Please help.... Are my chickens OK? :'(

[rachydee123]

This is my first post in this forum, I've joined because something awful happened today... one of my beautiful hens died :'( I'm asking for some advice....

I had 3 hens (but now its 2) and recently, they've been clucking really loudly. They roam around the garden all day (from 5am till 10pm) and always have food and water. But recently, becuase i sit with the back door open, they've been climbing on the wall and flying into the house, almost like trying to get our attention like they need something. When i go out to the back garden, they run up to me and start clucking really loudly, again like they need something. This morning, i was upstairs looking out to the back garden from the window and Louise (RIP) saw me and tried to fly up, and then she fell down and died :'(

I'm wondering if im not giving them something they need, or do they just like human interaction a lot? Also, in addition, one of my hens has been clucking, but no voice has been coming out!! And when louise died this morning she was making some really strage noises, like she was sneezing or something?!

Any advice would be great... thank you so much...

Rachel x

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I don't necessarily think they are trying to tell you something is wrong, they probably are just looking to you for treats or something of that nature, and most chickens given the opportunity will be curious about coming in the house. BUT the one that's "clucking" without noise...is she just randomly opening her mouth / yawning almost?

What are they eating? Have they been dewormed? How old are they?

I'm sorry about your Louise!!

But Welcome to BYC! It's a great place!!

 

[mysweetgypsy]

There are several really knowledgeable people on this site. I am not one of them. Give more info on the girls, what you feed, could they have gotten into something toxic, how old are they? The more info you can provide the better your chance of catching the right persons attention and getting a really helpful answer. Sorry and good luck

 

[stoopid]

Look in their area really well. Could they have been telling you about a snake, or something nasty that scared them? Where do you live? Scorpions? Hawks? Look in the coop. Think like a chicken. Maybe stress? Heat? A poisonous bush they may have picked at? Need more info!

 

[rachydee123]

Thanks for your quick response,
I'm not sure how old they are becuase they are ex battery hens. The battery farm got rid of them though, but they are still laying, so assume theyre inbetween being too old to be kept at a battery farm, but not too old to lay... if that makes any sense? They have white legs and their feathers are bright.

Jemima - When she clucks without any noise, its like shes TRYING to cluck, but its like shes lost her voice. This morning, it was alsmost like she was sneezing or something? but without sound, and a tiny bit of sound at the end. I wasnt sure if she was crying becuase louise died... i just dont know....

i just feel like such a neglectful mother hen becuase when Louise saw me at the window its like she saw me making eye contact with her and flew to me, and i knew i should have looked away becuase it was almost like she thought i wanted her to fly up there... :'( :'(

Thanks for the welcome

x

 

[rachydee123]

I live in Blackpool in the north of England so I dont think there are any creepy crawlies that could be annoying them, and their coop is really clean... im feeding them pellets mixed with oyster grit... without sounding too vulgar... one of the hens poo wasnt solid... it was like runny like she had diaorrhea or something... we've been having a bit of a nightmare with the poo actually cos i originally was leaving it on the grass to fertalise it, but then flies started coming so ive been scrubbing the bits that are concrete with caustic soda... maybe thats whats pissing them off?

xx

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:
So did she fly INTO the window?

On the one "sneezing"...does she have any nasal or eye discharge? Does she sound gurgly at all?

 

[terrilhb]

This is a form that helps the experts answer our questions better. (I am not one of those experts.) Sorry. And I am so sorry about your hen that passed. I hope the rest will be ok. Good luck. And

sorry it is under these circumstances. 1) What type of bird , age and weight.Bobwhite quail 1yr
2) What is the behavior, exactly.good
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? maybe 24 hrs
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?no
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.no
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.no
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.yes
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. normal
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?none,dont what to treat
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?both
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use

 

[rachydee123]

I think she has gape worm.... :'( IVe just been lookng on the net now and i saw a youtube video of a hen with gapeworm. Looks liek Jemima has the same. At the moment im giving her herbal internal pest killer but im looking at flubervnet. Im going to see if the symptioms get any better with this herbal one first.. i hope she doesnt die

 

[rita2paul]

hi i live in Gloucestershire and i noticed my new girls doing the same thing open their beak and stretching their neck almost like a yawn, i also checked and it look like they have gape worm, so i put some verm-x in a syringe with a little water and put some down her beak, it stopped immediately and she has not done it since, i have now done all the chickens as one of the other girls started doing the same thing, hopefully that should solve the problem. hope this will help.