Sick hen getting worse.

[Traffie Chickens]

We have a leghorn girl who hasn’t been doing well for about a week now. She is closing her eyes at all times. Her face and comb are very very pale. And she is puffed up. Not eating much, but if she does, she is still pooping normally. She is also light as a feather. I thought that she was egg bound because she is hunched over and isn’t laying, so I have been giving her epsom salt baths, feeding her tums calcium carbonate, and sugar water. Nothing is working and she is getting worse to the point where every morning I am expecting to find her dead. Advice would be highly appreciated.

 

[LaFleche]

When did you last deworm her?

Did you check her crop, is it emptying properly overnight?

I spect your coop and the hen closely for blood sucking poultry mites. They can leave a hen aneamic in no time.

 

[Traffie Chickens]

When did you last deworm her?

Did you check her crop, is it emptying properly overnight?

I spect your coop and the hen closely for blood sucking poultry mites. They can leave a hen aneamic in no time.

Her crop has nothing in it because she isn’t barely eating. I will definitely check for mites. Tho I’m not sure what I’m looking for.

 

[LaFleche]

Her crop has nothing in it because she isn’t barely eating. I will definitely check for mites. Tho I’m not sure what I’m looking for.

Checking for poultry mites is best done at night as they will hide in the crevices and on the underside of the roosts during the day and only come out at night to suck the chickens' blood.
You can also use double-sided adhesive tape on the underside of the roosting bars and around the ends where they meet the walls. Any mites trying to get to the chickens will get stuck to the tape.

https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/farming/poultry-red-mites-identification-prevention-and-treatment/

 

[LaFleche]

When did she last lay an egg and has she ever had issues with soft-shelled eggs?

How old is she?

 

[Traffie Chickens]

When did she last lay an egg and has she ever had issues with soft-shelled eggs?

How old is she?

We aren’t sure exactly when she last laid, because we have multiple girls who lay white eggs and we are just coming off of the cold weather. But I do know at least over 2 weeks ago. She has never had any egg laying problems in the past. She is 2 1/2 years old.

 

[Traffie Chickens]

Checking for poultry mites is best done at night as they will hide in the crevices and on the underside of the roosts during the day and only come out at night to suck the chickens' blood.
You can also use double-sided adhesive tape on the underside of the roosting bars and around the ends where they meet the walls. Any mites trying to get to the chickens will get stuck to the tape.

https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/farming/poultry-red-mites-identification-prevention-and-treatment/

Thanks, are red mites actually red? Because I thought that they were, but then it said that they look like dirt, and dirt isn’t red.

 

[LaFleche]

Thanks, are red mites actually red? Because I thought that they were, but then it said that they look like dirt, and dirt isn’t red.

They look like red little dots when they are full of blood, but oftentimes they ate just grey-ish and are easily overlooked. Hence the double-sided sticky tape.

And yu can swipe the underside of the roosting bars with your finger and will have bloody/humid stains to prove the infestation.