[jo corbett]

A couple of months ago we bought 4 new hens at point of lay. One a speckled sussex is looking very unwell. I found her shuffling home yesterday, she is staying huddled in a corner, she is eating and drinking but does not want to move, there is no discharge from her eyes which look nice and clear. But she is obviously in discomfort, we have separated her from the others and she is in a box in the garage, in the last hour I put her back in the run but she stayed in the box and closing her eyes and her head kept falling forwards a though asleep. When i went to her she became alert but I have put her back in the garage. Do not know what to do!!!  Any advice gratefully received.

[Aunt Sally]

Tell us a bit more about her Jo.

Have you felt her abdomen to see if she has any problems ?
It's the bit between her breast bone and her vent.  If it feels soft then that's good.  If it feels bloated the that's not good.  You may be able to feel an egg which she can't manage to lay.  

Has she been laying been laying recently ?  
If so what were the eggs like ?  
What do you feel her on normally ?
Does she feel hot under her wing ?  Compare it with a fit hen.
Have you checked their home for red mite ?
Are her comb and wattles nice and red ?

[jo corbett]

Ok - will tell you what I know!!!  The egg thing is a touch awkward they all started laying at the same time!!  Two of the 4 I bought lay every day and we know who they are, the other 2 (one of which is the speckled sussex)  only lay intermittently or are laying away( They free range in an acre of land!!) We have noticed that one hen lays eggs with an incredibly pale yolk (the only advice about pale yolks I see is to buy hens and free range them!!!) So could be an issue there. Went to check on her before reading this and had a thorough look around - she does have black/grey mites/lice around her vent. We have no red mite as we had an outbreak of that last year when we first started keeping hens and it was horrific so we have been very vigilant this year. I am going to check on her abdomen now. Her droppings look normal. By the way many thanks for your droppings chart on another email it has explained caaecal droppings as I was worried one has diorrea!!!  I can buy mite powder easily I believe, can you recommend one??  Would they be doing this to her?? Talk to you when I have felt her abdomen. Thanks for your quick reply.

[jo corbett]

abdomen felt OK . May go and grab another hen and feel theirs!!! Just to compare!

[poultrygeist]

Hi jo. It sounds like the mites are her problem. There is advice about treatment here http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=5250.

You need to get her treated as quickly as possible by the sound of things. I've no experience of them but hopefully Aunt sally or someone else will come back to you and offer any advice you need.

Rob

[jo corbett]

Thanks - was sat here looking at that very page when you replied to me. I thought it was just going to be louse, but I wonder now if it is Northern Fowl mite???  I'm off into the hen house with a pipette of Frontline nicked from the cat!!

[Aunt Sally]

What do you feel her on ?

Does she feel hot under her wing ?  Compare it with a fit hen.

Are her comb and wattles nice and red ?

It could be lice making her ill, but you should get rid of those anyway.


Can you answer the other questions too please.

[jo corbett]

just in!!!  she is fed on smallholders layers pellets, and free ranges over an acre of land.

She felt warm yesterday - not so bad today

her wattles are a nice red colour.

let her back into the hen house this evening, she is feeding but looks very unsure on her legs, but was sat on roost just now.

Thankyou for your help

[jo corbett]

Up date - the frontline worked, all mites gone. Am going to repeat this weekend to stop any new mites from the eggs. She has slowly got better each day, has now started roaming with the others and started laying again. Many thanks for all your help and advice

[Aunt Sally]

Jolly good, let us know how she continues

[jo corbett]

bad news I am afraid - she seemed ok for a few days then stopped eating, put herself to bed in the nesting box, I tried tempting her with the suggested catfood etc, I checked for mites but there did not seem to be any, but we treated again(all hens ) to catch any eggs that may have hatched.
Anyway yesterday she looked in a bad way, and this morning I found her dead. Feel really guilty that I could not solve the problem, I checked her out and her breastbone was really prominent so she was obviously having problems. Watching the other hens like a hawk now, but they all seem fine. Could Northern Fowl mite have done this, or should I be looking for something more sinister.

[Aunt Sally]

Bad luck, she must have been quite ill

Very difficult to say what she died of without a PM.