Does anybody know what is wrong with this hen??

[ScottNZ]

Hi there,

My hen Eleanor has developed a weird abnormality. She has a bulged in her back and her tail is down. All the feather in her tail have fallen out bar one. She looks very odd.

I've compared her to pictures of egg bound hens and she really looks similar to that. The problem with that diagnosis is that she has been like this for about a year. She has stopped laying eggs.



Otherwise she seems fine. She eats her food and gets about the garden just like her sister Gertrude.

I've uploaded a picture of her and would appreciate any suggestions of what it could be.

Thanks in advance.

Scott
Wellington, New Zealand

 

[Fancychooklady]

How old is your Eleanor ? Is she an isa brown?

 

[ScottNZ]

Hi, thanks for the reply. She is about 4yo.

She's a Hyline Brown which is the standard egg producing chicken in New Zealand.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Ah, as I suspected. She is a production hen or hybrid, not surprising that she is not laying anymore. My isa brown often looks dreadful, then she picks up and goes happily along.
Yours could be coming into molt. Have you wormed her lately? The cold weather also knocks them around as they age, a bit like us ay.

 

[ScottNZ]

I don't think she coming into molt. She came into molt about 3 months ago and she's since re-feathered (apart from the tail).

I haven't wormed her. I think I will do that so and see what happens. Thanks.

If she had worms wouldn't the other one have worms too though? They perch right next to each other.

Thanks again. Scott.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Mine is 6-7 years old and she molts at random. At the moment she looks great. Some birds will show symptoms of worms more severe than others. I would worm both. Mites will also cause the feather breakage, so probably a good dusting of them and their bedding wouldn't go astray. Pestene is available here in Aus, not sure about NZ.