- Jun 9, 2013
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My buff orpington hen is ill and I'm not sure what is wrong with her (beyond her normal issues). My hen is 15 months old, and is mostly blind. She has been blind since hatching. I took her in over a year ago for a safer existence among my small flock (4 hens total) compared to the flock of 80 she was in (she was getting pecked on greatly as a chick). Last summer I took her to a bird vet who said 1) she has immunity issues that caused her blindness in the first place but they aren't infectious 2) she'll likely always have the immunity issues, which are increasing her blindness in her "good" eye. My first thought is that her hatching challenges are just catching up to her.
But she has always been fairly healthy even though blind. She doesn't catch as many bugs, etc as the other hens when she ranges, but she has seemed happy enough--after I took her in as a chick she put on weight and started laying wonderful eggs, though she was about 6 weeks later than the other hens doing so. The hens free-range in my backyard and get good organic feed and plenty of fresh water with AVC added. They have plenty of areas to dust bath and scratch and laze around. Their coop is large, secure, ventilated, not drafty, and always very clean.
Over the past week my blind hen has been losing feathers around her wing joints, back, and neck. I've checked her skin and there's no sign of mites or ticks. Her skin appears healthy. Her feet appear normal. I checked her crop several days ago and it felt normal, too. As of late yesterday afternoon, however, she hunkered down in the nesting box and stayed there instead of perching when I shut the coop up for the night. This morning she was still in the nesting box. I removed her and discovered two eggs (one was hers) and thought perhaps she was being broody. But I quickly checked her crop and it was enlarged, though soft (not hard...I've massaged it a few times today and it is flexible, and doing so does not appear to cause her discomfort). I removed her from the nesting box while cleaning the coop and the other hens really started to peck hard at her and she did nothing to defend herself or run away. I quickly segregated her, and made a separate nook with food/water/hidey hole for her in an old dog crate under a cool, shady tree.
Within the past 24 hours there has been a drastic change in her behavior. She seems much less active (though I wouldn't call her listless at all) and slightly defensive when approached. I let her out of her cage to see if she'd roam, and she pretty much stayed by the crate, though she did walk out into the dirt and clean herself. Her clucking, which has been odd since birth, has taken on a new vocal tone (it sounds unhappy). There are no discharges from her nose or eyes. She is not panting. Her poop is normal looking, though there does seem to be some stuff to her butt feathers. She is eating the feed I left for her normally.
I'm really worried about her. She is my favorite hen. I can't seem to find a normal cause for her issues (at least based upon books or this forum). I always knew she wouldn't last as long as a 100% healthy hen, but I hope there is something I'm missing that can help me fix whatever is currently wrong with her.
Any input is greatly appreciated!
But she has always been fairly healthy even though blind. She doesn't catch as many bugs, etc as the other hens when she ranges, but she has seemed happy enough--after I took her in as a chick she put on weight and started laying wonderful eggs, though she was about 6 weeks later than the other hens doing so. The hens free-range in my backyard and get good organic feed and plenty of fresh water with AVC added. They have plenty of areas to dust bath and scratch and laze around. Their coop is large, secure, ventilated, not drafty, and always very clean.
Over the past week my blind hen has been losing feathers around her wing joints, back, and neck. I've checked her skin and there's no sign of mites or ticks. Her skin appears healthy. Her feet appear normal. I checked her crop several days ago and it felt normal, too. As of late yesterday afternoon, however, she hunkered down in the nesting box and stayed there instead of perching when I shut the coop up for the night. This morning she was still in the nesting box. I removed her and discovered two eggs (one was hers) and thought perhaps she was being broody. But I quickly checked her crop and it was enlarged, though soft (not hard...I've massaged it a few times today and it is flexible, and doing so does not appear to cause her discomfort). I removed her from the nesting box while cleaning the coop and the other hens really started to peck hard at her and she did nothing to defend herself or run away. I quickly segregated her, and made a separate nook with food/water/hidey hole for her in an old dog crate under a cool, shady tree.
Within the past 24 hours there has been a drastic change in her behavior. She seems much less active (though I wouldn't call her listless at all) and slightly defensive when approached. I let her out of her cage to see if she'd roam, and she pretty much stayed by the crate, though she did walk out into the dirt and clean herself. Her clucking, which has been odd since birth, has taken on a new vocal tone (it sounds unhappy). There are no discharges from her nose or eyes. She is not panting. Her poop is normal looking, though there does seem to be some stuff to her butt feathers. She is eating the feed I left for her normally.
I'm really worried about her. She is my favorite hen. I can't seem to find a normal cause for her issues (at least based upon books or this forum). I always knew she wouldn't last as long as a 100% healthy hen, but I hope there is something I'm missing that can help me fix whatever is currently wrong with her.
Any input is greatly appreciated!
I hear it from my brothers lol In the chicken world the weakest link is often discouraged from contributing to the gene pool by whatever means necessary.
