Hen lost tons of weight

[Tenderft chick]

Hi, Just started here, but am looking for some help. My 3 year old Amerucana feels like skin and bones compared to my other hens and how she has felt in the past.

History

Eating organic feed and gets access to yard couple times a week (well almost every day we can watch when out)
Gets scratch as a treat
Loves grapes like you would not believe
Going through molt
Recently severly injured by dog attack around July 8. Wound healed up very nicely was treated daily with Nolvasan and ointment, never looked infected and feathers have all grown back
Eyes still very bright
Feathers in great shape
Crop was full last night and did not feel compacted moved very easily
Checked for mites and lice around vent and under wings did not see anything
Active and eating and running around
When you feel her chest bone that is about all you feel, do not feel ANY muscle or anything
Just saw her taking a dust bath this weekend

Going to start her on warm mash tonight with scraps from our dinner last night
Was thinking of getting some medicated grower ration from feed store if anyone thought this might help in case she does have something left over from the dog wound.
Thought maybe she might not be getting enough grit so I put a big handful out for her in case that is what is causing her to not absorb what she is eating.

Any other ideas or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[1_FnkyFrm]

Have you wormed her ?

 

[RM44]

My guess would be worms at this point. Sounds like you've done almost everything else you could.

 

[Tenderft chick]

Have not wormed her. How hard is it to worm her & what are the most common worms chickens get? Transmittable to dogs or humans? I will get wormer on way home tonight and treat all 5. Would a cleaning of their run and coop be recommended also?

 

[chicmom]

Hello there!

I would also think she needs a good worming. There are many different types, and just be sure to carefully read your label because I believe most times, you have a few weeks where you can't eat the eggs. You could boil them, chop them up and feed them back to your ladies if you want to....they'll enjoy that.

Sometimes, when they get real thin, it's called "Going Light". I hope the worming works for you!

Sharon

 

[Dora'smom]

I believe that when you worm birds, you throw away the eggs. If you feed them right back to the birds, you are reintroducing whatever medication back into the bird. Not recommended. You don't want to fix them for your other animals, either.
Sounds like it could be worms. Often it's recommended to use Wazine, first, which you just put the specified amount in their water and leave it for 24 hours, then discard the water, and replace with fresh, plain water. I often see the recommendation to follow up with Ivermectin, etc. but I only used Wazine, and the worms are gone. Ivermectin, etc. is an off-label use as far as poultry is concerned. If you do use it, you observe the two week discard time between medications, and then discard another two weeks minimum with Ivermectin.

 

[chicmom]

Dora'smom :

I believe that when you worm birds, you throw away the eggs. If you feed them right back to the birds, you are reintroducing whatever medication back into the bird. Not recommended. You don't want to fix them for your other animals, either.
Sounds like it could be worms. Often it's recommended to use Wazine, first, which you just put the specified amount in their water and leave it for 24 hours, then discard the water, and replace with fresh, plain water. I often see the recommendation to follow up with Ivermectin, etc. but I only used Wazine, and the worms are gone. Ivermectin, etc. is an off-label use as far as poultry is concerned. If you do use it, you observe the two week discard time between medications, and then discard another two weeks minimum with Ivermectin.

I have several friends who feed the eggs back to their chickens during worming, with no problems.​

 

[pgpoultry]

I use wormers that are used in dogs.... and feed the eggs to the dog....way easier than trying to get the dog to take HIS wormer.


Sandie

 

[Tenderft chick]

Well, I think we finally figured out what is happening.

She was still losing weight and getting weaker but tail still up so I brought her into the house 2 nights ago and eating great. Poop perfect.

Today my hubby let her and her buddy out to eat in the garden and low and behold our new pullet that we bought as a baby this spring started crowing like all get out because "she" was left alone. Needless to say "she" is now a confirmed he.

He will be going out to my brothers this weekend where he can have roosters and doesn't care. After he leaves I will put Artie back out there and I think things will go back to normal. Boy never received the wrong sex before from the place we ordered but I guess there is always a first as I hear how hard it is to sex a chicken.