Sick hen

[amynw]

Hi everyone. I’m hoping to find some help with my dear Ruby. She is approximately 6 years old, she doesn’t lay anymore, and hasn’t since we “adopted her” last year so I know it’s nothing laying related. I’ve just loved her since the day I met her and wanted to give her a home. She is an Isa brown. Yesterday I noticed she was laying down a lot, and when I’d call for the chickens she wouldn’t come which is highly unusual, she loves food. I carried her down to the coop and set her on a roost yesterday around 4, and that is where she has stayed. I put food near her and she hasn’t touched it, nor has she moved. Her comb feels very hot to the touch. Her crop has been empty for 3 days now. Is she just old and passing? Is it cruel for me to keep her alive and wait to see how she does? She has no injuries. I’m unsure what to do.

 

[amynw]

 

[MyHappyGirls]

Our hen, Happy Feet is a little over 10 years old and she laid her last egg about a year ago . It went like this:
Three days ago she started huddling up sort of hiding under bushes. I gave her a thorough examination and found no bumps, cuts, bruises or swelling or injuries. I did find a mite on her neck. I treated with spinosad drops that day. I have been battling the mites every few months for a year or so. Treating them getting rid of them and then they come back after a few months.
Yesterday she walked a little bit in the morning
Just out of the hen house and into the run. She stayed all day there. She ate a few bites throughout the day. It seemed like her faculties were in order except for the moving around part. She was sleeping most of the time but when she woke up she was alert and had a strong peck still for the few nibbles she took. She drank some water not much. I had to carry her to the nest at bedtime. She didn't show any signs of discomfort at all. She was just VERY sleepy.
This morning she didn’t come out of the nest. She still responded to me by opening her eyes when I talked to her. Her breathing got slower and slower and finally she didn't open her eyes anymore. That was it. She passed peacefully in her sleep of old age I guess.
Its still so sad to lose our animal family members. But I feel like this was the easiest way for it to happen. We knew it was coming so it wasn’t a shock and we were prepared for everything.
Now her spirit can move to the next phase.
The most helpful thing is knowing that she had a very long happy healthy life with us. I think that we can be happy that she lived ten years with only having mites every now and then. We loved her so much and will miss her.

 

[amynw]

Our hen, Happy Feet is a little over 10 years old and she laid her last egg about a year ago . It went like this:
Three days ago she started huddling up sort of hiding under bushes. I gave her a thorough examination and found no bumps, cuts, bruises or swelling or injuries. I did find a mite on her neck. I treated with spinosad drops that day. I have been battling the mites every few months for a year or so. Treating them getting rid of them and then they come back after a few months.
Yesterday she walked a little bit in the morning
Just out of the hen house and into the run. She stayed all day there. She ate a few bites throughout the day. It seemed like her faculties were in order except for the moving around part. She was sleeping most of the time but when she woke up she was alert and had a strong peck still for the few nibbles she took. She drank some water not much. I had to carry her to the nest at bedtime. She didn't show any signs of discomfort at all. She was just VERY sleepy.
This morning she didn’t come out of the nest. She still responded to me by opening her eyes when I talked to her. Her breathing got slower and slower and finally she didn't open her eyes anymore. That was it. She passed peacefully in her sleep of old age I guess.
Its still so sad to lose our animal family members. But I feel like this was the easiest way for it to happen. We knew it was coming so it wasn’t a shock and we were prepared for everything.
Now her spirit can move to the next phase.
The most helpful thing is knowing that she had a very long happy healthy life with us. I think that we can be happy that she lived ten years with only having mites every now and then. We loved her so much and will miss her.

I will be thrilled if I get 10 years with my girls! Chickens are family too. It sounds like Happy Feet had a beautiful life, and a beautiful passing (although none of them are easy). I think that’s the way everyone and everything would like to go, being spoken to softly around people we love and then fall asleep How you said Happy Feet was just hanging out under brush, That’s how Ruby was yesterday, just kinda hanging out underneath the cow shade trees and under brush. Today she hasn’t left the coop. My husband says he thinks she’s definitely older than 6, he said the people we got her from said between 5-7 when we got her last year. I thought they said she was 5, not at least 5. This was news to me. So she could be as old as 8, almost 9. Regardless, I love her very much. She never did lay an egg for us, I’ve just been enjoying her company and her attitude. I’m hoping for the best but preparing for the worst

 

[MyHappyGirls]

I will be thrilled if I get 10 years with my girls! Chickens are family too. It sounds like Happy Feet had a beautiful life, and a beautiful passing (although none of them are easy). I think that’s the way everyone and everything would like to go, being spoken to softly around people we love and then fall asleep How you said Happy Feet was just hanging out under brush, That’s how Ruby was yesterday, just kinda hanging out underneath the cow shade trees and under brush. Today she hasn’t left the coop. My husband says he thinks she’s definitely older than 6, he said the people we got her from said between 5-7 when we got her last year. I thought they said she was 5, not at least 5. This was news to me. So she could be as old as 8, almost 9. Regardless, I love her very much. She never did lay an egg for us, I’ve just been enjoying her company and her attitude. I’m hoping for the best but preparing for the worst

Yes I feel like we are fortunate to be able to have our animal family! We have two Chihuahuas, baby kitty, three hens, and 20 fish. We love them all my kids call them their brothers and sisters
The hens are so special! They have great personalities and are such social birdies! Good luck with yours and its great to hear about others that love their hens as much as we do in our family