs, but no eggs we could eat, either.

I know they don't last very long because they're bred for production, but those of you who have breed experience, is this sounding like the end for my Flossie?

Just trying to do right by her.

Thanks!

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

On my high production birds, the thing that got them when they got older was usually water belly. Check her abdomen. Does it feel or look bloated? That's usually a sure sign of water belly. Some have been able to do treatment on their water belly cases to lengthen the life of their dear hens, though it will eventually be fatal and the best thing to do is to cull. Hopefully this isn't your hen's case, but I would rule that out first.

(Picture from online to show what it looks like.)