Need Help/Advice - Is This A Disease?

[The Monkey Mama]

About 4 weeks ago, one of my EE pullets started acting weird - she just stood around with her eyes closed, swaying like she couldn't catch her balance, and puffed up & hunched like she was cold. She wasn't being very active, was only eating a little, and seemed very sick. Truth be known, I expected her to die any day.

She didn't - and now, finally, about 4 weeks later, she seems fine - active, normal, etc. So, I Just chalked it up to "Huh...weird" and went on with life.

Then, tonight, I noticed my black copper marans pullet doing the same thing - just standing there hunched up with her eyes closed, swaying. She didn't eat tonight and didn't move around or anything. She's about 10 weeks old now and until now has been perfectly healthy, vigorous, etc. [Just like my EE hen had been].

Is this some sort of infectious chicken disease? Or what is it? I've researched all over the web and can't seem to find anything that describes something like this.

I need to know because I was planning to give away a bunch of my little roos this weekend to a friend and I *definitely* don't want to give them to her if they have some sort of disease....

All the other 50 some chickens in my flock are acting just fine...

Any ideas or advice?

Kelly

 

[Medizzytoo]

Nobody answered this?? I so need the answer too. Please let me know if this is something I need to be worried about...

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Not really sure what to tell you but maybe you can check Rimshoes medical page for clues.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=15239

 

[The Monkey Mama]

Thanks Acre of Blessings. The links on this page don't work, but I looked at the symptoms and went and researched every disease that even sounds like it has any similar symptoms and none of them match...

this is so weird!

Thanks for the help!

Kelly

 

[gumpsgirl]

I am suspecting that it's the feed. Have you checked to make sure that there isn't any mold growing in it? Is it kept in a dry area where there isn't any moisture present? Feed molds easily and will cause the symptoms you are describing. Another thought would be rodents. Is it locked up tight so that no rodents can get into it?

 

[Blue_Myst]

I had hens that acted similar to this a few years back (puff up, eyes closed, couldn't keep balance, and mouth gaping). After putting apple cider vinegar in their water, the outbreaks lessened dramatically. I'm not saying it's a cure-all, but it couldn't hurt to try, at any rate, if you have some on hand.

Hope you get this resolved quickly!

 

[The Monkey Mama]

Gumpsgirl, The feed is actually kept in my home and I have so many chickens we go through about a 50lb bag of feed in 4 days, so it never stays around long enough to mold and it never gets wet. I've never seen any mold or anything.

Likewise, no rodents in the house, though I saw a mouse in my hen house... could the mouse be the problem? My lab actually caught the mouse and killed it, but there could be others hiding there that we haven't seen yet.

Today the little Black Copper Marans looks just fine - she's running around acting all hyper as usual. I wonder if she was just getting ready to roost early last night or something? [It was getting late when I put them up, but none of the others were roosting yet].

Kelly

 

[The Monkey Mama]

Blue mist - thanks for the reminder about the vinegar - I've used that before just as a "tonic" and I can't believe I forgot to try it for this! Thanks!

Kelly

 

[kinnip]

Without more symptoms, I'm inclined to think feed or maybe something not-feed that they ate anyway. I had a hen some time ago who did the same thing. Turns out, my BF had snipped a handful of weeds for her to eat. In that handful were some mushrooms. I guess she just had a psychadelic experience and moved on.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Have they been wormed?