Lucy died, any ideas?

[Alleychick]

My favorite hen Lucy died last nite. Since this past weekend she has been acting funny and would not eat or drink. She just sat on the floor with her head smushed into her body like she was cold. I called around to several vets and no one would help. Yesterday I put her into the bathroom and sadly last nite she passed away. But im at a total loss as to what killed her. The other hens are healthy and happy. I feed them good quality feed, keep everyone clean. One thing that is very strange, Lucy's comb turned almost black yesterday. Then this morning when I got up it was completely black. Any ideas would be helpful, this is the first bird ive lost and im quite upset about it.

 

[Alleychick]

Oh i almost forgot, she acted like she couldnt walk, and when u picked her up and set her back down she would almost fall over. Like she couldnt get her balance?

 

[Kittymomma]

There is a sticky at the top of page in the Emergencies section. I know your hen has passed

, but the more info. you can give about her the more likely it is that you'll get a diagnosis. Is it possible that she was egg bound? If you're up to it there are some good threads on how to preform a necropsy. Also, if you think this might be a flock problem and not just a one hen kind of problem you may want to see if there is anywhere you can send her to have a full necropsy done.

Sorry you lost your favorite.

 

[qwerty098]

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Was her comb frostbitten? That could explain that when she was outside. What else could make her comb turn black? Mabey a bactireal infection of some sort. I'll look into it.

 

[chicknmania]

It is hard to lose them, but the best thing to do is learn from it. And you will learn a lot, if you keep on keeping chickens. Most importantly, the first thing to know is that if they start going off their food or acting funny, that's when you know you don't have any time to lose to start treating them. Chickens conceal their ill symptoms until they are no longer able to. It is a built in self defense mechanism. If nothing else, separate the sick one and start giving them the best food you can, scrambled eggs, yogurt ,cottage cheese, applesauce, banana, soft fruit, cooked oatmeal, whatever they will eat. They HAVE to eat, or they will decline quickly. You can always start them on Duramycin, it can give you a clue if they respond to it, but you have to make it a strpng dose, 1 tbsp to a gallon. It's a good thing to keep on hand, available at feed stores, and cheap. Many state agriculture departments will do a necropsy for free or for a small cost; not so in Ohio, they do charge, but the information you get from them is very useful In ohio you have to have a vet refer you for a necropsy, but most vets will at no charge, even if they don't treat chickens, you can call and ask for a necropsy referral. If you do a necropsy it has to be done within twenty four hours of death. There are a couple of places where you can get stronger meds, and even free advice, (besides byc) for treating your chooks. I don't kjnow what would cause a black comb, maybe some kind of organ failure. I'm sorry for your loss, it seems like it is always the favorites that we lose.

 

[chicknmania]

Oh, also, keep an eye on the others. Don't stare at them, but when you feed, watch in your peripheral vision for abnormal behaviour. Watch them for a few days, since you are not sure what killed your favorite. Hopefully it's nothing contagious.

 

[Alleychick]

Thanks for the info, its very helpful. I have done some research and it looks like it could be botulism. They do free range a couple times a week so that could be a possibility.

 

[8hipchicks]

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of Lucy.

 

[Alleychick]

Also, I was wondering what should I do to clean up after Lucy? Do I need to clean the whole coop? Like I said the other girls seem fine, but Id rather be safe than sorry? Any tips or advice on what to do after???

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm so sorry you lost her.