- Jan 13, 2014
- 2
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Hi everyone, I really need some help. I've done all the research in the world and I can't figure out what's wrong with my hens.
Almost a year and a half ago our first hen out of seven died. She was 2 or 3 years old. The first thing I noticed was that she was a little more slow-going and she'd often just stand in one place when her flock was roaming and eating. Then she seemed to be egg bound and spent a lot of time in her laying box. Eventually she couldn't hold her head up and I brought her inside in a shoebox, hand-feeding her food and water. That evening she seemed to have passed some egg out of her and we thought she was getting better. I kept her in my room that night and when I checked on her in the night, there was a clear substance coming out of her nose and mouth. At around five o'clock in the morning she seemed to have a seizure and died. The span of when I first noticed something was wrong to her death was a few weeks.
Our second death was that spring, the same thing happened to our barred rock and she died while I was at summer camp. The third was a much-loved hen who experienced the same lethargy, weakness, and death. The fourth, Phoebe, was a few minutes ago. She started showing symptoms a few weeks ago, when she seemed tired and not her lively, talkative self.
Note: The chickens had all stopped laying eggs before Phoebe got sick, so I gave them freshly bought oyster shells and we started getting an egg every day or so. Before Phoebe got sick all egg laying stopped.
Then I went out and I held some food for her, she went to peck in and vomited (what looked like water) on my glove. (Then continued eating.) I noticed she hadn't been extending her neck like all the other chickens do when I come out to see them. She died in the corner of the coop with her head tucked under her wing.
There are three hens left in our flock: a beautiful, shy Wyandotte, a sweet, fat Buff Orpington, and a skinny old beloved Rhode Island Red mix. I would really be sad if I lost anymore, though I'm afraid that's what will happen. I'm afraid our Buff has started to look sick and I am going to really sad if I loose her.
I really need help because I want to keep what's left of my girls and if I don't do anything they will die off. They are not old. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Almost a year and a half ago our first hen out of seven died. She was 2 or 3 years old. The first thing I noticed was that she was a little more slow-going and she'd often just stand in one place when her flock was roaming and eating. Then she seemed to be egg bound and spent a lot of time in her laying box. Eventually she couldn't hold her head up and I brought her inside in a shoebox, hand-feeding her food and water. That evening she seemed to have passed some egg out of her and we thought she was getting better. I kept her in my room that night and when I checked on her in the night, there was a clear substance coming out of her nose and mouth. At around five o'clock in the morning she seemed to have a seizure and died. The span of when I first noticed something was wrong to her death was a few weeks.
Our second death was that spring, the same thing happened to our barred rock and she died while I was at summer camp. The third was a much-loved hen who experienced the same lethargy, weakness, and death. The fourth, Phoebe, was a few minutes ago. She started showing symptoms a few weeks ago, when she seemed tired and not her lively, talkative self.
Note: The chickens had all stopped laying eggs before Phoebe got sick, so I gave them freshly bought oyster shells and we started getting an egg every day or so. Before Phoebe got sick all egg laying stopped.
Then I went out and I held some food for her, she went to peck in and vomited (what looked like water) on my glove. (Then continued eating.) I noticed she hadn't been extending her neck like all the other chickens do when I come out to see them. She died in the corner of the coop with her head tucked under her wing.
There are three hens left in our flock: a beautiful, shy Wyandotte, a sweet, fat Buff Orpington, and a skinny old beloved Rhode Island Red mix. I would really be sad if I lost anymore, though I'm afraid that's what will happen. I'm afraid our Buff has started to look sick and I am going to really sad if I loose her.
I really need help because I want to keep what's left of my girls and if I don't do anything they will die off. They are not old. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
