Last night, hubby went to collect eggs but said there was a hen in a trans-like state perching on one leg in the box, so he left her alone. I let them out this morning and the same hen was still in the box but laying and with her head on the ground outside the box. I thought she was dead but pet her neck and she looked at me very lethargically with the only visible sign of illness being mucus leaking from her beak. I grabbed her out and placed her on her side on the floor and she was alive but barely. I tried to give her water and she seemed to be interested but a minute later started flopping around on the ground. I went to grab a box to bring her into the warm house and by the time I went back outside a few minutes later, she was dead.
We had no reason to think she was sick? Her stomach isn't swollen, comb is fine, no hemorrhaging so we didn't see it coming. The rest of the flock seems ok but we are nervous about eating the eggs and if it's something the other hens or WE can catch. Any clues?
We are tossing the eggs from the past few days to be safe but we are completely clueless and don't have money to take her to the vet to be inspected.
We had no reason to think she was sick? Her stomach isn't swollen, comb is fine, no hemorrhaging so we didn't see it coming. The rest of the flock seems ok but we are nervous about eating the eggs and if it's something the other hens or WE can catch. Any clues?
We are tossing the eggs from the past few days to be safe but we are completely clueless and don't have money to take her to the vet to be inspected.