My hen is getting weaker every day, any ideas or advice welcome

[Abblo]

I would appreciate any advice to help me with my poor hen Pleasance. She used to be so feisty and I'm worried we may lose her. Does anyone have any tips on food I could give her to help her gain weight?


1) What type of bird , age and weight.

She is a Welsummer, about a year old, not sure of her weight but she has no meat left on her and is very light.

2) What is the behavior, exactly.

She seems very lethargic and frequently stops what she's doing and closes her eyes. She is finding it hard to jump over a 12 inch high step out of the coop. Her comb is very pale, she hasn't laid for a couple of months.

3) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.

No.

4) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.

No idea.

5) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.

She drinks water (similar amount to all other hens), she eats mixed corn and layers pellets, plus fruit and lettuce.

6) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.

Slightly runny sometimes depending on what she eats. No sign of blood.

7) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?

Currently worming whole flock with Flubenvet.

8 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?

I would prefer to treat her at home.

9) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.

10) Describe the housing/bedding in use

She's housed in with 11 other hens, perches over wood shavings. All hens are free to roam garden all day.

 

[Abblo]

Please anybody got any ideas?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I am sorry your hen is feeling poorly.

Have you checked her over for lice or mites?

Have you isolated her from the flock?

 

[kathyinmo]

I think I would try giving nutrition boost. Try PolyViSol infant vitamins (non iron) 3 drops a day for a week. Mix some plain unflavored yogurt with her regular layer pellets. I would put some electrolytes in her water, as well.

Good luck!

 

[Abblo]

thank you both.

To HorseFeatherz - she has no lice and there were mites in the house but I have (fingers crossed) got rid of them now. I have just brought her inside my house as she has just started coughing. I think she's so weak that she's now picked up a bug of some kind.

Kathyinmo - I'll try those, thanks

x

 

[AHappychick]

yes do a probiotic mash of starter feed, real yougurt the live culture kind, some butter milk, and shredded apples. mix well and sprinkle with some sctartch on front of the hen so it looks appealing.

Add the poly-vi-sol to water or get some Avaian charge stuff.

I would not worm her or anything like that is she is weak. keep her in a darker place so she doesnt feel the need to lay.

also make sure she is not eggbound or anything like that.

Good luck

 

[Abblo]

Thank you AHappychick. I will try all that. Unfortunately Monday is a holiday in the UK so most shops I'd need are closed. Lets hope she makes it through the day and I'll get supplies on Tuesday.

 

[cornwell]

hi, Abbo,

why don´t you take her to the vet? or did you?

cheers, cornwell

 

[Abblo]

Hi Cornwell,

I haven't yet. Partly because she's been checked over a couple of times by the breeder I buy from, and he said she wasn't ill, was just bottom of the pecking order. But the past couple of days she's gone downhill fast and kind of taken me by surprise. The vet won't be open until Tuesday, so if she's still hanging on I may get her seen.

 

[LynneP]

Oh my.

I'm glad you have separated her so that she does not waste any energy among the others and so that if she does have anything contagious you have lessened the impact on your flock.

I agree about vitamins (no added iron) and if she is still eating you can get weight back with wild bird suet or with oil and fat-based concoctions at home. One of the simplest things is to drizzle oil ( olive oil or any veggie oil) on the tip of the beak , avoiding the nares, to stimulate the sipping reflex so she will consume up to 5 ml of oil at a time. Since you are already worming, if it is worms you should see a turnaround quickly.

Is she the kind of bird who will take wetted feed such as layer feed with yogurt, applesauce or tomato juice? Even water? Is her crop perfectly normal? Sometimes by rubbing the crop while they sip or eat they kind of purr and swallow more easily, and rubbing the crop is usually accepted well and accepted as a sign of affection.