- Jul 27, 2007
- 2
- 0
- 7
First, Thanks to Nifty-Chicken for sending me my login. I am always reading your site, but I could not find my login info when I needed it!
I have only had chickens for 3 years so I still consider myself very new at this. My friend Larry and I have had a grand time till the past month. One bird dead in the coup when we got home from work and a few days later my Redstar is "not right".
The chickens have a fenced area about 50' X 75' (26 birds).
Their coup is a shed 8 x 12 and all birds are locked in at night. Although we live in the middle of 15 acres, we have been able to avoid all predators getting in. We feed Blue Seal layer pellets.
we were shocked to find the dead bird. We did not notice any peculiar behavior or lethargy. We are stumped and have been watching everyone closly. About two days after the death of the first hen we noticed a hen walking funny.
We separated her from the other hens. Her legs are very wide spaced and she seems to have trouble walking or getting "up" on her legs. Her tail is being carried very low almost tucked under. When we picked her up her belly seems to be swollen and hard. Her excretions seem more yellowish thank normal. As far as looking at her face-she is alert, great color, is interested if she thinks there is food thrown and she is eating and drinking. If she gets startled her tail goes up as she quickly "waddles" away, but it gets tucked down again as soon as she relaxes. It has been a week and no other birds are showing these signs. I didn't know if her signs could have been related to the dead bird!
Has anyone ever seen these signs before? Is there any helping my hen? I have been researching diseases, but I haven't tripped over these outward systems and the list of diseases is emence!
Thanks in advance. I have learned so much at this site!
Feathers N' Fur
I have only had chickens for 3 years so I still consider myself very new at this. My friend Larry and I have had a grand time till the past month. One bird dead in the coup when we got home from work and a few days later my Redstar is "not right".
The chickens have a fenced area about 50' X 75' (26 birds).
Their coup is a shed 8 x 12 and all birds are locked in at night. Although we live in the middle of 15 acres, we have been able to avoid all predators getting in. We feed Blue Seal layer pellets.
we were shocked to find the dead bird. We did not notice any peculiar behavior or lethargy. We are stumped and have been watching everyone closly. About two days after the death of the first hen we noticed a hen walking funny.
We separated her from the other hens. Her legs are very wide spaced and she seems to have trouble walking or getting "up" on her legs. Her tail is being carried very low almost tucked under. When we picked her up her belly seems to be swollen and hard. Her excretions seem more yellowish thank normal. As far as looking at her face-she is alert, great color, is interested if she thinks there is food thrown and she is eating and drinking. If she gets startled her tail goes up as she quickly "waddles" away, but it gets tucked down again as soon as she relaxes. It has been a week and no other birds are showing these signs. I didn't know if her signs could have been related to the dead bird!
Has anyone ever seen these signs before? Is there any helping my hen? I have been researching diseases, but I haven't tripped over these outward systems and the list of diseases is emence!
Thanks in advance. I have learned so much at this site!
Feathers N' Fur
