- Sep 2, 2012
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Hi I am brand new to this forum and have only been keeping chickens for about 6 months. We started with a flock of 6 after a couple of months they all seemed to get a cold and unfortunately we found one had died overnight. We contacted a vet who gave us antibiotics and wormer, all were treated and four seem fine. The fifth, a light sussex, has always been very small with a small pale comb and hasn't yet started laying has always been at the bottom of the pecking order. (shes not allowed to roost on the perch the others force her into a nest box) Over the last couple of weeks we have noticed that she sneezes and sounds bubbly when she breathes, there is no discharge from the eyes or nostrils.Sometimes she opens her beak slightly when breathing. When she drinks water some drops back out her beak when she lowers her head to return to eating. Her droppings are a semi solid dark green colour in a clear liquid. Over the last week the other chickens are preventing her from eating and drinking and she became very pale and lethargic and very skinny. We separated her to feed her and she does eat and drink, but doesn't seem to improve apart from her comb and wattles pink up. She is returned to the coop to sleep. Each morning she is very pale and sleepy. She has also decided she prefers to be in my kitchen rather than free range in the garden. She appears in the morning, eats then sleeps in-front of the stove. (the backdoor is open constantly so she has the choice) Early afternoon she decides to go out into the garden but doesn't join the flock, then returns to the kitchen late afternoon for porridge oats (she wont eat corn) and then I have to take her out to the coop for the night. She seems more at ease with the dogs than with the flock. Any ideas? None of the other hens show any sign of illness and although they appear at the back door, they poke around for a bit then move on into the garden. I'd appreciate any advice concerning her, as although she doesn't lay she still is part of our flock and I would really like to see her behaving normally and returned to the free ranging flock. Thanks