My hen is sick!! Can anyone help??

[momof9]

I have a Silver-laced Wyandotte hen about 3 years old. She has been staying in the coop most of the time for about 3 weeks. I thought she was trying to set, so I didn't get upset. Yesterday, I noticed that her comb was turning black and this evening, it appears to be gone. She seems alert and will come off the roost to eat in the coop. Does anyone know what this could be and what I should do? There isn't an avaian vet in this area, so I don't know who to call. I have checked the coop for mites and I don't find any ( I keep DE in there all the time). Thanks for any help or info that anyone can give me.

 

[PunkinPeep]

i really don't know anything about this, but i saw another post where it was from frostbite. any chance of frost bite where you are? or some other kind of trauma?

 

[momof9]

Thanks for answering.......We live in the South.......it's been in the 70's as a rule. It did get chilly one night, but only like 42.

 

[PunkinPeep]

i think that if you change your title to something like "my chicken's comb fell off," you'd get more replies - maybe a better answer than mine.

 

[NotTheMomma]

Is the hen drinking and eating enough? Have you offered her favorite treats or her feed mixed with a bit of milk? Make it like a crumble with any type of milk including sour, buttermilk, etc. Offer yogurt or yogurt mixed with the feed and see if the crop becomes full to make sure she's getting enough. When mixed with milk, you also are getting fluids in her. With a droopy comb, it sounds like she's dehydrated, along with whatever else is going on. What else, I'm not sure.

What's she fed?

Has she been wormed?

Any blood at all in the poop? Drainage from nostrils, or eyes? Coughing or sneezing?

How's her feet, and legs?

What color is inside the beak? Should be pink.

Is she still laying?

Could she be egg bound? An internal layer?

 

[Redsquirrel]

When I had sick chickens I called the University of Minnesota. Do you have somewhere like that you can call? They have vets to teach the students and loved helping me. My hens are well now because of their advise. The vets in my area don't treat chickens.

Hope you work out what the problem is.

 

[rancher hicks]

Please whenever you have a sick bird the first thing is to quarantine it. If you haven't you should go to the USDA site to get the up dated information about poultry diseases. 3 years is that old for a chicken? I have picture of a chicken from the USDA pamphlet with a black comb and it says that it may be avian influenza, but I don't know how common that is. Please keep us posted with what you find out. So many times people post questions about illness and then there is no follow up.

 

[momof9]

I haven't given her any milk or yogurt ( didn't know you could), but I will as soon as they get up. She has been wormed and everything else about her seems normal. She just wants to stay in the coop all the time and her comb started turning black. I don't know if it is actually gone or not, but it appears to be.

I had not thought about the agricultural dept at NC State, but I will call them in the morning also.

I really appreciate your input..........I have been in tears trying to find out what to do!

 

[sammi]

is the hen able to walk?

it would help if you could answer the questions posted by "not the momma"..(feed, droppings description..color and consistency..wheezing, etc..)

describe your coop set up.
is she sitting in a nest box?
what do you use for bedding?

don't forget that there is a vet University in Raleigh that has a poultry dept.
UNC Veterinary..
it's near the Raleigh fairgrounds/flea market
try googling

 

[momof9]

UPDATE ON HEN!!!
Thanks to all of you for your support and input. I found the NC State Veterinary School and they put me through to someone who could help me. After answering all of his questions and emailing a picture of the hen, it seems that it's an infection where one of the other hens had pecked her (probably). I have one that pulls feathers and pecks, but so far, I haven't been able to find out which one it is. He told me the kind of antibotic to put in the water and to use a topical antibotic and she should start improving a couple of days. I did ask him about the Avaian influenza, because that really concerned me, but he said she would have a lot of other symptoms and be actually down by now.
Thanks again to all of you!