Very sick Redstar

[mebuff daisy]

One of my 2 year old red stars is acting very strange - She sits in one place for hours at a time and will not eat food or BOSS
I am worried this is not like her at all I have not seen her lay in egg in a while ? what do I do ? Any help is wanted

she has
been like this for a month

 

[Judy]

There are a number of things that could be wrong. Have you wormed your flock? She could be overloaded with worms, or with lice/mites. Is her abdomen distended or swollen at all? Is her comb pale?

She could be eating something that has made her ill. Coiuld she have eaten something moldy? Has she been eating from a compost bin? Botulism is one possibility. She could even have eaten something with a sharp edge that has injured her intestines. If there is fluid in the abdomen, she could well be an internal layer or have ovarian cancer. She could be eggbound.

If her belly is not swollen at all and you have not wormed your flock, and you don't see lice/mites, I would probably try worming with Valbazen as it is the gentlest on them, even though (obviously) worming isnt the best idea when they are ill.

There are defnitely other possibilities; this is just a start.

 

[mebuff daisy]

Could she be sick becouse of worms ? I herd you can use flubenvet to worm ? Can I buy them at tsc ? Should I put the sick hen in a dog
pen ? it is cold here in MN does she need a heat lamp ? she could have eaten somthing moldy will that make her sick ? How do I tell
if there are mites ? She is the same as yeaterday

 

[mebuff daisy]

Anyone ?

 

[KayTee]

If she has been like this for a month then she must be eating and drinking from time to time, or she would not have survived this long.

Does she have any unususal symptoms - what is her poo like? Is she lethargic, fluffed up, or just sitting there kind of 'zoned out'?

What does she do if you try to pick her up and move her - resist, go back to her original place, just sit back down where you put her? Where is she choosing to sit - in a nest box or secluded, enclosed place, or out in the open somewhere?

What you describe in your first post sounds a lot like broody behaviour, especially if it has been going on for a few weeks. I have only ever had one broody - also a red star - and she was an excellent mum! She was also very very persistent. Once she got broody and I couldn't get any day old chicks for her to raise (I don't have a rooster, so no fertile eggs). She sat on the nest for over a month before I got chicks for her! (Normal brooding time is 21 days).

If you can give us as much information as possible about your chicken and her behaviour then we might be able to come up with some more suggestions.

 

[mebuff daisy]

She is zoned out, when I pick her up and then put her dawn she just goes zoned in again , She ate a little corn today . Should I deworm ? What kind of wormer is the best ? flubenvet has no egg withdrawl I think, She is getting worse slowly , Her head is drawn in , And she is out in the open with the rest of the flock , What do I do ?

 

[KayTee]

If she is out in the open with the others, and not looking for a quiet corner or nest to sit in then being broody sounds less likely. Broody hens tend to like quiet, secluded places to sit, and will hiss and peck at you if you disturb them.

If you look closely at her feathers you will see lice or mites either running around on the feathers and face, or you can see eggs stuck to the base of feather shafts.

Have you weighed her, and do you know what her usual weight is? Does she feel skinnier than usual, or does her belly / rear end look more swollen than normal?

It may not be a bad idea to separate her and keep her in a warm place, especially if it is getting cold where you are, and since you are not sure exactly what is wrong with her.

 

[casportpony]

How is she doing now?

-Kathy

 

[mebuff daisy]

She is eating more now

doing a bit better