Pekin Bantam Hen - Unwell

[LisaSimone]

Hi all,

Our Pekin Bantam Hen is unwell. About 2 to 3 weeks ago we noticed that she was not walking and squawking as much as she did. She still moves with the flock but doesn’t forage like the rest, she rather sits and sort of dozes off… this isn’t her personality at all. She is only about 2 years old and the rest of the flock are about a 9 months old (they were all her chicks).

Her comb and wattle are also extremely pale and light, she hasn’t laid eggs in months (she laid a few after her last were hatched but not again since). She is still eating, drinking and pooping regularly.

We first added diatomaceous earth back into the garden and their coop and then when no improvement was noted we dewormed/demoted her (although when we inspected her there were no signs of mite). We isolated her from the flock about a week ago but no other chickens are showing any of these symptoms.

She hasn’t improved at all and we’re out of ideas.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Eggcessive]

What is her exact age? Does she have any signs of molt with missing patches of feathers or tail? If she is not molting, she may be suffering from either a reproductive or other organ disorder. Since she hasn’t started back laying, salpingitis from internal laying might be possible. Does she walk with a wider gait, have a lowered tail, or stand more upright? They can look differently. Have you seen any straining or sitting in the nest box? I would check her crop first thing in the morning to make sure that it is emptying overnight. Offer some watery mix of chicken feed and a little scrambled egg. A poultry vitamin or human B complex 1/4 tablet daily would not hurt. I would put her back in the flock and watch for any bullying. They are more comfortable with their flock , and if she is gone much longer they may not accept her again.