Strange, scary symptoms in a hen

[chickcrack]

It sounds like you are caring for her very well. I'm sorry she's ill and wish I had some advice for. Sometimes supportive care is the best you can do. I recently had a hen on oxytetracycline and found she wouldn't drink so I added the medicine water to her crumbles and syring fed her water when I could. Only advice I can give. Best wishes.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree with chickcrack that many times supportive care is pretty much all we can do with a sick chicken. After death, performing a necropsy to look at the internal organs will sometimes tell us what the problem might have been. When medicating with something that tastes bad, sometimes using a concentrated amount, and mixing it with a scrambled egg and a tablepoonful of plain yogurt has worked for me. Some people use a little flavored jello water in bitter medicines. Cranberry juice is another one to try. Hopefully she will start feeling better soon.

 

[Dawn S]

Thanks chickcrack. We are doing our best under the circumstances. We tried water in the syringe a few times. She fought us 'beak and nail' and got no more than a drop or two in her... It wasn't worth it.

Dawn S.

 

[Dawn S]

Thanks Eggcessive. No necropsy will be performed. My daughter would never allow that on her pet... If I thought the antibiotic were needed at this point (she is not showing symptoms of an infection and has no fever any longer) I would try the scrambled egg/yogurt, Jello water, or cranberry juice medicine transport options. If or when we need to try give antibiotics or other nasty tasting meds in the future, I will try one or all of them in order to get the meds in the chicky. Thanks for the ideas.

I will update on what happens with Buttercup.

Dawn S

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post a video of her behavior?

Just throwing out some thoughts here - could totally be wrong.

Was looking at your symptoms and a few things jumped out at me """ fever, poop out an extra large egg size solid poop, She has plucked all of the feathers off her lower chest"""

She is still eating/drinking well, preening, etc.

Is she by chance going broody?
Does she fluff out, screech and carry on when you approach her?
A hen's body temp will rise when they are broody, poop is huge and they will pluck out breast feathers.

 

[Dawn S]

Wyorp Rock,

Interesting. I am not sure if she is broody or not as none of our chickens have ever done that, but she has lost a LOT of weight. Both of our BSL chickens were about the same size/weight up until recently, but now she weighs about 1/2 of her sister's weight and is nothing in comparison to our Barred Rock hen. She is far friendlier to us now than she ever was before, so if they are extra nasty when they are broody, it's unlikely. However, my daughter noticed today that she pops her butt in the air when she is coming near her. That sounds like mating behavior... Is that another thing that broody hens will do? If so, maybe we have an answer.

Thanks.

Dawn S

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Wyorp Rock,

Interesting. I am not sure if she is broody or not as none of our chickens have ever done that, but she has lost a LOT of weight. Both of our BSL chickens were about the same size/weight up until recently, but now she weighs about 1/2 of her sister's weight and is nothing in comparison to our Barred Rock hen. She is far friendlier to us now than she ever was before, so if they are extra nasty when they are broody, it's unlikely. However, my daughter noticed today that she pops her butt in the air when she is coming near her. That sounds like mating behavior... Is that another thing that broody hens will do? If so, maybe we have an answer.

Thanks.

Dawn S

What are you feeding her?
These are still just my thoughts, and at her age she definitely can be having other issues like the other posters.
Offer her some extra protein, either with a commercial all flock/flock raiser formula feed or give her some egg, tuna or mackerel several times a week.
Is she clucking a lot and fluffing out, especially when you approach her? Video or photos would help.

 

[dustcover]

I don't know that much about what may or may not be affecting your hen, but have you considered 'worms'?

 

[Dawn S]

It appears that she was just broody. She is slowl getting better. As I said before, none of our chickens have ever gone broody. It appears that she was giving up eating and drinking while trying to hatch nonexistent eggs.

Her comb is red and mostly upright again. She is eating both her normal dry crumbles, her crumbles with water, and drinking her water. She doesn't want to eat the scrambled eggs or yogurt any longer. She has started gaining weight again, but is still really skinny.

Thanks to all!

Dawn S

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It appears that she was just broody. She is slowl getting better. As I said before, none of our chickens have ever gone broody. It appears that she was giving up eating and drinking while trying to hatch nonexistent eggs.

Her comb is red and mostly upright again. She is eating both her normal dry crumbles, her crumbles with water, and drinking her water. She doesn't want to eat the scrambled eggs or yogurt any longer. She has started gaining weight again, but is still really skinny.

Thanks to all!

Dawn S

Glad to hear she is improving.