sick hen

[lv9777]

I have a one year old maran hen. She has not been herself and not roosting at night. Appears to have trouble jumping. She is not laying, but she has not been for several weeks and its winter. She has been eating and drinking, not sitting ruffled or anything. Today she did not come out for breakfast and is laying in the coop with her head down.

 

[coach723]

What do her droppings look like? Is her crop emptying over night? Does it feel squishy, full, empty, hard, etc. Check first thing in the morning before she has food or water, it should be empty then. Give her a good going over, checking under feathers everywhere, under wings etc, look for lice/mites, any wounds that may be hiding under feathers. How is her weight, is the keel bone well muscled, or is it very prominent? Have you ever wormed your birds or had a fecal done to check for internal parasites?

 

[lv9777]

droppings look normal, crop empty in morning, Keel bone is very prominent, she is skinny.
Today she is not eating.

 

[Eggcessive]

There could be a reproductive problem, cancer, or other organ issue going on with her. Try offering Poultry NutriDrench 2 ml orally each day for a few days, and mix some mushy wet chicken feed and scrambled bits of egg to offer her. Water is more important than food at first. Are her droppings green or runny? What do you normally feed your chickens, and have there been any other illnesses or deaths in the flock?

 

[lv9777]

I feed them Dumor layer pellets, but they also free range a bit. No one else is sick. I can't get her to eat anything. I have been forcing fluids. This has just been so fast. She is laying with her head down, which cannot be a good sign.

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like you could lose her if she continues to refuse food and water. Tube feeding is possible. Could she have eaten something in the yard that has made her sick? Cancer can be common in chickens, but it could be something else. Most state vets can do a necropsy if you lose one, as long as you keep the body refrigerated in a cooler until you take them in. With the holidays, it may not be a good time. I usually do a brief necropsy at home when I lose a hen.

 

[lv9777]

Thank you for all of your help. She passed peacefully. It was helpful to have advice and not feel so alone in this. She also did not appear to suffer. She was a bit slower the last 3 days, but did not appear in pain and was eating and foraging. She had a good life and I am glad I let her raise a brood as she was an attentive and happy mom.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for all of your help. She passed peacefully. It was helpful to have advice and not feel so alone in this. She also did not appear to suffer. She was a bit slower the last 3 days, but did not appear in pain and was eating and foraging. She had a good life and I am glad I let her raise a brood as she was an attentive and happy mom.

 

[coach723]

I'm very sorry.

 

[Eggcessive]

So sorry that you lost her, and glad that she went peacefully.