Chicken keeping stinks right now!

[OrpingtonHopeful]

So after a month of keeping a hen inside my kitchen and lovingly fussing over her for a month (see saga here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=609832) we lost her.

Now we have another hen 2 1/2 yr old BO who is shaking her head constantly- looks a little poofed and/or her comb is significantly shrunken and lighter in color.


The two may be unrelated as Terra's (the deceased RIR) symptoms were much different-

Guesses?

 

[OrpingtonHopeful]

OOO and typical stuff

She is 2 1/2 yrs old.

On Layer pellet diet-

Occasional scratch or kitchen leftovers like steamed green beans, fresh lettuce, low fat plain yogurt.

No ACV as we use a galvanized waterer.

Free choice oyster shell.

Bedding is pine shavings.

Coop is 4 X 6 with an 8 foot run that I can walk in for 4 hens. Coop is winterized with non-emitting (no outgasing) heavy vinyl shower curtains to prevent draft- eaves open for ventilation-

Head shaking x 1 week- thought it might be due to a mild beak injury- today I see she is poofy, comb is purplish and small, and was closing her eyes while standing in the run.

 

[THELMA]

respritory infection if so you will need abs. Did you take your last hen to the vets
Is there any chance you have red mite in your hen house.

 

[BamaSilkies]

Head shaking can be a symptom of Gapeworm.. You might want to do a search and see if that could be the culprit (not very common). It could also be a crop related issue. I would check out impacted and sour crop also.

 

[BamaSilkies]

Oh and purplish comb could mean shes not getting enough oxygen.

 

[puddinbabe]

I can't help, but I wanted to say I've had a hen inside for almost a month now and understand your pain and frustration! I'm taking my girl to the vet again tomorrow and its do or die time.

 

[OrpingtonHopeful]

Thanks guys! She doesn't seem to be gaping and I recently wormed with Wazine followed a week later by Ivermectin- would that cure gapeworm?

I have never used abx in my chickens, but would be willing to try one- We don't have vet care available and I really don't want a dead hen- My poor kid (and frankly I) haven't gotten over the death of our RIR last week, yet.

So- do you think infectious bronchitis? Newcastle?

In the past we have had, light colored, thin shelled, liquidy white eggs- I thought maybe we had an IB issue with that, but no one had any symptoms and we've had the egg issue for a good yr now- we raised two new day old chicks in 2010- adding to our flock from 2009- could a hatchery chick (ideal, I believe is who our feed store ordered from) carry either one of these diseases in infancy?

The ill hen in question is from our original flock of 4- from the same feed store/hatchery-

Regardless, is it irresponsible for me to tx with abx if we aren't 100% viral vs bacterial versus heart failure?

If not- what is effective and can I just treat everyone at once via waterer as I only have 4 hens left??

 

[OrpingtonHopeful]

Quote:
Aww (((hugs)) DH was none too happy to have a chicken inside and after a month it was so sad to see her go- you try so hard just to have the illness win- I am soooo sorry for you too- I hope that your vet has good news and helpful care!

 

[cmfarm]

I would think maybe ms or mg, as bronchitis is highly contagous so I would think all your chickens would be showing symptoms.

 

[OrpingtonHopeful]

Any more ideas? She is still shaking her head frequently and her comb is still a bit shrunken (or her head feathers are a little ruffled?)

A previous poster suggested gapeworm- She is not gaping and I recently wormed with Wazine followed by Ivermectin- Is there another wormer that would be need to be done?

Really it just looks like a quick shake like something is bugging her. I have not found any signs of mites or lice (do the internal wormers have any effect on these as well?)