RIR may be in trouble---please help

[lauriruth]

my one yr. old hen has pale comb, blackish around points, kind of scaley looking. Poo normal. no mites that i can see. appetite dropping off from before. picked her up last nite, no wheezing, but when i put her down she just stood there with her wings down a bit and her breathing was labored. she just stood there for about 2 minutes. no fluid from eyes or nose. she has lost weight-can feel her breast bone and her crop can't be felt at all. she's interested in treats and eats just a bit, then just slowly walks away. i feed purina layina, oyster shell and suppliment with fruits/veggies/yogurt. my vet passed away last month, so i'm high and dry here!

 

[Tinkspirit70]

~bump~ Maybe worms? hopefully one of the more experienced byc members can help

 

[dawg53]

Could be worms if you've never wormed her.

 

[PunkinPeep]

How long has it been since she laid an egg? Could she be egg bound?

 

[lauriruth]

PunkinPeep,
it's been a couple of days since she layed an egg, but they're all slowing down now. she looks good in the mornings, but by the time i get home from work, she looks drained and her comb is grey and scaley...she's always way behind the other girls...off by herself, and last nite i couldn't find her and she was already up on the roost in the coop and wouldn't come down. not even for yogurt and raisins. this morning she looked good before i left for work. any ideas?

 

[PunkinPeep]

It's really hard to say, but i'll tell you what i would do.

I would isolate her - in a rubbermaid in your bathroom or something. Someplace dark and quiet. This way you can easily observe her eating and pooping, and she can really rest. It sounds like she wakes up in the morning refreshed but wears herself out by the end of the day.

If she isn't eating, you need to make sure she starts getting food - scrambled eggs or boiled egg yolks will be really good for her right now. Whatever is bothering her, she needs some protein.

The most common reasons that a hen stops eating and loses weight are crop problems or egg laying problems. Have you noticed if she has bad breath? Have you felt her abdomen to see if she could have an egg stuck down there?

The only thing i could tell you at this point is to watch her closely and feel her crop often, especially at night and in the morning.

The most important thing is to start getting nutrients in her.

 

[lauriruth]

thanks, PunkinPeep. i'll give that a try!

 

[linben]

Could the black scaly things on her comb be fowl pox?

They will slow down eating while recovering. Have a neighbor that has a couple of hens with it now and their combs are covered with black scaly wart looking areas. I am watching my flock because it is spread by mosquitoes. I vaccinated but may have been too late.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
Fowl Pox usually affects the whole face - all the fleshy areas, not just the tips of the comb. In your own case, you might enjoy knowing that even if you vaccinate after they start to get sick with Fowl Pox, you are still doing them good. This will usually greatly shorten their sickness and keep them from getting truly sick.