Hen found dead on Tues.. Now another does not look well. Help!

[NewBostonChick]

Good evening.. About a month and a half ago my arucana hen was found dead in my coop.. I figured she was just old.. This week one of my 4 year old RIR's was acting odd, walking slow, did not drink when water was in front of her, etc.. I bought some liquid vitamins for poultry and gave her some..also cleaned my coop thoroughly thinking maybe something in the coop was making her ill.. I clean the poop out each day.. the next day, Tues, she was dead in the coop when I went in the AM to let the girls out.. I took her to a vet for an autopsy and he said she had peritonitis in her abdomen.. No coccidiosis.. and looks like she was not assimilating any food as she was thinner than she should have been.. They have lots of food available, treats, grit, oyster shells, etc.. Now tonight, another one of my girls is acting the same way... she stood by some watermelon very still and took a few nibbles.. had all she could do to get in the coop and now she is on the floor of the coop and I am thinking I may find her dead in the AM! :-( The vet did mention I could worm all the girls as that has never been done.. What on earth is going on in my coop??

 

[Judy]

I am going to guess that the peritonitis was what is called internal laying here, which does indeed cause a peritonitis -- the word simply means inflammation of that body cavity. Unfortunately this is not that uncommon among hatchery birds.

If you have never wormed, I'd recommend Valbazen, as it gets all worm types and is relatively gentle on them. You can get it from Jeffers Livestock or Amazon if your feed store doesn't have it (it is a cattle wormer.) Give 0.5 ml to each bird by squirting it in their mouth or putting it on a bit of bread. Repeat in 10 days and toss eggs for 24 days.

 

[NewBostonChick]

Thanks for your reply.. the vet said this is not contagious, but why would another hen be ailing? The RIR's that are 4 years old have not been laying for awhile now... Breaks my heart to lose them....

 

[casportpony]

Thanks for your reply.. the vet said this is not contagious, but why would another hen be ailing? The RIR's that are 4 years old have not been laying for awhile now... Breaks my heart to lose them....

Sorry for your loss, but it is one of the more common causes of death in older hens, I've lost more than I can count this year to some type of reproductive problem (ascites, egg yolk peritonitis, oviduct cancer and egg binding). Sometimes you can tell what the problem is by doing a cloacal exam. I've done several and I've been able to feel one or more of the following: fluid, cancer, egg yolk(s) floating in the abdominal cavity and eggs stuck in the uterus.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

If you do want to worm them, Valbazen will work, but it's $36 plus shipping unless you spend $60, then shipping is free.
http://www.jefferspet.com/valbazen/camid/liv/cp/16387/

I use fenbendazole 10% (Safeguard or Panacur, liquid or paste), you'll find it at TSC in the horse, goat and cattle section, heck, they might even have Valbazen at your store. Fenbendazole, when given at 20mg/kg three days in a row gets most worms, including a type of tapeworm that chickens get *and* gapeworms. It's also safe to use on all other types of animals, Valbazen is not.

Fenbendazole should not be used during a molt or breeding season according to Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook.

If you want more info on either wormer, let me know and I'll post the info that I have collected.

-Kathy

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou...uctive_system/egg_peritonitis_in_poultry.html
This may help you.

I am sorry for your losses.

 

[NewBostonChick]

Thank you all.. I lost my hen this morning.. that is the 2nd hen in a week that has died.. The vet said the same cause of death.. peritonitis.. he mentioned that using artificial light when they are young can cause this to happen as it messes up their hormone cycles.. I have not added any light in the winter other than the red heat lamp, which I guess omits light.. I stand corrected, my 2 hens were not 4 years old, they were 3 years old.. I pray I do not find any more dead.. So sad as I love my girls! :-(

 

[casportpony]

Sorry for your loss.

-Kathy

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Thank you all.. I lost my hen this morning.. that is the 2nd hen in a week that has died.. The vet said the same cause of death.. peritonitis.. he mentioned that using artificial light when they are young can cause this to happen as it messes up their hormone cycles.. I have not added any light in the winter other than the red heat lamp, which I guess omits light.. I stand corrected, my 2 hens were not 4 years old, they were 3 years old.. I pray I do not find any more dead.. So sad as I love my girls! :-(

I am so sorry you lost another.