Wendy Bee
Songster
We have a mixed flock, and have had several ISA Browns, which we love. They are a friendly lot and lay wonderful eggs. They are adventurous but not terribly bright, sometimes - our only hen to get hit by a car, an ISA Brown 
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One of our original 2 ISA Browns (this is their 3rd summer) was just hanging out along a tree line yesterday. I was cleaning old wood chips and shavings out of the run, so I watched her for a couple of hours. She just slowly walked and stood in the same area, then went into the under story. I noticed her comb was purplish, mostly around the edges, so just checked on her every now and then throughout the day.
She did come back to the run to roost with the other chickens, but couldn't get up off the lower perch to the higher perches (we have log perches about waist high with a lower log perch they hop from). When I went back out to check on her, she had settled down on the lower log perch. I brought her inside and gave poultry cell as well as water and offered crumble. She drank some on her own, but no food.
Her crop feels fine (though empty), and I see no evidence of external parasites. I did feel around her vent - nothing unusual. No blood in her poo, though it is runny, but we've had some very hot days and they've been eating watermelon and drinking lots of water (several waterers - all fresh, some with ACV and Oregano, one with just Oregano, and one plain, as well as a deep tray with plain fresh water they can walk in if they need to). We have lots of cool shade understory where the chickens hang out when it's really hot, and it's been super pleasant here the last two days, so I don't think she overheated.
I'll post a pic of her poo - again, it's extra watery because it's been hot, and the black is from the ash we sprinkle in their run. Almost all the poops I see around have grey and/or black from the ash.
This is her 3rd summer of life, and I know that ISA Browns can live longer, but if she's just nearing her end, I'm content to make her comfortable. She does not seem distressed, just wants to sleep. But if I'm missing something, I'm good with helping her, too!
I just took another pic of her comb to post, and it's quite a bit more purple now - don't know if she'll make it through the night.
Plz take a look at her poo . . . just want to rule out anything that may be going on in the flock that may have affected her first because of her age. Just one more note - we just successfully treated another, younger ISA Brown for sour crop and she's doing great. And no signs of illness in any of the other birds.
Thanks, all.
.One of our original 2 ISA Browns (this is their 3rd summer) was just hanging out along a tree line yesterday. I was cleaning old wood chips and shavings out of the run, so I watched her for a couple of hours. She just slowly walked and stood in the same area, then went into the under story. I noticed her comb was purplish, mostly around the edges, so just checked on her every now and then throughout the day.
She did come back to the run to roost with the other chickens, but couldn't get up off the lower perch to the higher perches (we have log perches about waist high with a lower log perch they hop from). When I went back out to check on her, she had settled down on the lower log perch. I brought her inside and gave poultry cell as well as water and offered crumble. She drank some on her own, but no food.
Her crop feels fine (though empty), and I see no evidence of external parasites. I did feel around her vent - nothing unusual. No blood in her poo, though it is runny, but we've had some very hot days and they've been eating watermelon and drinking lots of water (several waterers - all fresh, some with ACV and Oregano, one with just Oregano, and one plain, as well as a deep tray with plain fresh water they can walk in if they need to). We have lots of cool shade understory where the chickens hang out when it's really hot, and it's been super pleasant here the last two days, so I don't think she overheated.
I'll post a pic of her poo - again, it's extra watery because it's been hot, and the black is from the ash we sprinkle in their run. Almost all the poops I see around have grey and/or black from the ash.
This is her 3rd summer of life, and I know that ISA Browns can live longer, but if she's just nearing her end, I'm content to make her comfortable. She does not seem distressed, just wants to sleep. But if I'm missing something, I'm good with helping her, too!
I just took another pic of her comb to post, and it's quite a bit more purple now - don't know if she'll make it through the night.
Plz take a look at her poo . . . just want to rule out anything that may be going on in the flock that may have affected her first because of her age. Just one more note - we just successfully treated another, younger ISA Brown for sour crop and she's doing great. And no signs of illness in any of the other birds.
Thanks, all.
. Ours are well cared for - good feed, fresh water, good free-ranging/foraging. I guess genetics play a part, too. Ours are just 
