Cochin sick?

[RhodeIslandBred]

Hi!
I've got a 2 year old Cochin that has been acting out of sorts, it's been a couple of weeks since I've noticed the new behavior and I chalked it up to stress. We recently changed upgraded the coop. She doesn't seem to be adjusting well and I'm worried it might be something else but I don't have any experience with sick hens so looking for some insight. These are the behaviors I've observed: she is the bottom hen in the flock but the other girls have been picking on her a lot more. She mostly stays on her own perch and doesn't roost with the other hens. She spends most of the day on her perch but is still eating, drinking and pooping but losing weight. She is usually very handleable but she is testy now. Not sure what the culprit could be, any help or advice is much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

Has she been recently laying eggs lately? How does her crop feel early in the morning when it should be empty? Is it empty, or full and hard or puffy? Pictures of her droppings are helpful. Hens who isolate themselves or do not come off the roost, are usually sick. Reproductive disorders, crop disorders, ascites or cancer are some of the common problems in hens over two. Whatbdo you feed? I would separate her in a dog crate with food and water so that you can observe her for a few days. I would offer some water and some scrambled egg, along with her usual feed. If you have Poultry NutriDrench or electrolytes, give some.,

 

[RhodeIslandBred]

Has she been recently laying eggs lately? How does her crop feel early in the morning when it should be empty? Is it empty, or full and hard or puffy? Pictures of her droppings are helpful. Hens who isolate themselves or do not come off the roost, are usually sick. Reproductive disorders, crop disorders, ascites or cancer are some of the common problems in hens over two. Whatbdo you feed? I would separate her in a dog crate with food and water so that you can observe her for a few days. I would offer some water and some scrambled egg, along with her usual feed. If you have Poultry NutriDrench or electrolytes, give some.,

Thanks for the reply. Tonight I separated her out in a dog crate in our 3 season room under some heat. I gave her scrambled eggs, her regular feed (they get egg layer pellet and scratch along with vegetable and fruit scraps from the kitchen) along with electrolyte and probiotics in her water. She's vigorously eating and drinking. Her droppings look healthy to me, I can get pictures in the morning. Tough to say if she's been laying, I haven't seen her on an egg in some time but I'm only in the coop a few times a day. I haven't checked her crop but will make a point to do so going forward.

 

[Aapomp831]

Thanks for the reply. Tonight I separated her out in a dog crate in our 3 season room under some heat. I gave her scrambled eggs, her regular feed (they get egg layer pellet and scratch along with vegetable and fruit scraps from the kitchen) along with electrolyte and probiotics in her water. She's vigorously eating and drinking. Her droppings look healthy to me, I can get pictures in the morning. Tough to say if she's been laying, I haven't seen her on an egg in some time but I'm only in the coop a few times a day. I haven't checked her crop but will make a point to do so going forward.

When you check the crop, it should be at least 8 hours after having any food or water... I would take the food and water out of the crate for the night so you can make sure to check it before she’s eaten or drank in the am.
have you seen feathers around, is it possible she is molting? Molting can be painful and sometimes chickens isolate themselves bc they don’t like to be touched during this time.

 

[RhodeIslandBred]

Thanks for your reply. I did not take her food and water out last night because she was happily eating and I hadn't ruled out other issues so I wanted to make sure she was well fed and hydrated but I will try that today. I do suspect it to be a crop issue as she's quite irritable when I try to palpate it and it feels boggy. I offered oyster shells as I don't have any granite grit and I think I'm going to give her some olive oil then try to gently massage her crop if she'll allow to get things moving. She had her seasonal molt a few months ago so I think it's unlikely she is molting again though her behavior is similar to a molt, reserving energy and a bit testy.

 

[Eggcessive]

You do not want to massage a boggy crop, since it can cause her to throw up into her airway and choke. Oystershell does not work as grit. Do you have small pebbles in your dirt? You can get a small bag of granite grit at your feed store. Inwould offer some chilled coconut oil cut into small pieces to eat, or give 1 tsp of mineral oil in some egg to eat. Just give her soft foods today, and remove them this afternoon so that you canncheck her crop in the am. Water should be available always, since crop problems need water. Let us know what her crop feels like tomorrow. Most crop issues may be due to something else happening, such as a reproductive disorder, ascites, or other issues.

 

[RhodeIslandBred]

Yesterday afternoon her crop felt pliable without excess fluid but I could feel a ropy hard bit in there and this morning she had a perfectly empty and flat crop. I'm hoping she just had an impaction but I'm keeping her separate for observation for now. She's not as irritated by handling either.

 

[Eggcessive]

Glad to hear that her crop was empty. If it seems dough-like or the firm thing is felt again later, that can be massaged. Oil can be repeated as well. I would let her visit with her flock each day to remain part of it. Reintegration can be difficult is she stays out of the flock for awhile. Is the temperature in the coop very cold now? You will also want her to be able to tolerate a change in temps.

 

[RhodeIslandBred]

Thanks I was concerned with separating her out in the first place because she's the bottom bird so I will make sure she has a playdate. The coop is cold, we never give supplemental heat to our birds in the coop and we are having a cold snap where I'm at. She's in a dog kennel in our breezeway, I do have a heat lamp over the kennel bc she's not with the other birds to share heat but it's only 5-10 degrees warmer than the coop. She's always been pretty temperature hardy and we have big temp swings all winter so it shouldn't be too much of a shock for her to go back outside. I would like to see her gain some weight again though; It's tough to give her treats without the other birds stealing them from her, any suggestions?

 

[Eggcessive]

When I give treates like scrambled egg or tuna, I make sure to throw it around in the grass, so that all can dive for it. While she is isolated, you can offer some egg bits, tuna, canned cat food, ground meat bits, or sunflower seed. A 20% all flock feed or flock raiser feed would offer more calories and extra protein.