Lost our beautiful girl. Help?

[triciayoung]

I may not be understanding what they’re saying but it came off as she gave a lot of treats and had unnecessary external heat

Even if she did say this, which she didn't...she is hurting and wants to stick to the loss only. People inserting their opinions about other topics is pretty sad

 

[triciayoung]

Hmmm, from how she is laying I would say it was a sudden event. Is there any way she could have flown into anything? Or flown down from somewhere and broke her neck?

Also she could have had some sort of cardiovascular event. Chickens are just like us, they get sick just like we do.

At any rate I am very sorry about your lovely lady. I don’t feel it is anything viral/bacterial, not laying on her back like that.

Good point @Ponypoor

 

[Debbie292d]

Useing heat lamps will make your chickens less resistant to the weather and will make them sick. My winters here in Missouri get into -20f and I never used heat lamps, even with babies. If your worried about the cold insulation in your coop will be a better option with ventilation.

We live in Wisconsin and without heat, our frizzles would have died in seven of the eight winters we've had them.

Heating or cooling coops is a preference of the chicken keeper and how some of us keep ours alive.

 

[Hollysaurus]

Hmmm, from how she is laying I would say it was a sudden event. Is there any way she could have flown into anything? Or flown down from somewhere and broke her neck?

Also she could have had some sort of cardiovascular event. Chickens are just like us, they get sick just like we do.

At any rate I am very sorry about your lovely lady. I don’t feel it is anything viral/bacterial, not laying on her back like that.

We moved her from where she was. She was in the corner of the coop, like she had just fallen asleep there in the corner. She could of fallen off the roost in the night too.

Our other two girls are showing similar signs; weightloss and purple or pale combs. They already had weightloss from molting and still molting. They hadn't been laying eggs because of molting too.

We checked for eggbound, sour crop, etc. They all look fine.

I would of thought cardiovascular if the others girls are not also showing signs. It's honestly killing me how I didn't notice anything sooner; I adored that hen beyond belief.

 

[Ponypoor]

We don't use a heat lamp during summer and hadn't turned it on until recently. Their body adjusts through-out the seasons. Here we sadly get extremely hot summers and then extremely cold winters.

If we chose to not turn on a heat lamp during the winter and it was mild, they'll be fine. But sadly it gets very frosty and dry here; they are pretty much needed even though they give me anxiety. I'm always thinking their coop will catch on fire or something; I suffer with major anxiety but my husband promises me it's something everybody does here and I have seen it for myself and also asked anybody else who owns them. Plus his mother has owned them for 20+ years.

I am from the UK; so weather is much different, haha. I understand the worry of using them but in some places they're just needed or preferred.

The big issue with the heat lamps are exploding, but as long as you are using a bulb that is safety approved (not sure in the US what that is), and that you inspect them weekly for any damages, you will be fine.

Also make sure to use a GFI on you power cable.

Keep the lamp well above the bedding, and make sure that there is a location for your ladies to get out of the direct heat.

But from the sounds of it you are already doing everything right

(Did I mention I hate winter?)

 

[Ponypoor]

We moved her from where she was. She was in the corner of the coop, like she had just fallen asleep there in the corner. She could of fallen off the roost in the night too.

Our other two girls are showing similar signs; weightloss and purple or pale combs. They already had weightloss from molting and still molting. They hadn't been laying eggs because of molting too.

We checked for eggbound, sour crop, etc. They all look fine.

I would of thought cardiovascular if the others girls are not also showing signs. It's honestly killing me how I didn't notice anything sooner; I adored that hen beyond belief.

Aww! Sorry I didn’t read the whole thread, if you can I would worm them all just incase I use Panacur in their water.

Also to get some weight on them give them all the food they will eat, treats, beef, chicken (yup they love chicken), eggs (however they will eat them), sardines, rice, bread etc etc etc. get calories into them. I also give warm honey water (sugar if you don’t have honey), I use a teaspoon to a cup of hot water. Let it cool down.

Keep them warm and try to restrict their movement to conserve energy.

Sure hope your gals rally, nothing worse than our fur and feathered friends not feeling well.

 

[Ponypoor]

Good point @Ponypoor

Yup would have been, but alas the poor wee lass was moved - but I still feel it isn’t anything contagious. More likely stress from moulting and cool temps - have a few I have been babying along, poor chooks. Go bald due to us humans interfering with their natural processes - one would never see a wild bird moult like our domesticated birds do.

I have 5 right now that are just miserable, poor wee ladies. Meanwhile the barn looks like a pillow factory, and my thoroughbred mare is sleeping on what amounts to a feather mattress as the chooks are spending the day in her stall losing feathers there snuggled in her straw bedding keeping warm.

Did I mention I hate winter?

 

[Ponypoor]

Useing heat lamps will make your chickens less resistant to the weather and will make them sick. My winters here in Missouri get into -20f and I never used heat lamps, even with babies. If your worried about the cold insulation in your coop will be a better option with ventilation.

Not so, using supplemental heat at temps lower than -10C will help to keep you animals moving, eating and drinking.

Now when I say this I mean the actual temperature inside dwelling your chooks reside. Not the outside ambient temp.

My barn will get to -10c easy peasy. Without the horses in there to keep it warm. Brrrr! At that temp thw chooks start to act cold stressed.

At -20c (inside the barn) they will all huddle in a stall in the straw to keep warm. They will not be digging about, eating and drinking as they should be.

At -30c (inside the barn) they are definitely not doing well, but at those temps they are in the Hen House to keep warm, and horses are in the barn to keep the barn warm.

But this thread is NOT for discussing the ramifications of cold stress on livestock like poultry - it’s to aid this person in giving practical suggestions on how to move forward from her death of her lovely chookie.

I personally would love to see more photos of her sweeties.

 

[Ponypoor]

Thank you,
I believe we got the Valbazen; they suggested it to my husband. I was going to get Homepet.

We have to repeat for 3 days if it's bad, considering we lost a hen, I will dose them tomorrow and the day after too, then again after 10 days.

I would love to try and see what it was that caused it, but I just can't. She was a dear pet and I or my husband don't have the heart to cut her open. I am pretty sure it's due to worms; just caught off guard because none of them shown signs.

I guess it doesn't matter how prepared you are with things, something will creep up. It's so heartbreaking.

Our pets are out there to give us equal parts of joy and sorrow.

I have had horses over 40 yrs and let me tell you, if you want an animals out to do themselves harm it’s a horse!

If I had know how much fun chickens were I would have got rid of my horses years ago!

Glad you are worming them (and thanks for reminding me I need to do mine also!), another thing to consider would be coccidia infection, though you didn’t mention any unusual stools, so likely not the cause.

Ok I sure hope they rally, I’ll check back tomorrow to see how things are, chore time for me. Have a nice evening.

 

[Debbie292d]

Not so, using supplemental heat at temps lower than -10C will help to keep you animals moving, eating and drinking.

Now when I say this I mean the actual temperature inside dwelling your chooks reside. Not the outside ambient temp.

My barn will get to -10c easy peasy. Without the horses in there to keep it warm. Brrrr! At that temp thw chooks start to act cold stressed.

At -20c (inside the barn) they will all huddle in a stall in the straw to keep warm. They will not be digging about, eating and drinking as they should be.

At -30c (inside the barn) they are definitely not doing well, but at those temps they are in the Hen House to keep warm, and horses are in the barn to keep the barn warm.

But this thread is NOT for discussing the ramifications of cold stress on livestock like poultry - it’s to aid this person in giving practical suggestions on how to move forward from her death of her lovely chookie.

I personally would love to see more photos of her sweeties.

Exactly!

It also keeps eggs and nipple buckets from freezing. Besides, if it weren't heated and I had to haul water out there minimally twice per day, I'd not have chickens. So we do this for me too.

Anyone who can raise baby chicks in -20F without heat must have cyborg chicks. They'd be freeze-dried in two seconds here.