Disease

[Betharabah]

I have lost three hens, of all the same breed, in the last six months. All of them, before they died, walked with their tail down, more and more noticeably for a couple of months until they were nearly pointing straight down, got really bad diarrhea, and slept most of the time, they, then would just die. The breed is called "Red Star", which I get from a local feed store. None of this happened with the other breed I have. The remaining two of this breed are slowly walking more with their tails down and have bad diarrhea, they were two years old in August. Does anyone know what this is and if there's a way to stop it?

 

[PunkinPeep]

Can you describe the diarrhea (or a picture would help)?

Can you also describe their conditions to give more folks something to work with as far as possibilities?

Very sorry about your hens. I'm sure someone here can help you figure out what's going on.

 

[Betharabah]

Hmm...
I think I would describe the diareah as very watery, and it gunks up their bottom pretty fast. And well.
They sleep most of the time, and often times stand in the food "trough". The best word to describe their behavior would be sluggish, and they sleep most of the time. They don't seem to lay eggs, although I cannot be completely sure.
Thank you for the encouragement, PunkinPeep!

 

[patandchickens]

I would wonder about internal laying (are their lower bellies sort of distended, 'water balloon-y'?), perhaps with E coli infection. If that were the case unfortunately there is really not much you could do.

Sorry, hoping I'm wrong,

Pat

 

[silkiechicken]

Have you looked into the possibility that they may have cocci, and perhaps this strain/line for some reason has a lower resistance to the protozoa? Listlessness often says internal paracite to me, and it isn't too unusual for just a few older birds to get sick, unlike chicks, where they all get sick.

 

[dlhunicorn]

describe the "diarrea " > is it white?
If so then ask at the source where you buy them if they are NPIP certified .

 

[Sooner]

Quote:
I have had two older hens that have done this. So far I haven't lost either of them. I put them in a sick pen & make it as dark as possible to discourage egg laying. There are several posts on here about "egg bound". The first one I gave a warm bath & cleaned her bottom to no avail. She got better & back in with the flock only to have it happen again ( summer time). She once again got better and has been with the main flock for a couple of months. I now have a different hen that is doing the same thing. Her poop is greenish & her tail completely drug the ground. I have her in the sick pen with a buddy with regular water & feed. She seemed to be walking alittle better today(tail higher but not right). The main thing is to get them out of the main flock where the roo & other hens don't pick on them.

Good luck.