Listless hen for several months, now being attacked

Now you know why it's called a Pecking Order. She is being knocked down a peg or two and yes, they will kill off a bird who shows signs of weakness, illness, or generally just not fit.

If she seemed to rebound after treatment for worms and antibiotic you should continue with same. Wazine needs to be for several days - check instructions on bottle. You can then wait a week or two and treat with a stronger parasite med, like Ivermectin which kills off almost all parasites. In the meantime, put her in a kenell/cage inside the coop so that the others can see/hear her so that once she's better and stronger she can be released and not be a stranger to them. They will forget one another rather quickly if you separate them and then will not allow them back into the flock regardless of their standing before the illness. Also, isolation causes stress to the sick one. I find they do much better if kept in the coop with their flock - in a cage or dog kennel.
 
I'm not so sure that hens necessarily pick on another sick chicken. They really are not that smart. I had a chicken in the coop dying of LL - the never bothered her a single time. If there was a chicken that they would have hurt, it would have been her. And I have another who is also having problems, but it seems to be just continually battling sour crop. She's on the mend. I keep her in a cage within the coop. Every morning I let her out and every evening I bring her in. While she was recovering and still weak, she was separated. Now that she has more strength, she's with the others during the day. They still peck at her on occasion, but she's at least able to run and hide. She even pecks at other that must be under her rank. We have even gotten to the point now that I just leave her cage door open and at night, she puts herself into her cage at night and lets herself out in the morning. I think she's pretty safe in there. SHe must think so too.
 
The other day she passed-away, so I boxed her up and took her to my local Avian Medical Center for a necropsy. Turns out, her kidneys had failed and the vet found signs of cocci - even though it wasn't the cause of her death. I now know to watch my flock for signs.

FYI - I asked the vet about the effectiveness of diatomaceous earth for controlling mites and lice and she told me that it wasn't effective at all and that I should be careful about what information I get off the internet forums!

Case closed.
 
I'm so sorry for your loss!
hugs.gif
 

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