ILL HEN PLEASE HELP

[tillyspecks]

Hello, I am new to this forum and am in need of some advice. My chicken is a Speckled Sussex hen called Speckles and i've had her for around 3 years, we found her today stood with her mouth open struggling to breath as though there is something lodged in her throat... I have tried massaging the area and found that her croop is empty which i'm guessing means that she hasn't eaten and probably hasn't drunken either. I have checked her mouth for an obstruction or signs of gapeworm but found nothing. WHAT DO I DO, please help. ..... Wrote this earlier and was just about to post it after checking on her one last time, then heard a massive thud, i ran to the house and found her laying there with paralysed legs flapping frantically- she has passed away since but am now worried this could be contagious and cause problems with our other three hens. If you have any advice or experience of this please help!

 

[speckledhen]

Did you feel her abdomen? Has she laid recently? If she is a hatchery bird, three years old is when I find that the internal laying and/or egg yolk peritonitis starts up with that type stock. I've lost about 15 hens to it. If that is the case, there is nothing you could have done for her. Internal laying is a genetic/hormone based malfunction, very common in hatchery hens more than heritage stock, and it has no prevention and no cure, sadly.

Of course, it could be something else, but if she had no respiratory illness and you just found her like that suddenly, it's probably nothing contagious. Sometimes, one just dies for no apparent reason. Heat stroke can cause that or just so many things.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, do you have the answers to the questions I asked so we can help you more? If you don't come back to your thread, we can't assist you. It's been two days since I replied. I had the staff move your thread to the Emergencies section as well.

 

[tillyspecks]

HI, sorry about the late reply, was away, egg yolk peritonitis sounds like a possibility as she fits the criteria for the list of symptoms that I found on the internet. Thank you so much. Am going to keep a close eye on my other hens just in case, it isn't egg yolk peritonitis. I didn't feel her abdomen but have noticed that she didn't lay the day before but did lay before that; however the shells were very thin. Thank you for your help