Is it her time?

[Ascholten]

My one girl, I believe she's a RiR, has been very listless, she's eating but just kind of poking, and drinking a little too. She IS still doing this on her own. Her comb is pale and hanging down, where they usually are perked right up.

She's in her molt, again, so i was thinking maybe that, but this morning, when I came out with food,everyone came running except for her, who stayed hunkered down in the coop, even thoush she SEEN me. She generally was the first to eat.

Recently dewormed them all, they are fine there, she's showing zero signs of any type of infection, ooky leg, sloppy butt, pussy eyes, coughing out wheezeballs, nothing really to show that she is sick. The other girls who live right with her, are fine.

I picked her up, she's very weak now. ive seen this before, it's never good, she can not stand well, and when I put her down by the food dish, she pecked one or two pieces then wobbled into the tall grass, as if to like get away from everyone and be left alone. The other girls seem concerned about her and are rather 'gentle' towards her instead of their normal loud and bullysome selves.

She's not egg bound, she quit laying eggs several months ago, and I figured she was just too old now and went from egger to full time pet / pest status.

I DO have to do full disclosure here and state she's probably going on 5 to 6 years old. Is it just getting to be her time?

Should I start antibiotic treatment or something just in case, although the other girls are perfectly healthy, and force feed / water her. Or should I leave her in her corner, try to keep her comfortable until she passes?

I have a feeling im not going to have much of a say so in this one but wanted to check first in case there is something I am missing.

Thank you
Aaron

 

[SmiYa0126]

Can you get her some scrambled eggs or grubs for extra protein, and undiluted nutri drench? Poor girl

 

[Coops Dad]

Sorry for your chicken's decline; I have nothing to bring in the way of medical advice but I offer my sympathy.

 

[Ascholten]

I will do that right now to see if she'll eat it. I just feel so bad because I am pretty sure I know what time of day it is but can't help her much. After picking her up, she's lost some weight too. The other girls are not picking on her at all, and are real quiet and like... respectful... if that's a term you can even use with chickens.. around her. They know she's not well either.

Aaron

 

[SmiYa0126]

My roo was like that with my one hen when she was really bad off. Chickens are such interesting creatures

 

[Chookchicken]

Are her wings droopy? Is she dragging either of her legs?

 

[SmiYa0126]

Tail down isn't a good sign. Try to see if she'll eat treats for you.

 

[Ascholten]

If a chicken was egg bound, do they still poop? I was under the impression that 'that' stops up everything? She's got the wobble walk like that but she's also very weak. I just checked to be sure, and no she's not that I can tell. Was thinking that even though she has not laid for several months, maybe she tried?

Aaron

 

[SmiYa0126]

That's possible, do you have a calcium citrate pill you can give her?

 

[Ascholten]

her wings are droopy, tail is down, she's not well.
I have calcium citrate liquid in adult dose, i can dumb it down a bit and give her some.
She's hiding in the corner in the tall weeds over under the boat where she used to love to hang out and get dirt baths.

I put some of her favorite treats in the cage when she was in there, of course the others come running, but as soon as she hobbled over to pick at the treats, they all stopped and got out of her way and let her eat first. Even sick, she's still the queen She only nibbled one or two of the scratch grains, then stopped, that along right there tells me she's very bad off, because any other day she'd be jumping up trying to snatch them out of my hand with her partner in crime.

I'll go medicate her and try to make her comfortable. At this point, there is not much else I can do really. I just hope this does not drag on for days, I really hate to see them like this and hope it goes fast.

Aaron