I have had hens who are find for many months, heck even years, and then they will simply die without me knowing they were ill. I now have a Buff Brahma separating herself from the group, she was eating and drinking fine a week ago but now her hunger has been waning. Is this a sign of internal egg laying, and if so what do I do about it? Should I wait and see if she will get though it or possibly cull her? Thanks for any help you can give me!
I know that it did rain this first or second week of October... maybe she has a cold?
Does she have any other symptoms of internal laying (penguin like walk, swollen abdomen, yolk-like droppings, etc.)? If not, then I don't think that your hen(s) are internally laying, as lack of appetite is not one of they major signs. How old is the sick bird? If younger than 8 months, it could be Coccidiosis, but if older than that, probably not, as Coccidiosis usually only affects young birds.
Also, have you ever wormed your flock? Heavy parasite burdens can cause thinness, weakness, and eventual death if not treated. On fluffy birds, you may not notice how thin they're getting until you pick them up. Even if you don't see any worms in the manure, that doesn't mean your flock doesn't have them--almost all chickens do. I would worm your sick bird and the rest of your flock with a broad-spectrum wormer, like Valbazen, SafeGuard, or the Worminator (Flubendazole).
Another thing I would do would be to check your flock for mites and lice, as infestations of those cause anemia, weakness, and death. Look under the feathers near the vent, hackle, wings, and base of tail for moving black specks or white eggs stuck to the base of the feathers. If you see any, dust the birds with 5% Sevin dust or poultry dust. Redust 7-10 days later to kill hatched eggs. I'd also clean out the coop, spray it down with vinegar or liquid Sevin, and replace the bedding.
