Saying Goodbye and Saving the Flock

[galaga6846]

This morning we said goodbye to the top hen in our small flock, a beautiful Blue Copper Marans-Cream Legbar olive egger. She was the ever-vigilant, benevolent, and gentle leader. She was truly my favorite chicken.

Her symptoms were a crumbly sound in her lungs when she breathed, pale waddles/combs, weight loss, and weakness. She seemed to eat fine until the last day. Her poop was normal with intermittently loose/watery stools. At the end her vent was swollen with a large bulge directly underneath. I treated her with two courses of antibiotics over the course of a few weeks, (no response). I thought she may have lice or mites, treated the flock.

There's another hen with similar symptoms and I want to save her before it's too late.

(This last picture was taken shortly before she passed.)

 

[galaga6846]

I wanted to also add that she had a lot of poop around her bottom, and if I washed it off it would come back within an hour or so. Her flockmate has the same dirty bottom, pale/withered combs/waddles, weight loss, and weakness, but still seems interested in food (for now.)

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

Sorry for your loss! I would give the hen electrolytes and keep her warm. @Eggcessive @aart @casportpony @Wyorp Rock

 

[SilverBirds]

So sorry for your loss.

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

I’m so very sorry for your loss That hen is the prettiest one I’ve ever seen!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry about your hen.

Do you have current photos of the one that is sick along with her poop?

Make sure the crop is emptying overnight, treat any lice/mites. Consider getting a fecal float to see if worms are part of the problem. If she's not been laying eggs or if there's bloat or fluid in the abdomen, a reproductive disorder may be why she's in decline. EYP, Cancer, Salpingitis, etc. can be common in laying hens. Possible disease like Marek's could be taking it's tole, but that would only be revealed through necropsy if you lose her.

Work on hydration, keep her eating her normal food. Entice her with a little egg.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you still have your hen’s body, you could take or send it to your state vet for a necropsy (keep it cold, not frozen until then,) to get a diagnosis. As Wyorp Rock said, reproductive disorders and cancer are very common. Most times we can only look at symptoms, keep them drinking water and eating nutritious food, and make sure their crops are emptying overnight. If they seem to be suffering, I consider putting them down. When I lose a chicken, I will open the abdomen and look for any possible reasons for death. Sorry for your loss.

 

[galaga6846]

I'm sorry about your hen.

Do you have current photos of the one that is sick along with her poop?

Make sure the crop is emptying overnight, treat any lice/mites. Consider getting a fecal float to see if worms are part of the problem. If she's not been laying eggs or if there's bloat or fluid in the abdomen, a reproductive disorder may be why she's in decline. EYP, Cancer, Salpingitis, etc. can be common in laying hens. Possible disease like Marek's could be taking it's tole, but that would only be revealed through necropsy if you lose her.

Work on hydration, keep her eating her normal food. Entice her with a littl

I'm sorry about your hen.

Do you have current photos of the one that is sick along with her poop?

Make sure the crop is emptying overnight, treat any lice/mites. Consider getting a fecal float to see if worms are part of the problem. If she's not been laying eggs or if there's bloat or fluid in the abdomen, a reproductive disorder may be why she's in decline. EYP, Cancer, Salpingitis, etc. can be common in laying hens. Possible disease like Marek's could be taking it's tole, but that would only be revealed through necropsy if you lose her.

Work on hydration, keep her eating her normal food. Entice her with a little egg.

I treated for lice and mites a few days ago.

She hasn't layed an egg in at least 4 weeks.

Here is the other hen who is sick, but still alive. I can't seem to entice her with scrambled eggs, fly grubs, or bread crumbs. She has bad diahrrea but doesn't have signs of respitory distress. She's lost weight. Pics:

 

[fatimastic]

I treated for lice and mites a few days ago.

She hasn't layed an egg in at least 4 weeks. View attachment 3123476View attachment 3123477View attachment 3123478View attachment 3123479View attachment 3123480View attachment 3123481

Here is the other hen who is sick, but still alive. I can't seem to entice her with scrambled eggs, fly grubs, or bread crumbs. She has bad diahrrea but doesn't have signs of respitory distress. She's lost weight. Pics:

Can you maybe give her electrolyte through a syringe and force feed her some eggyolk? Is her crop emptying over night? And can you feel her abdomen to see whether it's normal sized, or big? Squishy or hard? Also is her vent dry?

I've lost a hen to ovarian cancer. Her abdomen got smaller and she only laid eggs for 1-2 months. She had an extremely bad case of diarrhea for several months. We culled her at the age of 1.5 years just about 3 months ago.

Wishing you luck for your hen

 

[galaga6846]

Can you maybe give her electrolyte through a syringe and force feed her some eggyolk? Is her crop emptying over night? And can you feel her abdomen to see whether it's normal sized, or big? Squishy or hard? Also is her vent dry?

I've lost a hen to ovarian cancer. Her abdomen got smaller and she only laid eggs for 1-2 months. She had an extremely bad case of diarrhea for several months. We culled her at the age of 1.5 years just about 3 months ago.

Wishing you luck for your hen

Vent is sloppy with diarrhea. I'm forcing eggs and fly grubs. Crop is squishy as it should be in the evening.