Sick 20 wk old brown leghorn

[adpugh]

I'm pretty new to the chicken world and would like some help diagnosing my brown leghorn pullet. She hasn't started laying yet. Over the past 4 days or so she's been acting very sluggish and her comb is very droopy. She is eating a drinking and there are no signs of lice. We have ten other hens and one rooster and she is the only one exhibiting any symptoms. Any advice?

 

[hayutfan]

I'm having a similar problem with one of my girls.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm pretty new to the chicken world and would like some help diagnosing my brown leghorn pullet. She hasn't started laying yet. Over the past 4 days or so she's been acting very sluggish and her comb is very droopy. She is eating a drinking and there are no signs of lice. We have ten other hens and one rooster and she is the only one exhibiting any symptoms. Any advice?

What type of food/treats do you give?
What does her poop look like?
How does her crop feel - is it emptying overnight?
What kind of weather are you having?
Any other symptoms - coughing, sneezing, runny nose/eyes?

Check her for any crop problems - full crop at night, empty by morning. If it's really hot, make sure she has shade and plenty of cold water and food. Check her over for any signs of lice/mites.

 

[adpugh]

**update**
She ended up dying. There was one day where it seemed like she may be improving but she was dead in the coop one morning.
They are finishing up their last bag of organic chick feed before we switch them over to layer feed. As far as treats go, they get fruit and vegetable scraps from the kitchen. I only saw her poop once that I could verify it was hers and it looked ok. Maybe a little runny but I hate to say that with only seeing one. No coughing or sneezing. She was lethargic with a droopy comb that started to get a little dark on the ends the day or so before she died. Her crop felt normal to us, but again were pretty new at this. She was the only sick one but I'm afraid now that another one may be getting sick. Right now she's just isolating herself from the group but that's how it started with the other one.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. If you would like to find a cause of death you could open her up to see if she was egg bound, or had anything out of the ordinary. Or you could refrigerate her body, and ship or take it to your state vet for a necropsy. Cost varies with each state, from free to $200. Ohio is $80 where I live. At the point of laying, occasionally a pullet will die to one of many different problems, such egg binding, heart, kidney or liver failure. Hopefully, your other chicken may just be getting ready to start laying. If you have a regular vet, I would take in a few fresh droppings for a fecal test for worms and coccidiosis. I would put on a rubber glove, and insert a finger into her vent 1 -2 inches to check for an egg which should feel hard. If it is very hot where you live, make sure they are getting plenty of cool shaded water to drink.

 

[adpugh]

Sorry for your loss. If you would like to find a cause of death you could open her up to see if she was egg bound, or had anything out of the ordinary. Or you could refrigerate her body, and ship or take it to your state vet for a necropsy. Cost varies with each state, from free to $200. Ohio is $80 where I live. At the point of laying, occasionally a pullet will die to one of many different problems, such egg binding, heart, kidney or liver failure. Hopefully, your other chicken may just be getting ready to start laying. If you have a regular vet, I would take in a few fresh droppings for a fecal test for worms and coccidiosis. I would put on a rubber glove, and insert a finger into her vent 1 -2 inches to check for an egg which should feel hard. If it is very hot where you live, make sure they are getting plenty of cool shaded water to drink.

When the first girl first started acting this way I thought maybe she was just getting ready to start laying. It was very hot last week but has been much more mild the past few days. My concern now is that whatever she had is contagious.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry for your loss.

@Eggcessive has given you some very good advice.