First unexplained deaths, now lame hen

[uwharrie]

Hubby let the girls out this morning and found one of the young hens not puttimg weight on one leg.
I looked her over and can find no sign of trauma, no broken feathers or skin. She just will not put weight on the leg.
this morning she was eating and drinking but at lunch she seems a bit lethargic.
the only thing I noticed is she appears to be thin. they have free access (multi feeding stations) to layer crumbles, fresh water and free range part of the day.
All the hens have well colored combs and bright shiny feathers.
I am however not getting eggs (two were laying) and it has not been that hot here the last couple of weeks
I am about to say just throw in the towel on chickens, I just seem to have nothing but bad luck.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I'm going throught the same thing as are many others. Apparently the heat weakens them enough to let lurking illnesses in. Do a search on here fpr Marek's and Cocci. You may find answers. Also search for probiotic wet mash and get that into her as soon as possible, it's made a HUGE differencein mine.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

By the way I am NOT an expert. However I have noticed that the experts seem to be sooo swamped on here that they really can't take the time to help until you fill out all the questions on the sticky above.

 

[uwharrie]

I did fill out the questionaire when I lost our third hen and got no responses.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

oh, well . . . I would do the search it sounds to me like they have cocci and it's real easy to fix with some meds in their water.

 

[purpletree23]

The unusual heat and dampness in the country this year has caused a lot of problems. The best thing to do is to give them
proper feed and water and sometimes healthy treats. Once a week I give my girls chicken vitamins in their water and on another day they get yogurt mixed in with Cherrios because they won't eat it plain. I dust them with DE every other week and worm them twice a year.

I'm sorry someone didn't answer your post when you lost a third chicken. It helps to make the title "dramatic" so someone will show interest.

The one with the bad leg. How high are your perches from the ground? If they are too high or too low it could cause problems. Maybe she twisted it a bit.

Good luck with everyone and I hope they thrive for you.

 

[uwharrie]

that is just it, they are getting proper feed and water. have a nice large (10 x10) "house". It has even been cooler than normal here for the last several weeks. Perches are 6, 12 and 20 inches.
Poos are normal, no sign of mites or other external parasites.
I do plan on worming everyone this weekend just to be sure

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[purpletree23]

Did I miss something here? One chicken limping and being thin does not necessarily mean cocci. Seriously, did I miss other symptoms? I'm not trying to sound upset that's just how it came out.

She could be suffering from the heat, need to be wormed, have internal issues or just a failure to thrive. They could be on the wrong feed, the feed could be old, they might even have lice or mites.

Check the 'sick' one over very well and post the results.

 

[purpletree23]

Try some yogurt for the next week. Plain yogurt. I mix mine with Cheerios and five each hen about a teaspoon full. Is her vent clean? If it looks dirty she might have mites. Do they free range? Try some chicken vitamins in the water or get Poly Vi Sol baby vitamins from CVS (without iron) and give each hen one drop in the morning and one at night for a week and then every other day for another week.

Thin birds might need extra protein. Scramble some eggs and when cooled mix in some cottage cheese. Give each hen a table spoon of this each day for a week.

Sounds like a lot but you can have healthy chickens that are very enjoyable. Don't throw in the towel yet. You can get through this.

 

[uwharrie]

It has not been that hot, there are no external parasites, They are on layer crumbles ( tractor supply) Plus fresh veggies, free ranged 6-8 hrs a day, access to multiple feed and water stations ( all kept fresh)
I will be worming everyone this weekend as that is the only thing I have not done.
The lame hen is definately an injury, she was more active this afternoon and is still eating and drinking.

But I still think she seemed thin to me ( keel was a bit sharp)

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