[Flyin Chickens]

I don’t get to spend much time with the girls during the week in winter as I only open them up in the morning whilst it is dark and close them up after work (dark again and so already in bed)

However today I went out this morning to let them out and give the coop its clean and noticed that one of the girls was much smaller than the other and was worried that she had lost weight.

This however was not the case and as I opened the outer run door to let them on to the grass the larger would hardly move, when I did tempt her out and picked her up she was like a dead weight, she was very “squidgy” in her stomach area and when I went to investigate and check her rear end I could see that she had plucked nearly all of her feathers out from her underside.

Took her straight to the vet who advised that she had a very large tumor that could have been started by a virus and that she is better off if she was put to sleep asap.

I feel really bad that I have not had time to notice earlier in the week but the vet said that the majority of the tumor size would have only come on in the last couple of days.

I am now worried for the other chicken (I only had 2) as she is now on her own and the vet advised to leave it as long as possible before getting any more as she may be a carrier of a virus that has little effect on her??

Any advice of what I may need to do for my remaining chicken and how long I should leave it before getting another 1 or 2 to go in with her.

Thanks
   

[Kate and her Ducks]

Oh I'm very sorry, such a horrible thing especially as it leaves the other girl alone. They really don't like being alone.

Hope your other girl is ok and she isn't alone too long.

Hugs.

[Aunt Sally]

That's really horrid for you Flyin Chickens, very sad  :cry:

Did the vet say it could have been Marek's ?

[Flyin Chickens]

He said that he was unsure of the exact reason without doing an autopsy.

Really don’t want to leave it too long before getting some company for my remaining hen but also don't want to introduce some more hens if they may catch something.

My remaining hen looks in good health though

[Aunt Sally]

Give her as much of your company as you can and she'll adopt you as her flock.  They need company for a feeling of security in numbers