HELP SICK CHICKENS

[Lau Lau]

Hey Y'all. I lost a chicken two weeks ago, she was fine in the monring, even laid egg and was found dead in coop at dust. She had been gone for a while. I notice another bird yesterday or the day before walking around like she was in a daze, kinda slow, didn't run from me. Yesterday hubby found her in laying box, thought she was dead, head tucked but she was alive. We put her up but she only made it about 100 yards out of the coop today and laid down to die. What is going on?!?!? What do I need to do to save the herd?!?! I am so upset! PLease anyone??

 

[BantamLover21]

Glad you joined us!

I'm sorry about your hens.

Could they be eating something poisonous or moldy? And how hot has it been in your area? For more help, I would post your troubles in the emergencies section of this forum: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures

Good luck with finding out what is wrong!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It could be so many different things, especially with no real symptoms. It would be a stab in the dark to speculate. Lab work is the only way to know. Your state should have a vet school or state poultry lab. Where are you. You need to contact the lab and see how they want the bird delivered. First thing is to soap up the bird with some dish washing liquid, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it.
The most accurate results come by giving them a live bird that is having symptoms.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

So sorry about your bird and losses!

I'm not sure what is wrong but I would make sure to get her drinking and post in the emergency area. (Link provided by Bantam Lover above.)

Hope she recovers!

I love your avatar!

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC fro northern Michigan

Follow the link above, and good luck with your birds

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Oh, I am so sorry! I would definitely start with things they could be eating. Either spoiled or moldy food, toxic plants or some sort of poison outside. Give everybody a good exam to see if you can find ANY clues...looking for extreme weight loss, egg binding, impacted crops, injuries, bugs, lice, internal worms, anything.

But definitely post in our emergency section for more input on this. I hope you can get this all figured out soon.

 

[Lau Lau]

I don't believe that I have a place here willing to do blood work on a chicken for free.

 

[Lau Lau]

I have to be honest, I have three children, I homeschool, and I was lucky I could figure out how to do this post! How do I do the emergency post?!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I don't believe that I have a place here willing to do blood work on a chicken for free.

State vet schools aren't expensive. At least not as expensive as possibly losing your whole flock and possibly the next one you install not knowing exactly what's wrong.

I thought some of my chickens had worms. Rather than prophylactically treating for worms, I had a fecal sample read. They had no worms but the bacteria clostridia which needed tetracycline. I would have prolonged their misery and possibly lost a lot of birds.

Then I had a very sick hen. After separating her I considered an antibiotic but she had no symptoms other than lethargy.
I took her to the vet school to be euthanized and examined. She had cancer. I would have prolonged her misery and unnecessarily treated my other birds. It was a relief to know there was no disease in my flocks.

It was about $55 each time.

 

[Lau Lau]

She did not make it. I couldn't get her to drink. I am so upset. Thanks for advice and compliment on my avatar.