Rooster attacking sick hen

[leadwolf1]

I think of it this way when I decide whether or not to give a bird a chance to pull through. Birds are prey animals; they know it and it shows in their instincts. A wound can be treated and heal, but an unknown illness can't. When a bird is being attacked by the flock and/or goes off alone to huddle in a corner, I know that it is seriously ill. Otherwise, they hide symptoms and you would never know anything is wrong.
When a bird has settled into a spot to wait for the end, I think it is kinder to put them out of their misery. For them, their instincts tell them that the end is coming. Every rustling leaf and flicker of shadow is a predator coming to eat them. They are just too sick and far gone to do anything about it. Definitely not the way I would want ANYONE to spend their remaining time on Earth. Better to give a quick and painless end vs a lingering fear-filled experience.

Very true. But if you can't do it, then you have to do what is next best. Provide the bird with a safe, quiet place away from things that go bump in the night! I have a black bantam cochin. I put her in a very quiet brooder, fed and watered her and covered the whole thing with a towel. I thought she was on her last legs...now, she is up and laying eggs again! Just goes to show you, sometimes you just never know.....

 

[centrarchid]

Isolate hen as indicated before.

Look at her feces. How does it look?

How is her weight based on muscling of breast?

 

[craftbug1021]

breast feels thin, very boney. White poo with black specks getting pasty butt. All the others stayed around the tractor today so she wasnt lonely. I did put her in the nest in the tractor she probably could have jumped up there but I tucked her in for the night. She ate yogurt and feed today and drank her water so time will tell......

 

[centrarchid]

Lots of white indicates she is catabolizing protein. Hers or from food?

Try providing her some mealworms or even bits of raw fish.

Have you ever looked for worms / worm eggs in poo?

 

[speckledhen]

breast feels thin, very boney. White poo with black specks getting pasty butt. All the others stayed around the tractor today so she wasnt lonely. I did put her in the nest in the tractor she probably could have jumped up there but I tucked her in for the night. She ate yogurt and feed today and drank her water so time will tell......

That is what happens to every hen in the later stages of internal laying/egg yolk peritonitis, the massive weight loss and extreme weakness, plus messy rears with lots of urates sticking to the fluff because they drip down. Not saying that I'm 100% sure that is her issue as there are a couple of others that could cause the same symptoms, but the truth is that it is very, very common. I've been through it 10-11 times with my hatchery hens, plus had a couple die later in age with ovarian carcinoma with some of the same symptoms of internal laying.
Horrible worm infestation can do similarly as well, however, if it's one hen and no others, I'd say it's probably not worms. If one has worms that bad, many others will, too, nine times out of ten.

 

[theacw]

Any updates on your girl?

 

[craftbug1021]

gave her meal worms today, with her feed and some scratch, looking at this as making her last days happy. She does not have worms. She ate all I gave her, made the roo pretty jealous as he stood outside the tractor and watched her... will give her more yogurt tomorrow and clean her bottom up so she wont have to set in it. Had to put her in top of tractor again tonight but that just gives me time with her. She seems the same, no improvement, no decline taking it each day as it comes. Do miss those big blue eggs though, the other 2 girls lay light olive green. I have 2 more EE's that were born Easter, just hoping one of them will lay blue, and that they are both hens and not roo's. I have 5 roo's right now and keep them all separate with their own hens, dont have anymore room to separate more!!

 

[craftbug1021]

my pretty Lucy...

 

[craftbug1021]

Lucy isnt eating much today

not even her meal worms...sigh...just keeping her comfy

 

[theacw]

Poor Lucy Hope you guys are doing ok....