The house hen

[VanUnamed]

Hello,
I have one pullet/hen that's 7 months old, she is part of a meat flock, but I don't want to eat her, she always made me smile because she bobs her head back and forth, My mom keeps joking saying that she is ... well. retarded, as she is slow to understand things, she says she is born this way, i think she may have some kind of illness.
The house hen is because we keep her inside during the day, as, in the chicken tractor where she was, there were 2 roosters too, that kept beating each other and hit the water drinker, and she got wet, we did dry her immediately but she developed a cold of some sort.
I want to tell my mom that she may be sick and not just retarded from birth, she jokes that she needs a new house, white, insulated, and very cold inside, but i say no no!
I will list the symptoms:
Head boobing back and forth sometimes, that was even before she got a cold.
runny nose and laboured breathing
the poops are runny
she does eat and drink (sometimes looks like she "forgets" that there is food in the bowl, other times goes and eats)

I have attached a video where i jokingly ask her questions and she "replies". Sometimes she shooks her head, sometimes goes back and forth.

 

[Callender Girl]

If your hen is sick, I hope she gets well. I'm sure there are plenty of folks here who can offer advice.

If she is just different, then she is just different. Bless you for seeing something special in her and taking care of her. She's a lovely girl.

 

[hayley3]

Hello,
I have one pullet/hen that's 7 months old, she is part of a meat flock, but I don't want to eat her, she always made me smile because she bobs her head back and forth, My mom keeps joking saying that she is ... well. retarded, as she is slow to understand things, she says she is born this way, i think she may have some kind of illness.
The house hen is because we keep her inside during the day, as, in the chicken tractor where she was, there were 2 roosters too, that kept beating each other and hit the water drinker, and she got wet, we did dry her immediately but she developed a cold of some sort.
I want to tell my mom that she may be sick and not just retarded from birth, she jokes that she needs a new house, white, insulated, and very cold inside, but i say no no!
I will list the symptoms:
Head boobing back and forth sometimes, that was even before she got a cold.
runny nose and laboured breathing
the poops are runny
she does eat and drink (sometimes looks like she "forgets" that there is food in the bowl, other times goes and eats)

I have attached a video where i jokingly ask her questions and she "replies". Sometimes she shooks her head, sometimes goes back and forth.

Firstly, I would treat her for coccidiosis and also worms, and see if she gets any better.
Runny poop is a sign of worms or other bacteria. Worms weaken the immune system and then the hens are more susceptible to respiratory infections, which it sounds like she has now and needs antibiotics.
I guess you can't take her to the vet?

 

[VanUnamed]

I have brought the hen to vet, he gave her real baytril, injected in her chest for five days, after he weighed her. Probably the equivalent i bought, with doses written by the pharmacist were too low for her weight (she weighs 8.5 pounds). now she feels much better, her comb turned bright red, the leg still feel a tad bit warmer than the other. The vet said he cannot remove that mass, now i am not sure if was a can't or won't, but probably it is too dangerous.
What i fear for her, that compounded with neurological things she does (head bobbing) and the fact that she hasn't got a good aim when pecking, it is possible she may be infected with marek, which causes also immune suppression.
I love her so much, she's my beloved pet.
all i can say, bring your animals to the vet, so the meds are prescribed in the correct dosages.

 

[Skyler vaughan]

they get worms even that young?

All chickens can get worms at any age, treat her for them and see if she gets better. If she has gape worm she would be opening her mouth to breath, and making a wheezing noise. She could also have crop issues, so put some apple cider vinegar in her water (measure is though). And because she's lived inside she might need grass and grit to digest. Hens should never live inside as it's not natural for them, they become weak because they're not getting the nutrients they need.

 

[VanUnamed]

Hello. The infection in between the toes has gone, but the hen still has infection on her leg. she is on the 4th day of enrofloxacin. a small pouch of liquid pus formed on the top, and gets drained daily. I wonder, what's inside that leg? In between her finger, she had yellow hard lump of infection, once removed the foot healed.

 

[VanUnamed]

:'( she is still eating very little, feels like a rag. i love her so much and i don't want her to die, i don't know what to do to let her eat

 

[Chickenman MAN]

https://www.business.qld.gov.au/ind...agement/maintaining-healthy-flock/identifying

https://thisnzlife.co.nz/how-to-recognize-and-treat-the-most-common-cause-of-poultry-death/ (LOOK AT THIS ^^^)
It is probably Gapeworm or Aspergillus
Worm the hen, I'm not sure how to treat Aspergillus

 

[VanUnamed]

they get worms even that young?

 

[Chickenman MAN]

Definately treat for worms