Sick Hen :(

[blackfishfin]

Recently, I noticed that one of our chickens was acting very strangely. Over the past two days she's been randomly lying on the ground and sleeping. The other chickens were not picking on her, but it still alarmed me. I checked up on her and I couldn't feel anything strange about her, so I let her continue her life normally. Yesterday around noon, I went outside to check on the chickens and she was lying flat on the ground sleeping. It wasn't just sleeping. There was obviously something wrong. One of our other hens kept walking all over her back and stepping on her face, but she would still not react. I picked her and put her on her feet, but she sunk back down and went back to sleep within seconds. She slept for about 45 minutes on my lap, and I sat and pet her the entire time because I could not figure out what was wrong. I gave her some electrolytes and a lot of vitamin c+b, but she still didn't respond. She wasn't eating and I had not seen her go to the bathroom in a long while. She was still laying normally, though so it could not be an inbound egg. I had to jostle her pretty roughly to get her to wake up. I gave her some worms and grubs and some feed and she ate them just fine. When I went back outside again, she was trying to sleep on a small stump and a chicken accidentally pushed her off and she tumbled to the ground and lied there, sleeping again. She didn't even try and flap her wings when she fell over! I was panicking and worried all night, but by night time she was on the roost normally and I mistakenly let her stay there. I found her dead on the ground this morning. Based on her position, I figured that she fell off of the roost and was too weak to get back up, so she just tucked her head in behind her wing. We figured that my neighbor might have killed her, but I could not find any wounds.
What could have happened? I don't want this to happen to my other chickens!

Another one our chickens has died this morning. I went out to check on it and thought it was dead, but after looking at it, I realized that it was still very much alive and kicking. I moved it inside, gave is some generalized poultry medication mixed with water, wrapped it in a towel and sat it in front of the fire. It could not move its body or legs and its neck was dangling at an awkward angle. Its nose was runny, it had crust on its eyes, it was wheezing so hard that it whistled every time it took a breath, and then it went into a seizure and died after less than an hour of being inside. Its poop was watery and white and it had such low oxygen intake that its waddle was turning blacker and blacker! Yesterday it was doing completely and absolutely fine. It all happened so suddenly! What could this be and how can we treat it/prevent it? All of our store-bought chickens are vaccinated, but 10 of our flock has been born on the farm and are not vaccinated- but none of them have been showing any signs of illness. My daughter thought that the chicken's neck had been broken because its neck was so swollen behind its waddle. We opened its mouth and it had black mucus. It went into a coughing fit right before seizing. I have looked through every chicken in our flock and none of them are showing any symptoms of illness! I have checked their eyes and noses and have even opened their mouths and there is no mucus, no sneezing, coughing, lethargy- anything out of the ordinary! What could be happening?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

gave is some generalized poultry medication mixed with water, wrapped it in a towel and sat it in front of the fire. It could not move its body or legs and its neck was dangling at an awkward angle. Its nose was runny, it had crust on its eyes, it was wheezing so hard that it whistled every time it took a breath, and then it went into a seizure and died

Its poop was watery and white and it had such low oxygen intake that its waddle was turning blacker and blacker!

neck was so swollen behind its waddle. We opened its mouth and it had black mucus. It went into a coughing fit right before seizing.

I'm very sorry for your loss.

With symptoms like that I really encourage you to refrigerate the body and send it to your state lab for testing/necropsy.
What state are you in?


That said, runny nose with crust on the eye along with wheezing sounds like respiratory disease. Swelling of the neck and black mucous = that does not sound good at all. Maybe the black was blood, hard to know.

Do they free range?

 

[blackfishfin]

I'm very sorry for your loss.

With symptoms like that I really encourage you to refrigerate the body and send it to your state lab for testing/necropsy.
What state are you in?


That said, runny nose with crust on the eye along with wheezing sounds like respiratory disease. Swelling of the neck and black mucous = that does not sound good at all. Maybe the black was blood, hard to know.

Do they free range?

Yes, I freerange. I will talk to my husband about getting a necropsy. Right now he is the only one allowed to leave the house. (I have a compromised immune system) It depends solely on how much it costs and how close the lab is.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. It is time for a necropsy. Keep the body cold on ice in a cooler, and wrapped in plastic bags. It is enlightening to at least call your state vet poultry pathologist to find out how much it costs for a basic necropsy in your state. Each state sets their own prices, and it can cost as little as $20 in a few states to $150 in others. Some charge extra for certain testing for Mareks or respiratory disease cultures. Driving the body to the lab is least expensive, and some states will email a prepaid shipping label for overnight shipping to make it easier. Here is a list of state poultry vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[casportpony]

Yes, I freerange. I will talk to my husband about getting a necropsy. Right now he is the only one allowed to leave the house. (I have a compromised immune system) It depends solely on how much it costs and how close the lab is.

Where do you live?

 

[blackfishfin]

Where do you live?

In Arkansas.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would give them at least give them a call and talk to someone at the lab.
https://aaes.uark.edu/technical-services/veterinary-diagnostic-lab/