hen on dealth doors

[wonkeydonkey]

Hi, i have just come back from a few days away to find Rose, my lovely chicken which has been ill for a few days hanging on to life by a thread she is cold and wet and has lost all her weight, she is skin and bones! she cant hold her neck up and her eyes are shut more then open, i have dried her off and layed her in a box waiting till she finally leaves us. i just want to know if anyone has ideas of what might have caused it? she has been fluffed up and off her food for a few days, her comb is pale and her ear lobes are now blue. its such a sad site, i just want to make sure its nothing the rest of them can catch, she is only 25 weeks old and never laid an egg poor Rose

 

[leadwolf1]

So sorry to hear about your Rose

It's really hard to lose one of our feathered friends.

Do yourself and your flock a big favor and have poor Rose necropsied. Most states have labs that will do them for free or for a small fee. That way, you will know definitely what happened to Rose and whether or not you need to worry about everyone else.

 

[wonkeydonkey]

will do, thanks for your message!! poor little thing, its horrible to see them in such a state !!

 

[klmclain1]

If I had to take a guess... I'd say she either has mites, lice or worms. Look her over really well - if you can rule out mice/lice, then I'd guess worms. If you have others, I'd take immediate action depending on what you decide. It may not be any of them, but it won't hurt them to dust and/or worm them. Sorry to hear about your girl....

 

[leadwolf1]

I always added a little heat lamp for their comfort...you might want to consider that. I hate seeing them so sick I try and think what I would like to be comfortable and heat is one thing I always add.

Will she eat? If so, maybe some chicken food mixed with hot water and some vitamins???

 

[leadwolf1]

Could she have coccidiosis? You could treat her for that and see if it helps. Corrid, from tsc works really well. You mix it in water and since she is so weak, I use an eye dropper and dose them every few hours with how much I would think they would drink on their own. Good luck...just some helpful suggestions in case she can be saved!

 

[wonkeydonkey]

she is still with us, no idea how! i have been feeding her with a eye dropper all yday evening and she seems to have gained a little energy! enough to be able to hold up her own head!
i did think about Coccidiosis, i am new to looking after chickens, and i read that its mainly young chicks. 5-6 weeks that get it. she is 26 weeks, could this still be an issue? today she also do a poo which had solid it in, they have been water up to now. The Hard bit looks a dark drown/red. could this give me more clues as to whats wrong with her??

thanks everyone for your advice!!

 

[leadwolf1]

I have found that it really doesn't matter how old they are...sometimes, the coccidia count is higher in the soil and they get sick. Yes, it is a disease found mostly in chicks because they haven't had a chance to build up resistance. However, the older chickens can get sick if for some reason their immunity is down.

Have you checked her for parasites? You might want to do that also. Just in case. You could take a sample into the vet and have them check and see what's going on. For any external critters, there are several ways to get rid of those.

Good luck with Rose and keep us posted!