[haychickilady]

Hi all, I'm after a bit of advice, last night my 3 yr old speckledy looked a bit off colour. She usually runs to meet me after work, but whn I went to see the girls she was no where to be seen. I found her hunkered down in the corner of the garden. She woke up, but was very wobbly and seemed to be struggling to walk. She had foam coming out of her eyes. She was eating and drinking normally. She went to bed very early. I was due to take her to the vets this morning. But sadly she didn't make it through the night. Any ideas what it could be? I'd noticed her poo was very watery over the last few days too. I'm worried now that, although my other 9 girls appear to be healthy, what if it's contagious? Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks

[henamoured]

Sorry to hear of your chook. 

I'm sorry, I'm not an expert and can't offer any advice re your other chx, but perhaps you should ask to speak to a vet over the phone and ask for advice. A course of antibiotics for all chx might be a wise precaution. You could ask for an autopsy?

[paintergirl]

Sorry to hear of your loss. I'm a newbie here too and I did quite a lot of research when my banty was recently ill. She sadly passed away.

I think what your hen had was Mycoplasma Gallisepticum, but I'm not a vet and I'm just going by the symptoms you've listed. If it is MG you need to get your flock seen to as it is contagious. Antibiotics are all that are necessary.

Please get Elsie to the vet for a proper cause of death! And good luck.

I was lucky, my other hens are healthy.

[hillfooter]

MG doesn't usually cause death and so quickly too so I suspect it could have been quite possibly an egg binding problem which has caused a septic Egg Yolk Peritonitis (EYP) or possibly another internal infection which fits with the runny droppings.  The age is about right for such problems there will be a spate at this time of year as the arrival of autumn sends them into moult and they stop laying.  It's not always a clean stop and soft and malformed eggs can occur with older hens who tend to moult heavier than younger ones.  At least theoretically (and theory isn't always bourne out in practise) a higher protein diet may help older hens durring a moult. 

The stress of such an illness as EYP which itself can quickly prove fatal could well have triggered MG which is known as a stress infection.  MG is often carried as a dormant disease held in check by the immune system  and when the immune system is under challenge it breaks out causing the upper respiratory infection symptoms (watery foamy eyes and probably sneezing too) you saw.

Treating your other hens with a course of a/bs Tylan or Baytril would be preventative of other outbreaks of MG as if one hen has it they are all likely to be carrying it.

Best of luck
HF