- Mar 29, 2011
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My three year old production red hen, Yolka, has been acting oddly for the past year or so. She has been walking slower than normal, and had an "old" look about her. I couldn't figure out what was wrong, so I just let her be. I do remember worming the flock before with safeguard, and I am pretty sure that her acting oddly was the main reason for me doing the deworming.
Occasionally, I remember she had a purple tint to her comb.
This past week she has been sleeping inside of one of the nesting boxes instead of on the roost with everybody else. I took her out of it one night, but she just ate some food and I believe she eventually went back into the nest box to sleep.
On May 8th, she kept coming closer to me. During chicken chores, she would come into the coop and look at me. I also opened the coop door and she was right in the door way staring at me. I talked to her and continued with my day. Looking back, I think she was dropping hints to me that she wasn't feeling well. I feel guilty for not taking it more seriously at the time.
Yesterday, May 9th, I let the flock outside in the morning and Yolka was missing. I went into the coop and found her laying on the floor. I picked her up and I could feel almost every bone in her body. Her breast bone was protruding, as well as her leg bones. She was extremely skinny and could barely stand or walk. Her poop was a runny yellow color. I immediately separated her from the flock and set up a small dog crate for her in our garage. I offered her some plain greek yogurt mixed with cooked egg and layer pellets as well as fresh water. She was not interested in eating at all. I had to go out, and when I came back to check on her an hour or two later, she was standing up. I thought this was a really good sign, it also appeared that she may have pecked her food (but not eaten much, if any.)
I went to the coop to grab some bedding, and when I came back to the garage about 5 minutes later to see her, she was laying down and had her head extended out underneath her. I was very concerned and I picked her up briefly while I threw the fresh bedding into her cage. She was very limp but still alive. Appeared to have been losing the control and strength in her neck.
I sat with her for a while to comfort her. She remained laying down in her cage, and began going into fits of flapping her wings, extending her feet out and kicking them, and throwing her neck back (seizure?). She kept opening her eyes during and after the fits and looked me right in the eye.
She was clearly uncomfortable, I supported her head with a towel and made her as comfortable as I possible could. She had one very large "fit" (seizure?) and died.
I am very fortunate that I was able to be with her to help comfort her while she was passing. My question now is, what did she die from?
A little back ground on my flock:
I have 7 other chickens. 2 dark brahmas, 2 black australorps, 2 golden sebrights (1 rooster), and 1 production red.
They have all been pretty healthy, despite one of my hens getting beat up by the flock this winter, due to having a limp. She is well now but remains seperated from the flock permanently since she can not defend herself.
I had another sick hen who fell ill last week. She was throwing up brown liquid, and had very runny green poops. I fed her a diet of mushed up layer pellets and plain greek yogurt mixed with egg, and she appeared to have felt fine after that and joined the flock a few days later.
To me, my hen's illness was something long term that took a while to take its complete course on her. She had not been laying for a while, her last egg was months ago, I believe. She used to be my best most reliable layer, so it has always been strange to me that she stopped laying. I did check her vent yesterday and her vent was clean, but her butt feathers had poop sticking to them.
Yesterday her poop was very runny and yellow in color.
Could she have died from ovarian cancer?
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Occasionally, I remember she had a purple tint to her comb.
This past week she has been sleeping inside of one of the nesting boxes instead of on the roost with everybody else. I took her out of it one night, but she just ate some food and I believe she eventually went back into the nest box to sleep.
On May 8th, she kept coming closer to me. During chicken chores, she would come into the coop and look at me. I also opened the coop door and she was right in the door way staring at me. I talked to her and continued with my day. Looking back, I think she was dropping hints to me that she wasn't feeling well. I feel guilty for not taking it more seriously at the time.
Yesterday, May 9th, I let the flock outside in the morning and Yolka was missing. I went into the coop and found her laying on the floor. I picked her up and I could feel almost every bone in her body. Her breast bone was protruding, as well as her leg bones. She was extremely skinny and could barely stand or walk. Her poop was a runny yellow color. I immediately separated her from the flock and set up a small dog crate for her in our garage. I offered her some plain greek yogurt mixed with cooked egg and layer pellets as well as fresh water. She was not interested in eating at all. I had to go out, and when I came back to check on her an hour or two later, she was standing up. I thought this was a really good sign, it also appeared that she may have pecked her food (but not eaten much, if any.)
I went to the coop to grab some bedding, and when I came back to the garage about 5 minutes later to see her, she was laying down and had her head extended out underneath her. I was very concerned and I picked her up briefly while I threw the fresh bedding into her cage. She was very limp but still alive. Appeared to have been losing the control and strength in her neck.
I sat with her for a while to comfort her. She remained laying down in her cage, and began going into fits of flapping her wings, extending her feet out and kicking them, and throwing her neck back (seizure?). She kept opening her eyes during and after the fits and looked me right in the eye.
She was clearly uncomfortable, I supported her head with a towel and made her as comfortable as I possible could. She had one very large "fit" (seizure?) and died.
I am very fortunate that I was able to be with her to help comfort her while she was passing. My question now is, what did she die from?
A little back ground on my flock:
I have 7 other chickens. 2 dark brahmas, 2 black australorps, 2 golden sebrights (1 rooster), and 1 production red.
They have all been pretty healthy, despite one of my hens getting beat up by the flock this winter, due to having a limp. She is well now but remains seperated from the flock permanently since she can not defend herself.
I had another sick hen who fell ill last week. She was throwing up brown liquid, and had very runny green poops. I fed her a diet of mushed up layer pellets and plain greek yogurt mixed with egg, and she appeared to have felt fine after that and joined the flock a few days later.
To me, my hen's illness was something long term that took a while to take its complete course on her. She had not been laying for a while, her last egg was months ago, I believe. She used to be my best most reliable layer, so it has always been strange to me that she stopped laying. I did check her vent yesterday and her vent was clean, but her butt feathers had poop sticking to them.
Yesterday her poop was very runny and yellow in color.
Could she have died from ovarian cancer?
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
