Hello,
So sorry for the delay in replying. There’s been quite a few issues on this forum this weekend. Thank you for writing down your thoughts and what you are doing with these hens, it helps a lot.
Let me give you a few of my thoughts.
1) is vet care an option? I feel like she may have an underlying medical condition, and a vet could uncover that.
2) You seem pretty thorough. I assume you have checked her thoroughly for mites, anything wrong with her body like an abscess or bumblefoot, infection? Looked in her mouth for lesions?
3) Corid is very hard on the body. It’s better to give than not to if the hen is at risk of dying. But it tanks their stomach flora and it keeps the hen from absorbing several important vitamins. A vet could test her poop for cocci to tell you she dooes or doesn’t have it. Her stomach probably doesn’t feel good.
4) it’s good you mention the DE, which could be a major culprit with her. Halt the DE please, esp when you have a hen not thriving. DE is a major respiratory irritant and does nothing to control external parasites.
5) make sure you have several waterers and feeders so the lower ranking hens can get food and water.
6) be prepared you may have mareks in your flock based on her leg history and the age timeframes she has had these issues. Was she vaccinated? Mareks may be an underlying immunocompromise with this hen. Mareks is endemic in flocks..not to worry.
7) so now lastly we come to feeding. It is possible with an underlying medical condition, she is not getting enough nutrition and may be being kept away from food in the pen. It could also be as part of the complicated pecking order she is not being given permission to eat by the top hen
If she were mine, I would try feeding her some metabolism boosting foods every day once a day for a week. If she really perks up you may have a piece of the puzzle.
Feed her outside of the view of the other hens. Be prepared for her not to eat the first few days as she thinks she does not have permission. Once the other hens catch on to what’s going on, they might call to her letting her know she doesn’t have permission. I’ve had to bring hens inside the house to eat because of this before. Give her time to eat and figure it out. Wipe her beak before she goes back with the other hens.
Find out what this hens kryptonite is. Some suggestions based on my experience are: blueberries, hard boiled egg, canned mackerel, mealworms (be careful, have a lot of fat). One of my hens goes batty for canned cat food, another for braunschweiger sausage. Terrible for them, but if it’s between not eating and eating, well. You can give her a couple of drops of nutridrench in this food or straight in her beak. Nutridrench cause diarrhea after 5 days straight. If she starts eating good, a green like kale and romaine can give her some good vitamins.
It’s important she gets good chicken food too. One of these feedings try wetting down crumbles and see if she loves it.
If she doesn’t eat in a week, I think she’s got an underlying medical condition.
We’ve been lucky enough that some of the experts have been active in this forum today handling others’ issues.
@azygous ,
@Eggcessive,
@coach723 @Wyorp Rock I know this is a lot and quite broad, but do you have anything to add or correct?
