Ever just have a sickly hen with no cause?

[heiditam]

I have this hen that is just sorta sickly. She has never gained weight or grew like she should, always laid wrinkled or cracked eggs, yolks are very pale despite my best efforts, seems to have some leg weakness, and she is not real active...she has no lice or mites, and I have dewormed her regulary, even for an extended time, using safeguard, given yogurt, vitamins, etc. She now has vent gleet it seems(treating that)...anyhow...she pecks around, lays, but is not as active, seems weak, has nasty butt, and just sits around looking like she may die before she perks back up. This is how it has been for several months. I got her around 4 months old, so I do not know her history prior...I am begining to think that maybe she had some illness that impacted her long term? Even though she got past it? Anything it could be, I have ruled out...and she is not getting much worse-just sorta sick-ever have one like that? Everyone else is tip top shape.

 

[GitaBooks]

It sounds like it is a long-term illness. She could have poor genetics, she could just be weak due to a deformity or she could have been inbred.
Leg weakness could be a sign of marek's, which is a long-term illness that can spread to the rest of the flock.

Best of luck. I hope she gets better soon!


What age is she?

 

[heiditam]

She is 14-15 months old now...

She is just pathetic but holding on. ???? She has isolated herself to avoid bullying. She has now stopped laying completely and spends most days just lounging-her wattles turn pale when she rests, but then they get red when she starts walking around...

She has been this way for a while.

 

[GitaBooks]

It sounds like she has poor circulation. She might just have a bad heart or lungs.

 

[heiditam]

maybe. I was out there a minute ago, and her head is a bit floppy now.

 

[GitaBooks]

Sounds like it could be mareks.

This link can help: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

 

[dawg53]

It would be in your and your other hens best interest to cull the sick bird, bury her deep away from the coop.

 

[heiditam]

Sounds like it could be mareks.

This link can help: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

It would be in your and your other hens best interest to cull the sick bird, bury her deep away from the coop.

Could mareks have such a late onset and go on for so long? She was fine until about 5-6 months of age...she then the symptoms started to come on very very slowly over the course of 8-9 months.

I culled her last night. I think it was the best at this point-her weakness spread to her head, and there were a few times yesterday when she could not get off her side, and the red stars would just peck her while she was paraylzed. So I culled her.

If it were mareks...I have a total of 8 hens now-7 of which are from a hatchery, which vaccinates against mareks, so can I assume they will be ok? One hen I have is from the original 4 that she was a part of, however-they were craigslist hens, and I am not completely sure of their origin... out of those 4, one was taken by a predator, one had fluid issues and passed just recently from that, and one remains-very healthy and spry. I suppose I should keep my eye on her. :/

 

[GitaBooks]

Yeah, marek's can vary a lot. Some birds never show symptoms, others get just slight problems, others have major problems. If one bird has it, it is likely the others have it but are not being effected (which is a good thing). Those that are vaccinated I think can still get the disease, they just won't develop any symptoms. I lost a bird to what seemed to be marek's (we had to cull her as well) but the others are all still healthy.

Marek's in the flock doesn't have to be an emergency.

I'm really sorry about your hen.