[yardstick]

HI,
We have 12 hens, earlier on today we noticed that the light sussex was a little withdraw, we saw her eat (didn't see her drink but weren't looking long). this evening when I went to shut up the hen house she is sat just inside the pop hole and not bothered to get on a perch. we gave her a little time to see if she was just slow, but all she did was move elsewhere on the floor. we opened the hen house and picked her up for a look and can see nothing obviously wrong, eyes are clear, comb is perhaps a little floppy, brestbone is easily felt. vent is clean. she is about 33 weeks old and has never produced an egg. I am worried for her, particularly as about a month ago we had another hen that was fine one day, listless the following morning and dead in the evening with mucus ouzing from its nose ( she died in the vets waiting room, the vets attitude was that it happens sometimes and not to worry unless it happened again) now I am worried it is happening again. Although so far there is no sign of the dribbly nose that went with the last hen. Really I just want to get it right for the girls. They were all wormed with Flubenvet about a fornight ago.
 
What can I do for her and for the rest of them ?

[yardstick]

Should I be worried that she will infect the rest of the flock ? I have not removed her, if I did she would have to come indoors and that in itself would be very stressful for her. I don't know what is the best thing to do, either for the flock at large or specifically for her.

[chickenlady]

Sorry to hear about your girl! I'm no help im afraid but someone will have some help soon i hope, If it were me I would seperate her I know it would be stressful but she could pass whatever she has onto the rest of your girls. if she hasn't laid yet she may be eggbound?? or maybe gonna passs a soft egg but im only quoting what i have read on this site. im paranoid about my girls getting anything wrong with them. fingers crossed for your girlie  :cry:

[mother hen]

sorry yardstick I havent got much experience of sick chickens, hopefully soeone will be along soon who can help you

[GrannieAnnie]

Hi Yardstick, I haven't been on much tonight I'm afraid.

I'm not sure what to say about your girlie not being well.  I'm afraid they can just keel over and die sometimes, but its moe of a worry when a second one isn't well.

Listless, head sunk in neck, white diarrhoea and blood in poop could man coccidiosis, but don't now if any of the other things apply as you mentioned she was listless.  If it is, then she could pass it on to the others, and will need something like paracox from the vet.

with the other hen, mucous discharge rom nose could be mycoplasmosis, but usually with that, they get sneezing, rattly breathing and foam in their eyes.

We have a hen that has never laid, but I don't know if it is anything to do with being eggbound, as I've never had that problem myself.

Hope she is brighter tomrrow!!!

[yardstick]

Thanks,
true, they can just keel over, I just don't want it to be through my incompetence !

As for the poop, there was no blood in it, I know, she conveniently pooed on my leg while we were looking at her this evening and it looked pretty normal. she did earlier do a watery poo, I wouldn't call it diarrhoea, it was just water and white, again no blood.

[GrannieAnnie]

Anything like the watery one on this page?

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=17568

We have a goldline who had never laid an egg from when we got her August 2007 at POL until March this year, then one day she suddenly started to lay eggs and has done ever since!  But little Rosie who got to POL in January, has never laid an egg!

Strange.....

[yardstick]

The watery one was nothing like the one on that page (have bookmarked that one though, its brilliant!). Picture a smallish lump of white like you'd get in any normal poo and then a little water with it.

Sad man that I am I have just been out picking slugs off the veg. looked in on the hens and she is still stood up on the floor of the hen house. I am wondering about egg bound but have not googled nearly enough to have an opinion yet !

[yardstick]

Just a quick update, she's fine now. just seemed to improve slowly over the next few days. I have no idea what was wrong or if I could have prevented it, but she is happy now !

Thanks for all the advice