to cull or let be? **photos added**

[spish]

i have a poulle de bresse hen i acquired about 3 weeks ago. i also aquired her 'roomies' (brahma roo + 4 hens)
now the brahmas are all fine and dandy but the poulle hen has always been..well not very active. for the first few days she ran around in a flap as if to say 'where am i this isnt my home' but now she sits the whole day in the field under or next to the hen house and doesnt move, ive not even seen her eat (though she must or she'd be dead) i was stupid not to quarantine them, but they were from a neighbour so they 'share' the same land, so i thought it would be ok..(stupid beginners mistake eh?) ive quarantined everyother chicken ive brought in but not these as the owner is very careful and clean with his flocks. but yeah. nothing i can do about it now

i picked her up yesterday and her chest is becoming bare (i guess from all the sitting around she does?) even if it rains she just sits there getting wet. shes no longer white, shes grey and brown from the dirt. her backside is filthy with poop (dont think she even bothers gettiing up to poop anymore) her comb has developed black scabs but ive not seen anyone attack her. she sits away from everyone and doesnt interace with anyone.
last week she was making a strange gurgling/sneeze sound but this soon went away (i think something stuck in her throat as opposed to a cold?) no discharge from eyes or nose. no symptoms at all apart from no desire to move and a poopy butt.

i cant help thinking shes sick, and i dont want to risk my other 50+ hens in the field, but i dont know what else to do with her. she just doesnt look right... what could it be?? she can walk but just wont. she will fight back if you pick her up but doesnt run away anymore if you approach. i'll try and get a photo when i go out so you can see what i mean.....

 

[sonew123]

I would cull her-IMO. Shes sounds truly ill and I wouldnt want to risk infecting the rest of my flock either...Im sorry

 

[BWKatz]

I would cull too.

 

[Afrochicken]

hard decision, but they're right, you should cull

 

[luvchicks8]

I would seperate her see if she does ok with some eggs and vitamin drops. I would not cull her.

 

[kelar]

Have you checked her carefully for mites or lice? This can cause depression and scabs around the face & it is not that unusual to see one really infested where the others are ok. It sounds like she needs some TLC, a good check over, perhaps isolation with extra vitamins, food etc. for a while to see if it's something minor.

 

[milleryardchx]

You said she still fights when you try to pick her up and she just sits in one spot and loosing her belly feathers is she sick or broody? some broodies don't want to move so they get a pasty bum from not getting up and walking around and I have a broody that will not eat unless you give her food on the nest.

 

[chicmom]

Aww, poor thing. I would also isolate her, give her a thorough look over for parasites and treat that if needed, and I'd give her vitamin/electrolites in her drinking water, as well as some duramayacin for a respiratory infection....those can be very tricky. She may just perk right up for you. I have a little "chicken infirmary" in my basement storage area (it's a walk out basement), where I occasionally keep the sick chicken. It's a dog cage and I put a nice layer of straw down to make it comfy,with plenty of food and water handy as needed. I've even gone as far as running a vicks vaporizer on one hen, and she recovered nicely.

Whatever you decide, culling or trying to make her better, do what you feel is right. Good luck to you!

 

[chickenlady08]

I would seperate her from the rest of the flock and give her some extra TLC. I would never cull something without trying to figure out what is wrong and then to try to correct or help it to get better.

Don't cull her, just put her someplace by herself and give her some vitamins, eggs, yogurt. Yummy things to help her heal

 

[MikasGirl]

Quote:
I 100% agree. Give her a chance to get better! You could feed her with a syringe... It's not fun but it really can save a chicken if they aren't eating. Don't be so quick to cull.