Chickens wasting away

[SilverJeep]

I tried to search here but came up with no luck.

About every 3 or 4 months I'll have a chicken that all of a sudden starts acting lathargic. I'll go pick her up and she doesn't weigh but a 10th of what she should. I'll immediately separate from the rest of the flock and keep it warm, dry, fed, watered and in a day or two it'll die. Every time.

Anybody know what this is? I've lost probably 6 birds to this over 2 years.

Thanks, SilverJeep

 

[MandyH]

Sounds like the low man on the totem pole not getting to eat. Watch and make sure you don't have one that's being bullied.

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

I have to feed my Cochin separately from the rest of the girls because she just is not pushy enough to get in there and eat. They dont pick on her at all, they just hog the food. So she gets her own bowl away from the others

 

[rooster-red]

Could they have worms?

 

[tonini3059]

did you check their crop?? They could be eating things that make them get impacted.

 

[lurky]

read up on worms and ciccidiosis. Both things can have that effect on poultry

 

[speckledhen]

I've had five internal layers, one is still alive, but bone thin. They would just slow down, then when I pick them up, find that they are skin and bones. Soon, they pass on or we euthanize them. We opened them all up and found the same thing. Are yours from a hatchery? What breeds? High production birds are more susceptible to this, it seems.

 

[SilverJeep]

Quote:
The last one in question was from a 4H project. This was a small breed, don't know the kind. The rest were RIR.

The first one I opened up to see if it was worms, or infection and everything looked fine, although nothing really there.

???

Our birds free range and i throw out some food and scratch in a long line so they all get plenty without fighting.

The last one I brought in the house, she ate, drank water and pooped all over my bathroom. Next morning she was running around clucking and acting normal. I put her back out with the rest. She died the next night.