Sick Chickens

[HJ2138]

I’m tagging some people who know a lot more about chickens and their diseases than me.
@aart @Blooie @casportpony

Thankyou so much

 

[rebrascora]

Photos or ideally video footage which needs to be posted via a hosting site like You Tube and then a link to it on this thread will help..... and knowing more about where they came from? When you say "rescue" what do you mean? Commercial layers are not normally "rescued" until they are over 2 years old and I believe commercial layers are vaccinated for Marek's with a better vaccine than is available for backyard flocks, in which case they would be less likely to be suffering from that but may be experiencing reproductive issues which are perhaps putting pressure on the sciatic nerves and constricting their digestive tract which would cause their crop to become slow and them to try to adjust it by moving their neck and head. If they really are only a year old and from someone's back yard flock then Marek's is more likely.

 

[HJ2138]

I'm sorry to hear about your hens. Welcome To BYC!

What type of food/treats do you feed?
What did you use to treat for lice/mites?
Photos of your hens and their poop would be helpful. A video of actions if you have one=upload to youtube then provide us a link.
Knowing your location (state/country) is also helpful, that way we can recommend products, if any, targeted to what may be available to you.

You mention these are "rescues" - were they battery hens, rescued from someone's backyard, etc.?

Being wobbly with curled toes sounds like a neurological condition, but it's hard to know. If they came from less than desirable living conditions it could be related to nutrition or parasites. Marek's disease is always a possibility as well.

Re-check them for lice/mites looking in the ears, on the neck, under the wings and around the vent.
Feel their crop before they go to bed, then first thing in the morning before eating/drinking. The crop should be empty in the morning.

Feel the abdomen for bloat/swelling or fluid. In hybrid/production birds, it's not uncommon for them to have reproductive problems like Internal Laying, Egg Yolk Peritonitis, Ascites, cancer, tumors or Salpingitis.

Do what you can to keep them hydrated and eating. If you have poultry vitamins that contain Vitamin E, B1 and B2 that would be good to give as well.

Hopefully with more information we give you other suggestions.

Thanks for replying. The chickens came from a chicken farm where there are thousands of chickens. Once they turn 1 year of age they just kill them and leave them. So I haven’t

Photos or ideally video footage which needs to be posted via a hosting site like You Tube and then a link to it on this thread will help..... and knowing more about where they came from? When you say "rescue" what do you mean? Commercial layers are not normally "rescued" until they are over 2 years old and I believe commercial layers are vaccinated for Marek's with a better vaccine than is available for backyard flocks, in which case they would be less likely to be suffering from that but may be experiencing reproductive issues which are perhaps putting pressure on the sciatic nerves and constricting their digestive tract which would cause their crop to become slow and them to try to adjust it by moving their neck and head. If they really are only a year old and from someone's back yard flock then Marek's is more likely.

Hi thanks for replying. They were commercial layers and once they turned 1 year of age they kill them and leave them in big piles. I have never had chickens before but my friend rescued 100 of these chickens . So I rescued 8. I have had them for approx 2 and 1/2 months now and they were all fine and eating well and running around when I got them. I am in NSW Australia. I feed them a good food mix with all the vitamins in it. I give them kitchen scraps and dried worms and crickets for treats. I have been giving the sick chicken vitamin b, calcium and electrolytes and apple cider vinegar in her water. This morning she can hardly stand up both her feet are curled up.
The other sick chicken is getting very slow at walking and her comb is starting to go pale. I used a product called Vetafarm that I purchased from my pet shop for mites and lice. The first chicken has been like this for 2 weeks now but she is still eating and drinking plenty

 

[HJ2138]

Photos or ideally video footage which needs to be posted via a hosting site like You Tube and then a link to it on this thread will help..... and knowing more about where they came from? When you say "rescue" what do you mean? Commercial layers are not normally "rescued" until they are over 2 years old and I believe commercial layers are vaccinated for Marek's with a better vaccine than is available for backyard flocks, in which case they would be less likely to be suffering from that but may be experiencing reproductive issues which are perhaps putting pressure on the sciatic nerves and constricting their digestive tract which would cause their crop to become slow and them to try to adjust it by moving their neck and head. If they really are only a year old and from someone's back yard flock then Marek's is more likely.

I forgot to mention they are all free range . I let them roam around their yard all day and put them in their shed at night

 

[HJ2138]

Were they vaccinated against Mareks Disease?

To be honest I have vaccinated the chickens. They did come from a commercial laying farm that once they turn 1 years of age they kill them. I’m also new to having chickens I have cats also who are not near the chickens at all. I’m still learning about chickens thanks to everyone on this wonderful site helping me.
I’m actually quite attached to the chickens now that all follow me around their yard so I’m hoping to be able to get my sick girls back to help

 

[Melky]

Have you considered taking the sick ones to a vet? I take mine regularly for health checks and it is a vet office close to me. One of the vets is knowledgeable in aviary science. They can often make a better diagnosis. Isolate with food/water the sick ones till you know more. If one passes I would recommend a necropsy to identify the cause which may help in the future. Hopefully this would not happen.

 

[HJ2138]

To be honest I have vaccinated the chickens. They did come from a commercial laying farm that once they turn 1 years of age they kill them. I’m also new to having chickens I have cats also who are not near the chickens at all. I’m still learning about chickens thanks to everyone on this wonderful site helping me.
I’m actually quite attached to the chickens now that all follow me around their yard so I’m hoping to be able to get my sick girls back to help

Thankyou for your advise. I am thinking I may have to take them to the vets today as 1 of them is no better and it’s been 2 weeks now. I have a good bird vet not to far from where I live .
Thanks again Regards Helen

 

[rebrascora]

I think your friend may be misinformed. Commercial layers are usually culled between 2 and 3 years. At a year old the farmer would have only had 6 months of egg laying out of them which is not financially viable, so I think your hens are probably at least 2 years old which can make a difference.
Considering that you are in Australia, that also makes a difference if some of them are not laying. Since you are in Spring, they should all be in peak lay. Them probably being older than you think and your sick one not laying points more towards a reproductive disorder in my opinion
If you cup your hand between the legs of the sick bird from behind, can you feel any abdominal swelling or bloat which will often indicate a reproductive disorder. Compare by doing the same to the others to get an idea of what is normal. Is she soiling her butt feathers? That usually indicates there is some swelling. Sadly many commercial layers succumb to reproductive problems after their 2nd year.

Can you clarify exactly what you feed them? Is it a layer pellet and what percentage protein and calcium is in it? Diet can cause reproductive problems too and I would guess that their current diet is a big change from what they got at the factory farm. Do you provide grit for them and oyster shell? If they are now free ranging there is a chance that they are gorging on all the lovely vegetation that they have never had access to before and that can, unfortunately, cause them digestive problems too.

 

[rebrascora]

If you have access to an avian vet and can afford it then that is definitely the best option. Trying to diagnose a bird via a computer screen and keyboard is a long way short of ideal. Please will you keep us posted with the result if you do take her to see a vet, so that we can all improve our knowledge. Good luck.

 

[aart]

I think your friend may be misinformed. Commercial layers are usually culled between 2 and 3 years.

Was wondering the same thing.....and that they kill them and pile them up, really??

To be honest I have vaccinated the chickens.

What did you vaccinate them for...did the vet do it?