Nesting Material of Death

[FluffyButtBabies]

So I have a 9 month old Faverolle pullet. She hasn't quite started laying yet, but in another month or so she should. Now, a few months back we had another hen who mysteriously stopped eating for no apparent reason. She gradually grew more lethargic and passed away two days later. Well we had no clue what might have happened, but the other day we put in a new nesting material. We haven't used it since the last hen died, just because there was no need. Well a day after we put it in, lo and behold, our second pullet started acting strange. We decided there must be something wrong with the material, but the damage is done already. She's acting a little lethargic (not flopping over, but standing in a corner on her own). I felt around her crop and there was nothing in it, even after having food available all day. She's not eating, just like the last one. I don't know what I'm really supposed to do. I've given her sugar water, but she refuses to eat even the treats she loves. I'm really worried, as it's been two days and she isn't getting any better. I know from the last one that this is around the time she might get even worse, because after two days the last one died. I feel horrible because I should have figured out the nesting material was what killed the last one, it was brand new. And now it's too late, and I might have just sentenced the other to a death. I'm incredibly distraught. Does anybody know what might be wrong with her, or how to save her? She looks just fine other than the not eating and mild lethargy. The other hens are okay too, after close monitoring.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

What was the nesting material you think is causing this

 

[FluffyButtBabies]

I threw out the packaging, but it was supposed to be one of those fancy ones with the straw/twine on top attached to a paper layer on the bottom so that it would catch their droppings. It kind of looks like this:

 

[LateBirdFarms]

What type of nesting material are you using? Are you worried both birds ingested it? That it was toxic? Can you get pictures of the sick pullet?

 

[FluffyButtBabies]

Sorry if that was a confusing explanation, I was panicking. I used the material a few months back, and one of my hens mysteriously stopped eating and died. I removed the material and everyone was fine. But I used it again two days ago, and now another hen has stopped eating for no reason just like the last one. It's dark out so I can't grab any pictures of her, but externally she seems uninjured and healthy. It was advertised to be all-natural, but it was shipped in hot weather over the summer and it might have been contaminated by the plastic wrapping or something.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Please try to get some photos of her and her poop.

Feel inside her vent about 1-2" for an egg. Check her over for lice/mites.
It would be really good to keep her hydrated too.

What do you normally feed?

 

[kcan2]

@micstrachan
I know she recently had to tube feed one of her hens and I believe was able to save her

 

[NatJ]

Starting to lay eggs is stressful for a chicken, so some diseases are especially likely to show up at that age. I don't know much about them, just that they exist.

Yes, it's good to investigate the nesting material--but do consider other posibilities as well.

 

[FluffyButtBabies]

She hasn't started laying yet so at least it isn't an egg. Her comb hasn't matured yet. I checked her vent earlier too, it was clear. I'll try and grab some pictures of her in the morning. Right now she's on a mix of chick feed and layer feed, because the older hens are layers. The only problem is that I'd be too scared to tube feed her, because she might asphyxiate.

 

[FluffyButtBabies]

I know most of the basic chicken illnesses. Crop issues, mites, worms, hypothermia, you name it I've dealt with it (unfortunately). But she isn't showing signs of any of that. And the other hens are unaffected, just her.