sick chicken....I think

[mamarosa]

about 3 weeks ago, my RIR comb started getting lighter, she had a pasty bottom, became lethargic and died in my arms
she was almost 2 years old. No change in diet, food, conditions nor adding of any other animals.
the rest of them looked fine and continue to eat and produce eggs normally. I have 25 hens and one roo
Today another RIR seems alittle sluggish. She is sitting down alot and seems "tired" her combs look
pale but they are still red. I really don't want to lose another of my girls....don't really have an answer
besides going from a michigan cold to spring...no other changes...Any suggestions.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Sometimes a pasty bottom is a sign of bugs - lice. Lice will lay their eggs on a feather shaft close to the skin around the vent area, the eggs clump together, are white-ish in color and looks like poo.


Lice are tiny, crawl fast, do not like the light and can be very hard to see. I use Sevin (5%) dust, dust them well on their vent area, belly, under the wings and a bit around their head, then reapply in 10 days. I also clean the coop and dust the nest boxes and roost area (mine like to roost on a very wide board - 12 inches).

 

[regina1994]

I have had 4 RIR die this same way in the past month and a half...ONLY my2 y old RIR no other breed and have NO idea either. I dicected the one who died today and found a HUGE yellowish mass like hard cheese in her and no clue what that was.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Quote:
Sounds like, the yellow mass inside is possibly an egg abcess from internal laying - if you do a search using the search link (upper left, blue bar) above your logged in name, you can search for internal layers or laying and lots of info and some pictures.

it can be difficult to love chickens.