My hen is dying

[lovemybuffy]

Hi all. I have a 3 year old Welsummer hen who appears to be starving herself to death. Her crop is empty, she won’t eat, not even sunflower kernels which is her favorite snack. She won’t drink. She is weak and lethargic. She closes her eyes a lot, and her comb is bent over where it practically covers her left eye. I think she is starving herself to death. I can feel her breast bone, no thickness. And there is not much meat on her legs. Anyone have any idea why or what this is happening ??

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

How long has she been like this? Has she been going to the bathroom? Has she eaten anything that she wasn't supposed to (moldy foods, potatoes, onions, etc.)?

@Wyorp Rock might be able to help.

 

[nuthatched]

What's her normal diet? Has she laid recently? Has she ever been wormed?

 

[lovemybuffy]

How long has she been like this? Has she been going to the bathroom? Has she eaten anything that she wasn't supposed to (moldy foods, potatoes, onions, etc.)?

@Wyorp Rock might be able to help.

I noticed it only 2 or 3 days ago that she wasn’t her normal acting self and just king of sat around. It was yesterday that I really saw her going down hill. And when I picked her up I could feel her chest bone like there was nothing on it, just bone. And her legs too. She did eat a little yogurt today mixed with Mash. About a teaspoon worth. And she did drink some water. I have not found any poop from her. Their food consists of laying mash, corn, and grass and such when I let them free range in mid afternoon. As far as I know she has not laid any eggs for many months but I do not suspect egg lash nor egg bound

 

[lovemybuffy]

What's her normal diet? Has she laid recently? Has she ever been wormed?

 

[lovemybuffy]

They have been given Corid as a deterrent in their drinking over the winter months. She has never been wormed. None of my other chickens are ill like this.

 

[nuthatched]

They have been given Corid as a deterrent in their drinking over the winter months. She has never been wormed. None of my other chickens are ill like this.

It could be vitamin deficiency from the corid, start her on nutridrench or b complex from the store.
How much corn does she get?

 

[lovemybuffy]

They have been given Corid as a deterrent in their drinking over the winter months. She has never been wormed. None of my other chickens are ill like this.

It could be vitamin deficiency from the corid, start her on nutridrench or b complex from the store.
How much corn does she get?

She gets whole corn. I have 11 girls and the corn is in a corn feeder. They all eat it plus the laying mash. I also give them snacks such as veggies like broccoli, green beans, peas, and fruit now and then like grapes (cut up so they do not choke), watermelon, apples, etc.

 

[lovemybuffy]

She gets whole corn. I have 11 girls and the corn is in a corn feeder. They all eat it plus the laying mash. I also give them snacks such as veggies like broccoli, green beans, peas, and fruit now and then like grapes (cut up so they do not choke), watermelon, apples, etc.

Earlier this evening I was able to get her to eat some plain yogurt with a little mash mixed into it. She also drank some water. Now before closing the coop for the night she was in a nesting box and she did eat some mash out of my hand and drank some water. I did notice that she was standing. Both times I checked on her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would work on getting fluids into her.
Electrolytes or a little warmed sugar water.
Once she's drinking, then offer some wet mash, bits of egg or something similar to entice her.

Get photos of her poop when you can.

Do you notice any bloat or fluid in the abdomen?
Look her over really well for lice/mites and see that her crop is emptying overnight.

Not laying an egg in months, she may be suffering from a reproductive disorder, but it's hard to know.