Gooseluv
In the Brooder
In September my friend purchased Plymouth Rocks from a breeder who is heavily involved in showing. She got 9 pullets and 1 rooster.
The first week of having them home a neighbour thought he was being helpful and let himself into their coop and left around 4 battery hens in with her new birds. Those birds stayed in the coop for a couple days before they were able to get the helpful neighbour to take them back.
Several weeks later one of her hens began to isolate herself, she would come out to eat and drink then back to her isolation. Her comb was pale and feathers puffed out, but would occasionally eat and drink. This went on for about 2 weeks and the hen got smaller and thinner. Once it was obvious that she was not going to recover, my friend put her in a crate and brought her in the house, within a couple days the hen died.
3 weeks later, another hen showed the same behaviour and within a week was dead.
It has been a month since and now a third hen is appearing to be displaying the same pattern of illness.
If it were viral, would it not take them all out fairly quickly or is it potentially a genetic weakness possibly due to over breeding practises?
We are both new to the hobby and she is feeling at a loss and a bit deflated.
Does anyone have an idea of what she might be dealing with?
Thank so much
The first week of having them home a neighbour thought he was being helpful and let himself into their coop and left around 4 battery hens in with her new birds. Those birds stayed in the coop for a couple days before they were able to get the helpful neighbour to take them back.
Several weeks later one of her hens began to isolate herself, she would come out to eat and drink then back to her isolation. Her comb was pale and feathers puffed out, but would occasionally eat and drink. This went on for about 2 weeks and the hen got smaller and thinner. Once it was obvious that she was not going to recover, my friend put her in a crate and brought her in the house, within a couple days the hen died.
3 weeks later, another hen showed the same behaviour and within a week was dead.
It has been a month since and now a third hen is appearing to be displaying the same pattern of illness.
If it were viral, would it not take them all out fairly quickly or is it potentially a genetic weakness possibly due to over breeding practises?
We are both new to the hobby and she is feeling at a loss and a bit deflated.
Does anyone have an idea of what she might be dealing with?
Thank so much
