So, we had two barred rocks that we got as day old chicks. They were great layers. In the fall, however, we found one of the barred rocks dead in the nesting box (age 1 1/2). We didn't really investigate the cause of death, I thought maybe she was egg bound since she was in the nesting box, and my husband said that the day before he heard her doing the egg song at like 6pm, odd behavior for her.
Fast forward six months, the other barred rock began acting funny...lethargic, "puffed up", and it looked like she was straining. She did poop ever so often but it was yellowy and mucusy. So we tried the warm bath with her, got the "crusty's" off of her bottom and massaged for a little bit to try and relax her. We even applied some olive oil. Then we let her go back with the other chickens. The next morning there was yolk and egg white underneath the roost, which I assume came from her. She was acting normal again.
Then, a week later she's acting sick again (and I had not seen one of her eggs in the box since the whole ordeal). Its the same as last time, so I give her a warm bath again. But this time, there's rattling coming from her throat, her breathing seems labored, and she's sneezing a little bit. She also went right to sleep in the bath. So we decide to separate her for the night in case this is something else. We put her in a cage with a heat lamp and straw, give her water with electrolytes, dry her off well, and leave her there for the night.
She died in the morning. A friend of mine suggested worms might be the culprit and suggested giving her a dewormer --but I was hesitant, because, aren't you not supposed to give something like that to a sick chicken?
I did try to feel for the egg but I guess I just don't know where to feel. I couldn't feel the last one, but then come to find out it was soft. So, since I couldn't feel it I just assumed the same this time around. The area below her vent did seem puffy and swollen.
Any ideas?
If she wasn't egg bound, should I be worried about my other chickens?
Fast forward six months, the other barred rock began acting funny...lethargic, "puffed up", and it looked like she was straining. She did poop ever so often but it was yellowy and mucusy. So we tried the warm bath with her, got the "crusty's" off of her bottom and massaged for a little bit to try and relax her. We even applied some olive oil. Then we let her go back with the other chickens. The next morning there was yolk and egg white underneath the roost, which I assume came from her. She was acting normal again.
Then, a week later she's acting sick again (and I had not seen one of her eggs in the box since the whole ordeal). Its the same as last time, so I give her a warm bath again. But this time, there's rattling coming from her throat, her breathing seems labored, and she's sneezing a little bit. She also went right to sleep in the bath. So we decide to separate her for the night in case this is something else. We put her in a cage with a heat lamp and straw, give her water with electrolytes, dry her off well, and leave her there for the night.
She died in the morning. A friend of mine suggested worms might be the culprit and suggested giving her a dewormer --but I was hesitant, because, aren't you not supposed to give something like that to a sick chicken?
I did try to feel for the egg but I guess I just don't know where to feel. I couldn't feel the last one, but then come to find out it was soft. So, since I couldn't feel it I just assumed the same this time around. The area below her vent did seem puffy and swollen.
Any ideas?
If she wasn't egg bound, should I be worried about my other chickens?
