1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Black Star, about 1.5 years old, no noted change in weight
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Presently isolating from the other chickens, seems to stare into space (although her vision is fine and eyes are bright), often just standing in one place (or sitting). Sometimes she closes her eyes like a chick falling asleep standing up. She is not holding her head and tail high, but rather you could draw a straight horizontal line from her head, across her back, to her tail. Earlier this week she laid shell less eggs on at least 2 days. I put out fresh oyster shell, put some ground (oven sterilized) egg shell on her food, and got her to eat some wet mash of layer pellets and powdered egg shell and a little fish oil, and I also mixed powdered eggshell with AC vinegar to dissolve and then mixed this into the water. (She didn't show great interest in the oyster shell when I put it out). She laid a normal shell egg day before yesterday, but I didn't find any egg from her yesterday. Today I put out fresh plain water (no eggshell & ACV mixed in).
Last night she kept trying to sleep in a nesting box and I kept moving her out, and finally blocked the entrance to the box for the night.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
She has seemed lethargic and staring for 2-3 days. She is isolating more today than previously.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
We had another older (about 2.5-3 years) hen die about a month ago, keeling over, apparent spasms. died fairly quickly once we noticed any symptoms. Some blood came out the mouth/nostrils of the body of that hen after she died, but before we buried her 2 days after death.
Our other surviving hens seem fine. One of our four 2 week chicks seems especially prone to seeming to fall asleep standing up anywhere, anytime, but that seems more normal for a chick.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
She may be experiencing some stress. After the other hen (top of pecking order) died, I would have expected her to be the top hen. Her sister was broody at that time, and now is raising chicks. Broody momma has jumped the now sick hen a number of times when she's looked at the chicks funny.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
She is eating and drinking, not necessarily with great gusto. I just feed her some kale and sunflower seeds, which interested her. I offered her some cheddar cheese and she wasn't interested in that (I was trying to make sure she has enough vitamins A, E, and riboflavin). My wife gave her some bread with olive oil. Sometimes she is scratching around, other times she is just standing there. She has access to layer pellets. I may try to give her some yogurt, but haven't done so yet.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
There is a poop that could be from her that is very runny and bright (bile) green. No blood in her poop. I didn't see anything that looked to me like parasites. She is separated now, so I will keep an eye on future poops.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Only offering her the foods mentioned above.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I'd like to treat her myself. I'm interested in any advice about things to examine for (and how to do so). If it seems possible that she has an infection that might spread, I would consider getting lab work done to identify the disease. But realistically, I have a small backyard flock, so the economic cost of a disease spreading is not huge, although the emotional cost is another matter...
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
At night she is in an A-frame tractor about 4 foot by 7 foot, which has been parked in the same spot for a long time. During the day she and the others can free-range along an L-shape run along the edge of the yard, at least 6 feet wide and 100 feet long. It is some bark, some landscape shrubs, and some grass (although kind of dried up a bit over the summer).
Black Star, about 1.5 years old, no noted change in weight
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Presently isolating from the other chickens, seems to stare into space (although her vision is fine and eyes are bright), often just standing in one place (or sitting). Sometimes she closes her eyes like a chick falling asleep standing up. She is not holding her head and tail high, but rather you could draw a straight horizontal line from her head, across her back, to her tail. Earlier this week she laid shell less eggs on at least 2 days. I put out fresh oyster shell, put some ground (oven sterilized) egg shell on her food, and got her to eat some wet mash of layer pellets and powdered egg shell and a little fish oil, and I also mixed powdered eggshell with AC vinegar to dissolve and then mixed this into the water. (She didn't show great interest in the oyster shell when I put it out). She laid a normal shell egg day before yesterday, but I didn't find any egg from her yesterday. Today I put out fresh plain water (no eggshell & ACV mixed in).
Last night she kept trying to sleep in a nesting box and I kept moving her out, and finally blocked the entrance to the box for the night.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
She has seemed lethargic and staring for 2-3 days. She is isolating more today than previously.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
We had another older (about 2.5-3 years) hen die about a month ago, keeling over, apparent spasms. died fairly quickly once we noticed any symptoms. Some blood came out the mouth/nostrils of the body of that hen after she died, but before we buried her 2 days after death.
Our other surviving hens seem fine. One of our four 2 week chicks seems especially prone to seeming to fall asleep standing up anywhere, anytime, but that seems more normal for a chick.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
She may be experiencing some stress. After the other hen (top of pecking order) died, I would have expected her to be the top hen. Her sister was broody at that time, and now is raising chicks. Broody momma has jumped the now sick hen a number of times when she's looked at the chicks funny.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
She is eating and drinking, not necessarily with great gusto. I just feed her some kale and sunflower seeds, which interested her. I offered her some cheddar cheese and she wasn't interested in that (I was trying to make sure she has enough vitamins A, E, and riboflavin). My wife gave her some bread with olive oil. Sometimes she is scratching around, other times she is just standing there. She has access to layer pellets. I may try to give her some yogurt, but haven't done so yet.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
There is a poop that could be from her that is very runny and bright (bile) green. No blood in her poop. I didn't see anything that looked to me like parasites. She is separated now, so I will keep an eye on future poops.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Only offering her the foods mentioned above.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I'd like to treat her myself. I'm interested in any advice about things to examine for (and how to do so). If it seems possible that she has an infection that might spread, I would consider getting lab work done to identify the disease. But realistically, I have a small backyard flock, so the economic cost of a disease spreading is not huge, although the emotional cost is another matter...
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
At night she is in an A-frame tractor about 4 foot by 7 foot, which has been parked in the same spot for a long time. During the day she and the others can free-range along an L-shape run along the edge of the yard, at least 6 feet wide and 100 feet long. It is some bark, some landscape shrubs, and some grass (although kind of dried up a bit over the summer).
