I need help figuring out what happened to my chicken to save my others.

[Tami Mann]

My hen has the runs she is lethargic & of course won't eat & drink. The eating & drinking is new. Runs isn't. I thought it was old & just stuck to her feathers . They all seems to get it a little when we give them fruit scraps at times. I have seen her eat right along with the other 12 for the last week untilyesterday. Today I brought her in cleaned her up & trying to get electrolytes in her witha dropper. Mealworms or a banana...anything. Also she is panting...very skinny. Oh that was hard to know. she is a Buff Orpington very fluffy!!! One of my fluffiest but not my friendlyist so I didn't go pick her up in the yard to know she was all feathers. So...if any of this sounds familiar please help. None of my other hens are sick. But when I went out to bury the hen I did notice one laying down...walk a ways & lay down again.

 

[Tami Mann]

Oh...if I was unclear this hen didn't make it. I was too late for her.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

My hen has the runs she is lethargic & of course won't eat & drink. The eating & drinking is new. Runs isn't. I thought it was old & just stuck to her feathers . They all seems to get it a little when we give them fruit scraps at times. I have seen her eat right along with the other 12 for the last week untilyesterday. Today I brought her in cleaned her up & trying to get electrolytes in her witha dropper. Mealworms or a banana...anything. Also she is panting...very skinny. Oh that was hard to know. she is a Buff Orpington very fluffy!!! One of my fluffiest but not my friendlyist so I didn't go pick her up in the yard to know she was all feathers. So...if any of this sounds familiar please help. None of my other hens are sick. But when I went out to bury the hen I did notice one laying down...walk a ways & lay down again.

Welcome to BYC!

So sorry to hear about your hen.

The best way to know what happened to her for sure would have been a necropsy. But I think it's too late since you buried her. In the future consider refrigerating the body. There are links on here with info on how to do and where to send it. It is often low or no cost to individuals as a means of protecting our national food supply chain. In Ca, it's cost $40 plus shipping.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures.799747/
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

How old was your girl? And your others? Did she lay regularly?

Panting may have been a sign of stress or the body shutting down, if it wasn't a sign of being hot. How has your weather been? What do you feed, including treats and supplements? Any new or recent additions to your flock? Have you ever tested or treated for worms? How much space for your crew of 13 (now 12), are any boys?

Is your other girl that moved and laid back down just hanging out and avoided you, or is she still laying there? Don't beat yourself up about being to late for your buff. I have been before too, it's a learning process that never seems to stop. Things happen so fast with chickens, partly because as prey animals they will try to hide any weakness just as long as possible so they don't become easy targets for predators or event their own flock sometimes.

Keep your eye out for any unusual behavior, as I already know you are. Hope the rest of your flock remains well!

 

[Tami Mann]

Ok...how old? She was born May 23 last year. No new chickens...they are the new babies . No rooster. Just lost him...got old . Weather has been WET! Chilly at night 30s now & then 60s in the day. They have a pretty big yard & coop. They are kinda rotten without being free range. We lost too many for that. We are out in the woods. Oh...my one laying down one...she is with all the other chickens & they were pecking her too. But didn't seem to be mean...more get up & move.

 

[Tami Mann]

Oh yeah...laying down seems to be the only symptoms so far as I know. But like I said we have so much rain...I have not been out there with them like normally do.

 

[Tiana's chickens]

Could be coccidiosis. The vets can say for certain, they'll look at the runny poo under the microscope

 

[Tami Mann]

You know you are the 2nd to say that. Do you have any idea if it's one of those things if she can only get some of the symptoms? I looked that up. She did have about 2/3 of them.

 

[Tami Mann]

Also still unclear how they get it with out new chickens coming in my flock. I read they get it from poo.

 

[Tami Mann]

Oh...we have no vets that treat chickens.

 

[Tiana's chickens]

You know you are the 2nd to say that. Do you have any idea if it's one of those things if she can only get some of the symptoms? I looked that up. She did have about 2/3 of them.

Yes there are different strains of coccidiosis so im sure they wouldn't all have the same symptoms. Could you get a photo of the poo?
Also, chickens can have it for a very long time, if it is coccidiosis, they most likely had it before you bought them or they got it from the soil.
It is completely normal for all chickens to have a small amount of coccidia in their gut, it's when they get over run with it they can die very quickly. They are most susceptible when molting, old, young, or wet weather.
Small amounts of coccidia in the gut isn't an issue for them, but the coccidia multiples