Poorly hen - advice please!

  • 3 Replies
  • 1752 Views
*

e_hothersall

  • Newbie
  • *
  • 4
Poorly hen - advice please!
« on: June 22, 2009, 20:38 »
Hello, I've been lurking for weeks, but this is the first time I've needed specific advice. I'd be very grateful for your help.

The story so far....

Beginning of May I acquired 4 chooks - 2 Hamurgh banties and 2 unspecified brown hybrids. All about 1 year old, all laying. All good apart from a little egg-eating (now settled) until Hannibal, the largest and top of the pecking order stopped laying. She always seemed very skinny but ate well and I just thought she'd been a bit neglected (both the brown hens were "free to a good home", and I reckon the previous owner knew nothing: BOTH wings were clipped, and she wanted rid of them because they "messed up her lawn"). So I check she wasn't egg bound, which she didn't seem to be, and checked her pelvic bones and noticed they've closed down (indicating she's not producing eggs at all?) again. I reckoned the most likely cause was worms, so for the last week they've all had Flubenvet.

Problem is, the course is finished today (7 days), and for the last 24h or so she's seemed withdrawn and unhappy, which she wasn't before now. She did get very excited when my daughter threw a strawberry in (try telling a 20 month old the chickens can't have any supplements to their medicated food!), but otherwise has been pretty static. All fluffed up and head pulled in.

Checked her again: no egg to feel, crop is palpable but not over-full (compared with other chicken), no signs of mites or anything else (have been treated anyway), bright eyes, good colour in comb etc, no diarrhoea that I've seen. Possibly sounded a bit funny last night when she took herself to bed early (normally the last one in), but otherwise no obvious symptoms at all.

So, my questions are:
1. Is she going to die?
2. Are the other chickens going to die? (In both cases I mean imminently, obviously)
3. Do I need to get her to a vet or is there anything else worth trying meantime?
4. As the only vet I have heard of who does poultry ss an hour away, does anyone know a poultry vet nearer to Stoke on Trent?

Any help or advice gratefully received.

Thanks

*

Vember

  • Guest
Re: Poorly hen - advice please!
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2009, 20:55 »
Hi & Welcome :)

You seem to have got everything more or less checked off what we would normally ask :D
Have you checked under a wing to see if she has a temp? Feel a healthy bird to give a comparison :)
It has been really hot here today, if it's been the same with you could the weather have knocked her for 6 a bit ?
Poos are normal you say no signs of worms whilst on their course of flub?

Could she have been laying ( never done the whole pelvis checking thing  :blush: so unsure as to how accurate it is  :blush:) else where rather than the coop? Sometimes hen's go very life less when they are about to produce a soft shelled egg so may she's going to do that?

There is a list of poultry friendly vets here that may be some use 
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=26140.0



Sorry I can't be of any more help :(

Some one will be along shortly with more ideas I'm sure :)


Sarah :D




*

woodside farm

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: Maidstone, Kent
  • 390
    • Poultry Auction
Re: Poorly hen - advice please!
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2009, 21:34 »
Hi,
Are you sure she is only one year old?
Perhaps she has passed her laying age, and the previous owner new this.
You seem to have tried everything, I can't realy see how you would benefit from taking her to a vets, but that is upto you.

Michelle
http://www.woodside-farm-chickens.webs.com/
*-:¦:-•*quis goes inter*•-:¦:-•:* adveho inter*•-:¦:-*

*

e_hothersall

  • Newbie
  • *
  • 4
Re: Poorly hen - advice please!
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2009, 11:36 »
Thanks for your replies.

It wasn't very hot here the last two days so I don't think it's that. Will check for a temperature.

I think the only thing a vet can do is give antibiotics in a "nothing else left to do" kind of way. Or possibly treat for coccoidosis, since I read a thread somewhere in here about stressed chickens being vulnerable.

Or should I just empirically treat her myself (I'm medically trained and not phased by the idea)?

Or just wait and see? She seemed bright enough when I let them out for their first free-range last night.

Maybe she is just old. Any idea how I could get a feel for her real age?



xx
poorly poorly hen advice please

Started by feelingbroody on The Hen House

12 Replies
5589 Views
Last post August 10, 2011, 18:22
by feelingbroody
xx
Poorly hen - advice please?

Started by Jomtie on The Hen House

9 Replies
3774 Views
Last post December 02, 2014, 18:47
by Maeve
xx
Poorly hen advice please

Started by Sprouts on The Hen House

8 Replies
1999 Views
Last post October 09, 2013, 10:12
by Sassy
xx
Any advice please - poorly hen ?!

Started by Rubytuesday on The Hen House

2 Replies
1256 Views
Last post September 06, 2010, 10:46
by Rubytuesday
 

Page created in 0.218 seconds with 39 queries.

Powered by SMFPacks Social Login Mod
Powered by SMFPacks SEO Pro Mod |