Skinny-as-can-be Chicken

[chickneggs]

One of my Orpingtons is skin and bone. She seems to be eating like the others, yet when I bring snacks in to the coop, she acts like a starved dog. Nothing else on her looks sickly and I've already checked her for Egg Binding. Please help! What more can I do??

I've never had a sick chicken before... and they'll be three years old this spring.

 

[Eggcessive]

Some chickens can be kept from the feed and water by others higher in the pecking order. I always like to provide food and water in 2-3 places for those chickens. Bring her in for a couple of days and give her wet feed, eggs, tuna, liver and some probiotics in her water to increase her immunity. Then watch to make sure they are letting her eat when she goes back to the coop. Also you may want to worm the flock with Valbazen 1/2 ml orally to each bird, and repeat in 10 days.

 

[chickneggs]

Some chickens can be kept from the feed and water by others higher in the pecking order. I always like to provide food and water in 2-3 places for those chickens. Bring her in for a couple of days and give her wet feed, eggs, tuna, liver and some probiotics in her water to increase her immunity. Then watch to make sure they are letting her eat when she goes back to the coop. Also you may want to worm the flock with Valbazen 1/2 ml orally to each bird, and repeat in 10 days.

She seemed to be higher in the pecking order, back when she was more active in the coop. (I have eight chickens. Not too hard to figure out where everyone stands.) I brought her in last night and made her some scrambled eggs, along with tuna, on top of her crumble. I also did the electrolytes in her water. She seems to be eating and drinking. One thing I did notice though that I cannot find any information on: Her feather colors have faded below her neckline. The only things I can find is they fade with age and with the summer months... she's 3. I've been told that's not old for a chicken. And it's definitely not summer here. So if those are not it, why would her feathers fade from a sturdy brown color to a not-so-healthy brown color??

 

[chickneggs]

And then another question... Hoping someone replies.

I've had her in the house for three days. She was so skinny, she was shivering out in the 10 degree weather. I wanted to try and see if I could find anything wrong with her, while getting some weight back on her. A friend of mine said she may have just needed a pick-me-up through this winter.

How do I reintroduce her to the nasty, cold winter after she's been in the 69 degree house?

Talk about a culture shock.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would put a heat lamp in the coop for a few days with her in a cage underneath it. You can raise it up a little at a time, and then remove it.

 

[chickneggs]

I would put a heat lamp in the coop for a few days with her in a cage underneath it. You can raise it up a little at a time, and then remove it.

Okay, thank you. I'm not moving her yet, because she still doesn't seen normal, but will do that when it's time. There is already a heat lamp in the coop, so that'll be easy.

Here's her picture:

 

[Eggcessive]

She looks very comfy in her basket. The food on the menu sounds pretty good, so she may not want to go back outside until spring, LOL. Good luck.

 

[chickneggs]

I did put her and the crate in the coop. Not one to have a live chicken in the house... Lol I'll see how she does. Even though she looks good, her lack of weight still scares me. Tomorrow I'll be in town and maybe can get ahold of wormer or a better answer to what I can do. But will be checking on her every couple hours. Hoping she gains weight...

 

[deacons]

Wish I had some good advice, it's very frustrating when they just seem "off." Your hen's face looks a little pale to me, but from the picture, her eyes look bright and alert.

I have an almost 4-year-old RIR who is also losing a little weight and doesn't seem to be eating well, but there's nothing obviously wrong with her externally. I have been resisting bringing her inside as I feel the same way you do- I will help them as much as I can when they're not well, but they need to live outside.

Is your hen a Golden Comet? My Golden Comet, who will be 3 this spring, went through a heavy molt this fall and her feathers came back in a much different color. Before she molted, she was truly golden colored, but after the molt, her feathers were much redder, sort of the color of your girl's head feathers. From the picture, your hen's feathers don't look unhealthy to me, but it is strange that they can change color so noticably.

 

[chickneggs]

Wish I had some good advice, it's very frustrating when they just seem "off." Your hen's face looks a little pale to me, but from the picture, her eyes look bright and alert.

I have an almost 4-year-old RIR who is also losing a little weight and doesn't seem to be eating well, but there's nothing obviously wrong with her externally. I have been resisting bringing her inside as I feel the same way you do- I will help them as much as I can when they're not well, but they need to live outside.

Is your hen a Golden Comet? My Golden Comet, who will be 3 this spring, went through a heavy molt this fall and her feathers came back in a much different color. Before she molted, she was truly golden colored, but after the molt, her feathers were much redder, sort of the color of your girl's head feathers. From the picture, your hen's feathers don't look unhealthy to me, but it is strange that they can change color so noticably.

She's a Buff Orpington. Yeah, since they used to be the color of her head feathers. Now that I put her in the crate in the coop, she seems more alert. So maybe the others weren't letting her eat - but I'll just keep an eye on her and hope for the best. Wish I could do more though. Certainly do not like seeing animals suffer.