*Update* Death after a couple days of lethargy. Another hen showing same symptoms

[chickenmomma16]

*UPDATE* This hen passed away the night I posted this

I noticed she was unusually quiet but moving around the last couple days. Tonight she was just standing (not sitting) in the run with her eyes closed. No interest in scrambled eggs when I brought her in and put her in a kennel. None of the poop from last night looks out of the ordinary and her vent is a little messy (dried poo on her feathers) but not red or smelly. I tried to palpate her belly and I did not feel anything hard like she is egg bound. And while her feet were cold, the rest of her is pretty warm and her comb and face are very red.

She is 6yrs old and a leghorn cross that lays small eggs and I haven't seen her egg for a couple days. I did find her in the nest box this morning and she was (NOT aggressivly) pecking at a broken egg... not sure if that means anything.

This is my favorite little hen! What should I do???

 

[chickenmomma16]

So, I really have no idea still what is wrong with my little girl. She is not doing good. She really does not want to sit. She would rather stand sleeping not sit. Aw... man... I sure hope she can pull through but she doesn't look good

 

[Judy]

I just read in another thread that something like 45% of layers over 4 years old get ovarian cancer. I'm sorry to say this, but you might want to look into having a necropsy done by your state vet, if you do lose her.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/40141/link-find-your-state-vet-for-a-necropsy/0_20

 

[chickenmomma16]

She just so suddenly became like this and she was laying pretty regular up until a few days ago. Why does it have to be the favorites? Thank you for the link. I will look in to tht if it comes to that.

 

[chickenmomma16]

I am positive it was not ovarian cancer. While that actually my be the case with a different hen, I now have ANOTHER hen who started acting "off". The other hen died the night I posted this So I need to know what is going on. I didn't send the first hen's body in but I will if another dies, what should I ask them to check for?

Symptoms:
Saw her poop Dark green/Black sludge like consistency
Generally quieter then normal/sleeping standing up not sitting
Suddenly stopped laying
Little interest in food (saw her eat a few crumbles but empty crop for the most part)


I have 2 batches of chicks, one 4 weeks and the other 10 weeks in the pen with the flock who are doing great this seems to be affecting my older birds.

Suggestions?

 

[casportpony]

I am positive it was not ovarian cancer. While that actually my be the case with a different hen, I now have ANOTHER hen who started acting "off". The other hen died the night I posted this So I need to know what is going on. I didn't send the first hen's body in but I will if another dies, what should I ask them to check for?

Symptoms:
Saw her poop Dark green/Black sludge like consistency
Generally quieter then normal/sleeping standing up not sitting
Suddenly stopped laying
Little interest in food (saw her eat a few crumbles but empty crop for the most part)


I have 2 batches of chicks, one 4 weeks and the other 10 weeks in the pen with the flock who are doing great this seems to be affecting my older birds.

Suggestions?

Just curious, how do you know it wasn't cancer? Did you do a necropsy?

-Kathy

 

[chickenmomma16]

The first hen was laying well (normal eggs, normal number per week) up until a couple days before she died. I would think cancer would affect their laying ability? No, I didn't send her body in or open her up myself for that matter but it doesn't seem likely that less then a week later I have another hen with the same symptoms who was also laying, and acting normal. I have a hen however that I just "know" something is weird with her hormones she doesn't lay often (like only 2 weeks out of the year and very poor quality eggs when she does) and she has not molted in over a year and compaired to the rest she acts different. I would think she would have some sort of cancer... Not the ones that were acting normal except a couple days before they got sick.

I would like to read this artical about ovarian cancer in chickens if possible if someone can post a link.


With their age aside, could it be anything else?

 

[casportpony]

Have they been de-wormed with a proper broad-spectrum wormer?

-Kathy

 

[chickenmomma16]

I haven't, what would you suggest? I have a feed store close by I can run to and pick something up. What is the dosage, and do you administer to each bird individually or...? I guess I worm my horses and dogs routinely I just didn't think to do the chickens too.

 

[chickenmomma16]

I know that sounds retarded that I didn't think to do my birds too but these chickens were given to me and it has been a learn as I go process.



If it is worms, what type would get so bad to kill a chicken?