Worms and Sudden Illness??

[KCNC06]

After I moved the eggs and put out the new "treats"...and she sat on my foot...I left for a bit. I went back to check on them a couple minutes ago and she's huddled up on the floor near and the eggs are scattered on the floor out between Hawkface and Chicken Little. I figured it was just time to shut the light off for the night. If I hadn't already changed out of my chicken holding clothes (don't really feel like holding chickens while wearing my PJ's) I'd take Chicken Little back out to the coop. But I have, so they're spending the night in the bathroom.

Hopefully we're onto something with this broodiness idea! I guess I hadn't really considered that she might be broody since she was asleep under the coop when I found her. But I guess my mom's original theory could explain that. She said that hers will sometimes fall asleep outside the coop and act funny when she picks them up to move them into the coop. Plus, it was warmish Monday so I had the light turned off during the day and didn't get it turned back on before dusk. I guess it's possible that she was out eating, took a nap and it got dark before she made it back inside. I sure hope this is the answer!! I'll plan on moving her back out to the coop in the morning so she can get back in that awesome nest. Funny how animals get baby fever WAY worse than people. (Our dog had a false pregnancy before we got her spayed, it was SO sad!)

We don't have a rooster, so unless there are some stray roosters that we haven't seen or heard from yet, I don't think we have to worry about chicks.

 

[suebee]

Yes, broody hens do act strange like that. I had a hen wanting to sleep outside on her "nest of no eggs" and was mad when I'd pick her up each evening and place her in the secure coop with the others. A broody hen acts quite differently than a non broody; very docile and calm...until you try and take her eggs. She might try to peck you, some can get quite viscous.

I would not place any eggs under her. They will explode! Unfertilized eggs spoil under the hen's heat and "boom!!" It makes a big stinky mess. "Stinky being the key word here."

She will be just fine brooding with no eggs. She'll snap out of it when her hormones say we're done. There are posts on here with ways to "unbroody" a broody hen, but I just leave mine alone and let them come out of it naturally.

You still should worm the others with wazine, by the looks of your first pictures.

 

[KCNC06]

The rest of the flock got their Wazine Tuesday afternoon when I got home with it. I wasn't going to risk worms eating away the rest of my flock! Nasty disgusting things. Eww! The worms, not the rest of the flock.

Hawkface is always very docile, which may be part of the reason she was acting so mellow while I was flipping her over and feeling her belly and chest, and picking all over her head and face looking for mites. She rarely tries to get away when I try to pick her up. If I wasn't so opposed to the "pocket puppy" craze that seems to be fizzling out, I'd put a diaper on her and start a pocket hen craze. She definitely seems to think she's the coolest thing around when someone's carrying her.

Anyway. I moved her back out to the coop this morning before I left for work. She didn't seem to react much, still wouldn't talk to me. I'll make sure she doesn't end up sitting on someone's eggs. I certainly don't want to deal with a stinky mess in the coop or on the chickens. Gross. It was icky enough having to clean Chicken Little's poo piles out of the bathroom this morning. Luckily she stayed on the sheets though.

Hopefully broody is the answer. I can deal with broody as long as I know she's not dying. I guess broody might explain why she passed very few worms. I didn't see many in Chicken Little's poo either. Maybe it was just that one little Seabright who had them so bad. Who knows and I guess it doesn't matter all that much since the whole flock got treated anyway.

 

[KCNC06]

I'm starting to really doubt that broody is the answer. I guess I'm still hoping it is, but I don't know. She really just looks terrible. I don't think she left the nest loft today, and she's not sitting on any eggs. There were 4 eggs in the loft, none hers, and she was sitting on the opposite side from the eggs. I tried to get her to eat some oatmeal and corn, she wouldn't have anything to do with it. I finally gave up and gave it to the other girls, they went crazy for it. Glad someone enjoyed it.

Then I tried to get her to drink some water from the dropper since she won't drink from a bowl. She clamped her beak shut so tight I couldn't get any water in. The color of her comb is still pretty normal, the thing that has me concerned most is about her is the look in her eyes. They just look...I don't know. Wrong. The color of the skin around her eyes is fairly normal, it's really the look in her eyes. I don't know what else to do. If I can't get her to eat or drink, what else can I do?!?

 

[Kittymomma]

I really don't know. You might try the wet cat food, it was a lifesaver for my sick hen when she wouldn't eat. I think all you can do is keep her warm and comfortable and hope for the best. I wish I had more answers for you. It's so frusterating when you know there is something wrong, but not what it is.

 

[KCNC06]

I know, it would be so much easier if they would talk to us and tell us what's wrong. Actually, she's not talking to me at all anymore. She better not die. It's cold and snowing, which probably means hubby would have a really hard time burying her.

 

[suebee]

Try and take a deep breath and let her be. If she is broody, she will give you the stink eye.

If she is really sick, you have done worming, antibiotics, etc. You have done everything possible except exploratory surgery.
Just watch her. She may be a little freaked from staying in your house.

Keep an eye on the poop. That will tell you many things.

Yes it's snowing so our "NC" chickens are going to act different until it melts.

Two weird things happened to her...staying in the house and now the snow.

Give me a report tomorrow after you ski out to the coop.

 

[Kittymomma]

How is she doing today?

 

[KCNC06]

I got her to drink a few ml's of pedialyte again earlier. Unfortunately I'm running a fever now and can hardly stand being out from under my blankets long enough to blow my nose let alone force Hawkface to drink from the dropper. I feel terrible that I'm feeling too sick to do much else for her. She better start drinking on her own soon!

 

[suebee]

If she's truly broody, she will only eat and drink when she wants. Place the food and water near her.
Hope you feel better.