Dementia in Chickens?

[aart]

I've changed my opinion about the possible dementia in chickens. My fat hen just died today. She displayed what appeared to be dementia for 3 days. I'm wondering if the dementia is a sign of cancer or some other internal problem.

Previous Post
I have had hundreds of chickens and my experience is that YES they do get some sort of dementia. The vet said that chickens can live to be 25 years old but that most females will die before the age of 5 due to illnesses (mostly cancer and female problems).

Right now I have a fat hen that just started what appears to be dementia. My experience, is that they will have good days but ultimately they will starve to death.

Either they have cancer of some kind or they are getting dementia. Yet, I'd like to euthanize her now but the Humane Society stopped the public service of euthanasia. Yet, the only vet in town that will work on chickens, refuses to euthanize them without an extensive work up of why they are failing. I'm not going to spend $500 on my hen when I have 25 of them at the moment.

Welcome? to BYC. Where is this "previous post" from..and who wrote it?

 

[TrishS]

My Rhode Island Red rooster is about five years old now and has always been very attentive to his flock. They are free rangers by day and in a coop at night. Lately I have caught him sleeping while his girls are nowhere in sight. That never, ever (usually) happens. He'll then start doing their "Marco Polo" call to get their location. This is starting to happen more often. Sometimes he isn't even asleep but rather will be staring at a tree or just not focusing on anything, but clearly isn't aware he is alone and his girls are gone. So I do have to wonder.. is my rooster suffering from dementia?

 

[aart]

is my rooster suffering from dementia?

Welcome to BYC @TrishS sorry your boy is not up to snuff.
He may be sick.
An inactive bird is always a cause for further investigation.

I'd isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so you can closely monitor their intake of food and water, crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed), and their poops. Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling and look closely for external parasites(see below)

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.



Have you checked them over real well for mites and/or lice?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).