Lost a hen quickly: egg bound or coccidiosis

[WoodinvilleMatt]

I lost my first hen last night, a productive leghorn. She seemed perfectly healthy and active over the weekend. Last egg from her was around Thursday/Friday. Then when I checked on the chickens last night (Tuesday), her comb was limp and she wasn’t moving/eating. This morning I found her dead in the coop.

My leading theory is that she was egg bound—her symptoms seem to match what I’ve read about online (limp comb, no energy, runny poop caked near vent), and she had had problems in the past with premature laying (no shell, below the roost).

But I’m wondering if it might have been coccidiosis. I haven’t seen any bloody stool on the roost. But some of the coccidiosis symptoms I read about seem to be the same as egg bound. I don’t want any of the other hens to meet such a quick fate, but I also don’t want to treat them for coccidiosis without need.

Any thoughts? Thanks much.

 

[Judy]

Usually when adults get cocci, they appear sick for a while, refusing to eat or drink, sitting around, hunched and fluffed as if cold. She might also have been an internal layer or have ome other internal problem.

Sorry for your loss.