Sick three year old red star!

[katknapp]

Lucy is a red star that just turned three last week. She's been looking a little off lately, very lethargic, not her usual self. She seems to not be able to hold herself up very well and falls every once in a while. The other chickens have been ganging up on her and attacking her. Is there anything that can be done? They have quite a bit of space in their coop and run, but should Lucy be separated from the rest of the chickens for the time being?

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
I recommend you inspect Lucy for lice/mites as well as the others. Also, if she hasnt been wormed....I recommend worming all your chickens. If she's still laying, it could be possible she might be eggbound. These are all possibilities that you need to ascertain.

 

[DaniLovesChickens]

I would separate her from the others for her own safety. Also, if she if weak and falls over it would be a good idea to put her in a cage/crate or something.

I agree with Dawg about checking for mites/lice; check her crop to see if it's empty or over-full; try to see if she's egg-bound.

Give her (and probably the others just in case) some apple cider vinegar. I always start with that just because it's good for them anyway. Having her isolated you will be able to keep an eye on her food and water consumption. You can also see what her poop looks like. Even if she isn't egg bound or anything, if she really isn't feeling well she probably won't lay eggs anyway.

Let us know what you find and we'll go from there. Hopefully it's nothing serious.