I think my hen is sick

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new_chicken_mum
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I think my hen is sick

Post by new_chicken_mum »

Hello members I am a first time chicken mummy and I got 10 hens from a local breeder only last week.....They are Isa browns.
Since they arrived I have had one hen who tends to sit fluffed up for most of the day, she will walk out ever so slowly to the run with the others and will drink a little and eat a little but tends to just sit fluffed up with her eyes closed most of the time.
I thought she may be stressed from the move to our property but as the days go on Im fearing she may be unwell.
I have ensured she has a safe place to herself inside the coop with the flock, I managed to pick her up today and have a feel of her tummy and it didn't feel like it was tight or bloated...
My next step will be to soak her in a warm bath and see if she may be egg bound as I have read this can happen.
I have no idea of the history of these hens as they man i got them from only just got them from another source himself....Im assuming they were caged as they seem very excited about the 50m run we have for them to enjoy.
Anyway I would love to hear from you with any tips and advice, I would hate to loose her as she is a sweet sweet girl....And my daughter has claimed her as her own so that would be even more devastating for her if she was to not pull through.
Thanks in advance

bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: I think my hen is sick

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

HI, just a quick check.
Bugs
Eyes bubbles swelling in front.
Nostrol`s clogged.
Crop Hard squishy. empty morning full at night .
Breath smelly
Chest bone compare to the others should have some meat on it . Thinny the sicker.
Poo ok actually going .
Rear end swollen enlarged Don't squish as may break egg!
Limping check legs scaly mite .
Bullying .
Moulting feathers may also be a problem.
Just a few checks .
Let us no the results.
Others will add as they read.
No garrantees with chickens as ailments are many , and fixes do not always work .
Give Toms, grapes soft pellts and plenty of water .
Isolate if possible and observe .
Finally give plenty of cuddles ,
Bob
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kitla
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Re: I think my hen is sick

Post by kitla »

oh dear, such a shame she's poorly when she should be having fun with the others. Do you know how old they are? exbatts are about 18 months when they're discarded. If she's walking slowly - tail a bit down? - she could be egg bound, but if she's been like that for a week I'd think it's more likely to be an infection. I think the first thing I would do is isolate her for a little while, see if she is actually eating (they pretend in order to hide their illness) and check her crop compared to one of the others and see what her poop is like (can be a clue to certain problems)Is her vent sort of pulsing? If she has an infection she will have a temperature & feel hot underneath & under her wings. Do you have a local vet that will treat chickens? you often find a vet keeps chickens themselves & is more interested. It could also be a tumour or something, exbatts have a tough early life and often dont life very long.
oh hi Bob!
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant
new_chicken_mum
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Re: I think my hen is sick

Post by new_chicken_mum »

Thanks for the response guys!
Ok I have her in her own cage in the coop with her flock, I did not want to remover her completely as i didn't want to alienate her and have them not allow her back into the flock again.
She seems to have much thicker feet than the others (possible scaly feet?)
She is eating and drinking but only small bits.
She will walk around and when she does she seems to walk fine.
Her poop is on the runny side, she does not seem to have any odour apart from the poop on her rear end (due to runny poo I assume)
She is not at all worried when i touch her or pick her up so this concerns me.
The others are not worried about her at all, they have not tried attacking her or pecking at her in any way (something i thought they may do if she was sick) This is one of the reasons I have her confined for her own safety on the off chance they do.
Her eyes and noes are clear, her rear end seems fine to me.
She just looks tired
I am unsure of exact age I requested young hens who were close to lay. Unsure if thats what i actually got as I very new to keeping chickens.
They have not started laying yet but have only been here a week, I expect it will take a few weeks for them to settle into their new home and routine before laying.
I live in a very rural area and our closest vet is an hour away, I have ran to make an appointment but there is none till Wednesday. Im hoping she can hold out till then.
Thank you again for your help I really appreciate it, its not easy watching a fetherbaby so poorly.....
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: I think my hen is sick

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi is there a local chicken keeper that could advise .
Sometimes they are very friendly and helpful.
Bob
new_chicken_mum
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Re: I think my hen is sick

Post by new_chicken_mum »

Thanks Bob I didn't think of that.
I will see if I can find someone local
Cheshire Chick
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Re: I think my hen is sick

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Hi, sorry to see you are off to a bad start with a poorly girl. I think Bob and Kitty's advise is very good and you do seem to be doing well yourself with looking after her correctly, i.e. isolation but amongst the flock so that they can see each other. If they are point of lay and not started laying yet perhaps she is just having a struggle to get going. There are just so many things that can go wrong with chickens and I think all of us on this forum have been there ourselves more times than we care to remember. ISA Warrens are lovely girls - these are the hens I have always had, but because they are hybrids and are produced to lay as much as possible for the commercial industry they are unfortunately subject to lots of problems (as I have found out). Sorry that this doesn't sound very encouraging, but hopefully she will sort herself out. When mine have been off colour I always give them a dose of Epsom Salts. I mix a teaspoon in a cup of water and put into a syringe. It's a 2 person job, one to hold the hen and one to syringe it slowly and carefully into the beak. I have always sworn by this and unless it is something serious, it always seems to perk them up. Do twice a day for 3 days and if there is no improvement after 3 days, then it is not going to work. You also mentioned a bath. Put Epsom Salts in the water and let her tummy soak in it. The Epsom Salts will not do any harm but hopefully it will do some good so it's worth a try. Good luck, I really hope she goes on OK and welcome to The Lane.
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kitla
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Re: I think my hen is sick

Post by kitla »

Sorry I didnt read your post properly, they're young hens then. Have they been wormed?does she feel alot lighter in weight than the others? what does her crop feel like - again best to compare with another girl. You say she has runny poos, is it a strange colour or watery? If you think she has scalyleg you can smear vaseline over it for now which helps kill the mites. Also check the bottom of her feet, she may have a bumblefoot infection which usually looks like a round scab on their footpad. If you want to see a vet urgently there may be a walk in one nearby, they are often on industrial estates or next to large pet stores.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant
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Mo
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Re: I think my hen is sick

Post by Mo »

Welcome, sorry your first experience with new hens is a worry - we usually get the excitement first then find out the worrying parts.
How big are their combs. If they are tiny and pale pink they are young and will be a few weeks away from laying. They grow bigger and redder, then you have a surprise one morning.

The other thing that can make a hen sit around is being broody. They sit in the nest box and don't like being moved out. I had one that did this soon after she'd started laying (then again the next Spring).
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KarenE
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Re: I think my hen is sick

Post by KarenE »

Hi and welcome - sorry to hear you're having some trouble with your sick girl. If they are just point of lay, it may be that there's an internal problem with egg laying going on. Unfortunately as Cheshire Chick says, hybrids are bred to be egg laying mnachines and this can cause real problems, even in the young ones. It may be she is egg bound, or if coming into lay struggling with a softie which are quite common as they get into the swing of laying. Sitting her on a warm hot water bottle may help to relax the muscles and may be a bit less traumatic than giving her a belly bath.

It may also be that she has an internal infection as Kitty says. Vets is the only thing you can do here as she will need antibiotics, if that is the case.

Worms are another possibility, and in fact it may be worth worming the whole flock soon. Keep an eye out in all poos for worms (chicken keeping does have its disgusting side!!) The only thing about worming is whether it would be a bit too much for your sick girl - maybe have the vet see her on weds if you can't get an earlier appointment and if egg problems and infections are ruled out, then worm her.

Scaly leg the scales all stick up and look a bit like a pine cone, so if it's just thick legs then she probably hasn't got it. But vaseline on there won't do any harm.

If she's not eating, try giving her some sugar in her water. A bit of softly scrambled egg (no milk) might tempt her, and add a bit of tomato juice to it as they like that. Make a soft porrige with her pellets or mash if you have any, sometimes they will nibble on that easier too. It may be that she's feeling the stress of 2 moves and just needs a bit of time to come round.

Her poos contain lots of clues as to her state of health so if you can describe them a bit more - what colour are they?
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
new_chicken_mum
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Re: I think my hen is sick

Post by new_chicken_mum »

Thanks for the replies guys!
I contacted the man i purchased her from and He said she may just been a little stressed from the move, None of the other chickens show any signs of illness so I'm sure its not a viral thing.
She walked around a little today and spent some time in the sunshine....She still has herself well and truly fluffed up but seems to be more aware of her surroundings today....Her crop is small so she is defiantly young.
Im sure none of them have had their first lay as yet.
My local produce store sells an antibiotic so I have given her a dose of that and it seems to have perked her up a little.
I have tried not to bother her too much as i don't want to stress the poor thing out by poking and prodding her.
I will be cleaning out their coop tomorrow and placing new bedding in so will make a point of giving her a really good going over.,,,
Im unsure if I can add photo's here of not but if I can i will take a pic of her and let you see how she looks.
I appreciate all your advise thus far, it helps having people who know what they are doing when I am just starting out.
I will try all of your suggestions and see how she responds :)
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: I think my hen is sick

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi would not like to say I know much , learning all the time . Thing about chickens is to enjoy them when you can as stress is only round the corner . Would not swap them though . It sure toughens you up to life .
hope it goes well . if another hen gets ill you cannot work on the principle of what you done this time will work again . Adapting all the time to what is in front of you.
Keep posting , if not on here on the other forum thread . Always good to read and cheers me up with the good stuff and makes me feel grateful for my good times when I read the not so good results.
Bob
PS welcome to the next meet up anytime .
new_chicken_mum
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Re: I think my hen is sick

Post by new_chicken_mum »

Meet up??? Please excuse my ignorance but what are the meet up's about? and where are they held please BOB
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KarenE
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Re: I think my hen is sick

Post by KarenE »

Yes I think just give her a bit of peace & time and see how she does. If her crop is small it means she's not eating much (the crop is the golf-ball shaped thing on the side of her chest, where food is stored for later digestion) unless you mean her comb is small?

Maybe make sure she is able to get to food and water ok and she is getting enough to eat ie the others aren't chasing her off (they can be horrible like that)

A few of us from the chicken keeping forums have been getting together every now and then to meet up and get to know each other in person a bit. We're planning another one - you can see the thread on the chicken diaries forum - and anyone who wants to come along is welcome. By the way - keeping a chicken diary is a really good way of recording your new chicken keeping experiences, come and start one if you fancy it )t'
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
new_chicken_mum
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Re: I think my hen is sick

Post by new_chicken_mum »

Her comb is small sorry my mistake, getting used to all the names.
The other chickens are not fussed with her at all and they are happily letting her eat and drink when she wants.
Im surprised they are not picking on her at all being that she is not active like them, maybe she was the top of the pecking order? and they dare not? Who knows.
Chickens are funny things but they do bring me so much joy.
I love letting them out into their run of a morning and having them all come up to greet me wounding what treats i have for them today.

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