Old hen, not very active

[katiewr13]

I have a blue amercauna hen who has been kind of inactive lately. She’s between five and six years old. Her weight is fine, eyes are bright, no signs of respiratory disease, vent seems healthy. But she’s been very inactive recently. I dewormed her recently. Still pretty inactive. Should I be worried about a disease I don’t know about, or is she just getting towards the end of her life?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a blue amercauna hen who has been kind of inactive lately. She’s between five and six years old. Her weight is fine, eyes are bright, no signs of respiratory disease, vent seems healthy. But she’s been very inactive recently. I dewormed her recently. Still pretty inactive. Should I be worried about a disease I don’t know about, or is she just getting towards the end of her life?

At 6 years old is she laying eggs?

Sometimes hens this age start to shows symptoms of reproductive issues like Cancer, EYP, etc. Is she laying eggs at all?

What did you deworm with - name of product, the dose and duration?

I'd check her over for lice/mites, make sure her crop is emptying and see that she's eating/drinking.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[rosemarythyme]

Older hens do tend to be less active, though 6 is on the younger side of "old." I agree, check for parasites, but if she's eating and drinking and moving normally when she is mobile, she just might be feeling her age a bit more than other 5-6 yr old chickens.

 

[katiewr13]

At 6 years old is she laying eggs?

Sometimes hens this age start to shows symptoms of reproductive issues like Cancer, EYP, etc. Is she laying eggs at all?

What did you deworm with - name of product, the dose and duration?

I'd check her over for lice/mites, make sure her crop is emptying and see that she's eating/drinking.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

My oldest layers were exposed to Mereks when they were young so I assumed that could have something to do with her behavior. I have several other birds that lay similar eggs to her so I don’t know how long she hasn’t been laying. I don’t think she currently is, though. Her plumage has been beautiful and I haven’t seen any parasites. I dewormed with fenbendazol, goat suspension, and my vet gave me the dosage instructions for that. Crop has emptied fine.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My oldest layers were exposed to Mereks when they were young so I assumed that could have something to do with her behavior. I have several other birds that lay similar eggs to her so I don’t know how long she hasn’t been laying. I don’t think she currently is, though. Her plumage has been beautiful and I haven’t seen any parasites. I dewormed with fenbendazol, goat suspension, and my vet gave me the dosage instructions for that. Crop has emptied fine.

Do you have confirmed Marek's or just going by symptoms?

As hens age, this affects them just like anything else. Some may start to develop symptoms of production/reproductive issues, decline in organ function...so many things.

If she's eating/drinking and relatively active, then I'd just monitor her for now. See that she's free of lice/mites, her crop is emptying and that she's not getting picked on.

Fenbendazole is a good dewormer, it will treat most worms that poultry can have if given at the correct dose and duration. It's good that your vet was able to give you instructions.

 

[katiewr13]

Do you have confirmed Marek's or just going by symptoms?

As hens age, this affects them just like anything else. Some may start to develop symptoms of production/reproductive issues, decline in organ function...so many things.

If she's eating/drinking and relatively active, then I'd just monitor her for now. See that she's free of lice/mites, her crop is emptying and that she's not getting picked on.

Fenbendazole is a good dewormer, it will treat most worms that poultry can have if given at the correct dose and duration. It's good that your vet was able to give you instructions.

When my brother got into breeding chickens, somewhere along the line his flock was exposed. He referred to them as having ocular Mereks. It was only after he came over to check on my starter flock a couple months later that he noticed that my birds had it. Back then he didn’t realize how it was transmitted and inadvertently exposed mine from, I suspect, whatever was on the bottom of his shoe. Since then every other chick I’ve added to the flock has come from Wilco, since they do vaccinate for Mereks, so that at least they wouldn’t be so vulnerable to what the older unvaccinated birds had. I know they’re all still carriers, but at least they have one less thing going against them.