- May 7, 2014
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Hello Everyone and Happy New Year,
I have a sick 7 year old hen. Suzie in the fall went through a full molt. After she came out of the molt she went broody for the first time which we ended up disrupting since the eggs were not fertile. She was separated from the rest of the flock until she was back to Suzie and then reintroduced to the flock. She appeared to be fine, and her overnight droppings were normal. Suddenly one night she did not want to roost with her sister who she shares a roost with. She was pacing back and forth looking for an alternative spot which was on top of the nest boxes. She stayed here for the next two nights. I noticed that she was no longer passing droppings overnight. I sat out in the coop to watch how she was doing and she just snuggled on my lap for 2 days. It appeared that she was holding back from her sisters at which point I isolated her and brought her in the house. I also noticed briefly, while she was in the coop that her legs appeared to have a red line on the shanks, which has since cleared. She also does not have bumblefoot. I treated her legs with petroleum jelly since she had some raised scales. We recently had wild turkeys coming on to the property and in the vicinity of their coop. At no times did the turkeys come in direct contact with the girls, their run or their free range area which is fenced in. Suzie would go to the feeder, look interested but not eat. She at this time drinking on her own out of the waterer. Their waterer and food is in their coop and not open to other animals or birds. I also noticed that she was moving her neck funny, from side to side. It was hard to describe. Suzie then stopped drinking on her own, but she has been taking water from me holding a small cup. Her comb is bright red, her feathers are fine and not ruffled. She has no mites or lice. She has not eaten in days and has lost significant weight and she is sleepy most of the time. I have checked and confirmed that she is not egg bound. However, over the last several days since she has lost weight, it appears that she has a hard lump in her throat area. If you are looking straight at her it is on the right hand side and it is hard. I am wondering if she either had an injury or has something lodged in her esophagus. It appears to be too high to be an impacted crop. She also developed a lesion on the underside of her beak on the left hand side, which has been turning dark in color. If I recall, I may have missed it earlier as one of the girls possibly pecking at her. I do not feel that the lesion is foul pox. She has no other lumps or lesions. Her comb is perfect, she has no discharge from either her eyes or nostrils. I am at a loss. She first started passing pasty mustard colored droppings. Now she is passing an occasional pasty dropping to a watery mustard color dropping. Some of the droppings have contained very minute amounts of dark matter. Maybe every five droppings she will pass a very small, mustard to brown color mass with her watery droppings that resembles of dropping, but she has not eaten in days. Her comb and feet are warm to the touch. I tried to rule out thrush, but she will not let me open her beak and I do not want to force her. Any suggestions, recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for taking the time to read this.
I have a sick 7 year old hen. Suzie in the fall went through a full molt. After she came out of the molt she went broody for the first time which we ended up disrupting since the eggs were not fertile. She was separated from the rest of the flock until she was back to Suzie and then reintroduced to the flock. She appeared to be fine, and her overnight droppings were normal. Suddenly one night she did not want to roost with her sister who she shares a roost with. She was pacing back and forth looking for an alternative spot which was on top of the nest boxes. She stayed here for the next two nights. I noticed that she was no longer passing droppings overnight. I sat out in the coop to watch how she was doing and she just snuggled on my lap for 2 days. It appeared that she was holding back from her sisters at which point I isolated her and brought her in the house. I also noticed briefly, while she was in the coop that her legs appeared to have a red line on the shanks, which has since cleared. She also does not have bumblefoot. I treated her legs with petroleum jelly since she had some raised scales. We recently had wild turkeys coming on to the property and in the vicinity of their coop. At no times did the turkeys come in direct contact with the girls, their run or their free range area which is fenced in. Suzie would go to the feeder, look interested but not eat. She at this time drinking on her own out of the waterer. Their waterer and food is in their coop and not open to other animals or birds. I also noticed that she was moving her neck funny, from side to side. It was hard to describe. Suzie then stopped drinking on her own, but she has been taking water from me holding a small cup. Her comb is bright red, her feathers are fine and not ruffled. She has no mites or lice. She has not eaten in days and has lost significant weight and she is sleepy most of the time. I have checked and confirmed that she is not egg bound. However, over the last several days since she has lost weight, it appears that she has a hard lump in her throat area. If you are looking straight at her it is on the right hand side and it is hard. I am wondering if she either had an injury or has something lodged in her esophagus. It appears to be too high to be an impacted crop. She also developed a lesion on the underside of her beak on the left hand side, which has been turning dark in color. If I recall, I may have missed it earlier as one of the girls possibly pecking at her. I do not feel that the lesion is foul pox. She has no other lumps or lesions. Her comb is perfect, she has no discharge from either her eyes or nostrils. I am at a loss. She first started passing pasty mustard colored droppings. Now she is passing an occasional pasty dropping to a watery mustard color dropping. Some of the droppings have contained very minute amounts of dark matter. Maybe every five droppings she will pass a very small, mustard to brown color mass with her watery droppings that resembles of dropping, but she has not eaten in days. Her comb and feet are warm to the touch. I tried to rule out thrush, but she will not let me open her beak and I do not want to force her. Any suggestions, recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for taking the time to read this.
