Chicken not feeling great... old age?

[ClaudiaCardoso]

Hi all,

A couple of months ago I rescued 6 ex battery hens straight from the slaughterhouse. They are doing super, a week later I took on a 2 and a half year old chicken from someone as the other 2 hens she had passed away. All 7 were doing great. Penny the older one has been off and sleeping a lot. Two nights ago she couldn't get up into the coop. When I went to lock them up last night I thought she was dead lying in the middle of the run. Brought her home and this morning she ate and had a wander in the garden (I keep the hens on the allotment 200m from the house).

Does this sound like she is just getting on a bit? I thought they could live longer... apart from ACV what else can I do to help her? Should I keep her with the flock? She gets bullied a little?

Thanks for answering a newbie's questions!

 

[azygous]

Is Penny from the six battery hens? Or the most recent adoption?

When you say "lying in the middle of the run", describe her position and what she was doing, or was she perfectly still?

When you say she couldn't make it into the coop, what was her behavior exactly?

Describe the type of "bullying" you say she's subjected to and how often it happens.

ACV isn't going to do much if this hen is sick or even being bullied, but it can't hurt anything.

 

[ClaudiaCardoso]

Thanks for the reply!

Penny is the newest one, she initially came from a breeder I think.

It was dark, she was in between the two feeders half on her side, with her legs poking out from under her but her head was resting on her body (kind of like a cat lying down) she was dead still with her eyes shut. It was when u went back for a torch that she just opened her eyes...

She tried to jump up onto the run and kept missing and not being able to get up. Yesterday she tried to jump up onto a planter and same thing happened.

The bullying is just pecking at her crest when she goes for food 1st and top of pecking order will have a peck when she goes past. Her crest is bruised but they haven't drawn blood. Her previous owner did say she was quite meek but she loves human attention attention loves my 2 year old.

Thank you so much for reading and replying. She's having a forage in my garden at the moment and looks better

 

[azygous]

It sounds as if she's being bullied away from food and water and she may be weak from hunger and dehydration.

First, take her aside and give her access to food and water (add electrolytes if it's been hot but not with ACV) apart from the others for a few hours, then return her to the flock.

Observe:

Is Penny stronger after her food and water time-out?
How does the flock treat her? What do they do?
How does Penny react? What does she do?

You can learn so much about what problems you might have by just sitting and watching your chickens for half an hour.

 

[ClaudiaCardoso]

I spend at least an hour with then a day and she's not bullied that much, she gets plenty of water (we have an 18l and a 10 litre drinker) and can get to the food whenever she wants to too, so I don't think she's weak because of that... I thought maybe the heat but then again we're in Dublin so it's no THAT warm...

I still have Abidec from when I first got them... I'll pop some of that in her water and put her back in when I get home from work in a couple of hours...

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! I would look hard at your birds at night with a flashlight, in case there's a problem with mites or lice; something easily treatable. Two feeders and two waterers, several feet apart, will minimize arguments over food and water in any flock. Then, it's likely that she has a (likely serious) health issue that's got her feeling bad, and the other hens know it. Mary

 

[ClaudiaCardoso]

Hi!

I've checked for mites and they are all clean.

I've two big feeders and two big water drinkers as well as small ones around the sides on the fence.

I guess she'll need to see the vet... going to hold off for a couple of days and see...

 

[Chickassan]

She might just not be used to free movement, this is a real possibility if you're unsure of her origin. If this is the case she will get a bit better with time but probably won't ever be graceful with her jumping.

 

[ClaudiaCardoso]

What worries me most is that she's the only one that has been free range her whole life well at least 2 years she's only 2 and a half and up until a few days ago she was jumping no problen, she'd even get on top of the coop roof which the others can't quite make because their flight feathers are only growing back now. This is why I was wondering if it could be related to age? The two chickens she used to live with died of prolapses, they were heavy layers, this girl hasn't laid much since she's been with me Mayne 2/3 eggs a week...

 

[Chickassan]

Oh, ok then.Have you been able to feel her belly at all? Try and get a feel and see if its firm or squishy. Im wondering if she doesn't have an egg problem.