sick chicken - maybe an injury?

[curly_kate]

Our hens are going through a molt, and this morning, there's one who looks the worst of all of them who was just sitting there in the middle of the coop. When the rest of the birds ran out, she just lay there. I went to pick her up and separate her from the rest. She put up a fight, but when I put her in the cage, she just flopped down and hasn't moved from the corner. I gave her a going-over: crop feels fine, no sign of being egg bound, no respiratory issues. Her comb is really dark, but that's the only other thing that looks off (other than her looking a little like a porcupine). Could this just be a part of the moulting process? Our birds have molted before, and this is the only time that we've seen this kind of behavior.

On Friday, we had an older bird just die with no sign of being sick, and about a month ago, another older bird died. She wasn't in a molt, but was definitely acting off, although again I couldn't figure out exactly what was wrong.

Any thoughts? Could this just be moulting or maybe is there some kind of illness?

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

it could be their hearts gave out. when you say older how old are you talking about 5+ years possibly? i've seen birds that if they are sick their combs get pale, but i think that is from them getting weak and not eating much. if they are having a hard time breathing or seems like they aren't taking in enough oxygen their combs do get very dark. seems more noticeable on the roosters when that happens.

also, check the breath. if it smells bad it could be a respiratory issue that just hasn't shown much outward signs yet.

 

[curly_kate]

Didn't notice anything funny about the breath. :/ What I'm most worried about is that it's something contagious, although it seems kind of odd that there would be a gap between chickens falling ill. But then again, I haven't had too much experience with them being sick (thankfully!). I feel like I've read that you can get chicken post-mortems done, maybe at the county extension? Anyone know if that's true or false?

 

[Nyboy]

When was the last time you wormed them?

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

probably a good idea to deworm them if you haven't done it yet for the year. do you have any Wazine on hand or a feed store that sells it nearby? i've also heard you can get the ivermectin for cattle or horses to give them as a stronger dewormer. Wazine is a gentle start to the deworming process. or you could give them some pumpkin if you want to go a more natural route to deworming. just be ready to do a full clean out of the coop within a few days. you want to get their old bedding cleaned out or you'll just have the worms getting back into the chickens and have to do the process all over again. you want to deworm 2 times at 2 weeks apart.

also, have you checked the bodies over for poultry lice or red poultry mites? if you have mites the chicken could have died from being anemic since the mites suck blood like a flea would on a dog or cat. the lice are sort of beneficial but still cause the chicken to be stressed if there are too many on their body. the lice scrub the skin but can overwhelm a bird with that feeling. shivers as i remember when they got on me. these lice can easily be seen, are a yellowish bug that are easily squished (don't seem to be like head lice and won't stick around a person) both pests tend to be found near the bird's anus but will travel all over. mites also tend to travel to the head since the bird can't easily reach them there. Chickie being a Polish tends to have issues with his crest being the mites' favorite spot. eggs and very young will be white but the adult mites will be dark red or brown.

i nearly lost one of my year old hens the first year i had chickens and never knew about the bugs they could have on them. my poor Kiera fell off the perch one night and i found her the next morning on the floor almost limp. i though she broke her neck at first and wrapped her neck to keep it straight for the day. later that night i was holding her and noticed the lice crawling on me eeeww. i treated with something i later found out i probably shouldn't have but it worked. i used 5% Carbyl since i couldn't find the Seven Dust when i asked at my local feed store. later i found out the Carbyl could be used to make a solution to spray down the coop but not directly on the birds. the stuff was still effective on the lice and mites, but use it sparingly. i guess the mites have started building up a resistance to it.

 

[curly_kate]

Ummm, never? . We've never had an issue with worms before. But I guess it's something to look into. She's perked up a little bit, so maybe that's a good sign.

 

[catjac1975]

Sometimes one just keels over.

 

[lesa]

How is she doing now? I have had chickens for years, and never wormed them... don't feel bad about that.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Three dying in a month would worry me unless there is something identifiable going on, like temperatures over 110 for a while. I do believe there is coincidence but I also believe in cause and effect. When a chicken is sick or just doesnt feel good, they will often be listless and stand around or sit with the feathers all ruffled and puffed up. Thats not a good sign.

Id suggest contacting your county extension agent, in the phone book under county government, and find out what it takes to get a chicken autopsied in your state. First thing you need to know is cost. In some states its practically free, especially the ones with a big poultry industry. They want to protect those jobs and tax revenue. In some states, to will cost more. Then you want to know where to take the dead chicken and how to handle it. Of course they want it as fresh as they can get it and usually refrigerated, not frozen. But let them tell you what their procedures and costs are in case another one dies so you know your options.

On rare occasions Ive seen a hen have less energy during a molt, but that is pretty rare. And one of yours was not molting. There might be a connection to molting and them dying but I really doubt it.

I definitely agree with checking them for mites and lice. Remember that red mites, known as roost mites, hide during the day and only come out in the dark. Check the vent area especially. They will run away from the flashlight pretty fast. I heard a poultry science professor say that roost mites kill more broody hens than anything else. They are dangerous.

You can take a fecal sample and get it tested for worms. Again talk to the extension agent. That way you would know. Or you can treat them for worms. Fenbendazole, commonly sold as Safeguard, can cause the feathers to grow back kinky and curly if given during a molt. The other wormers dont do that but there is a withdrawal period where you should not eat the eggs.

I havent had a problem with worms, mites, or lice since I moved here in 2007 but I still recognize them as a potential danger. Often they dont kill the chicken by themselves but weaken them to make them more susceptible to other things. There is a difference in that they can be a problem versus they always are a problem.

 

[curly_kate]

Weird thing is, she is exactly the same now as she was when I first posted. Her vent looked good when I checked before, but I'll look more closely at her to see if I can see any little critters.