lethargic hen

[pkarwowski]

Hi....we have 1 rooster and 5 hens-wyandots...They were hatched in an incubator in my classroom last year. They are exactly one year old. Everything went wonderfully until about two months ago when we started noticing just the hens losing feathers on their lower back. Come to find out, they were being pecked so we have been treating them with blu-kote. Last week, out of the blue, one of my hens died. We have seen the other hens and the rooster peck at her a lot and I think maybe they were the cause of her fatal injuries. After her death, everyone else seemed to be doing fine, hens' feathers beginning to grow back and rooster seems calm. But today, another hen started acting lethargic, not moving but still eating and drinking. We moved her to a separate area but she is not moving at all! I examined her and what I notice is that she seems swolen on her underbelly...it almost feels like something is in there unless it is just a bone. She doesn't move when I touch her or pet her unless I touch her chest/underbelly area...then she arches her head all the way back. I tried pushing on her stomach a little and she began to pant...obviously very painful...help...I have no idea what is going on or what to do! I looked up a few things like eggbound but I need some very explicit directions on how to check her vent! I don't even know where to begin to do so! Anyone with detailed directions or ideas of what else this could be please let me know.....she is not doing well at all!

 

[seminolewind]

The one, if she's feeling pain when you touch her abdomen, it might be egg peritonitis. Since you've had 2 losses, I would ask if you've been worming them? Did they have any access to bad or moldy food or something?

 

[pkarwowski]

Hi thank you...I will look up what that is. We are worming them today. I've actually only lost one other hen and she was"runty" looking and very picked on by the others. I feel like a horrible pet owner...I just keep learning more about chickens as I go. I keep the coop/yard very clean and change their food/water frequently. I don't think moldy food would be the issue but I am going to worm all of them today. Do you know of other maintenance type things I should do for them as preventative care?