Storms and chickens

[Ziggy]

Hello everybody,

Sorry if this is a little long, please bear with me.

I was wondering if anyone would have some advice. We had three chickens, all aged around 3 years old. Just a few days ago, Tatty started to look a bit poorly, moving around less and hunching a little bit. I checked her and she had quite a swollen lower tummy (not like a stuck egg, just a larger, swollen area). I've had a chicken suffer from this before, quite a while back, and took her to the vet and despite trying different things they couldn't help, she lasted a while, but eventually died, after the swelling had been on her for over a year. I thought I'd keep an eye on Tatty, unwilling to rush to the vet as they hadn't been able to help with similar symptoms before. Yesterday morning I let the chooks out while cleaning their WIR and cube, and Tatty was just hunched on the grass, not moving at all, and only pecking a bit when offered some sweetcorn. She had her eyes closed and was all puffed, and was dead by this morning.

Unfortunately, when I let them out yesterday morning, I noticed one of my other girls, Calli, had gone quiet and wasn't moving much either, adopting a slightly hunched up pose too. I gave her some sweetcorn and she ate it quite happily, and seemed to perk up a bit by bed time. She took herself up into the cube without help. This morning, she didn't come down into the WIR, so I went to pick her up, and she is in the same state as Tatty was yesterday, and it seems obvious she'll be gone very soon.

I've had chickens for about 7 years now and never had this before. I have wormed them with verm-X and had ordered flubenvet in case they had a bad case of worms that verm-x couldn't help, and until today I wasn't sure if Tatty and Calli were feeling off for the same or different reasons (Calli has no swelling anywhere, her body feels normal), but somehow I doubt that worms would take two chickens from happy and healthy-looking to dead in 48 hours...

I don't think there is much I can do for Calli considering how fast she's deteriorated and Tatty died so quickly too, but Fern is still looking happy and healthy, and I'm wondering what to do to keep her that way... I can't take her to the vet as she has no symptoms... I don't think Calli will still be alive tomorrow to be taken to the vet... My flubenvet is arriving tomorrow, but I'm not sure that's what she needs...

Has anyone got any idea what could have happened to Calli and Tatty? They have a huge WIR, but until this weekend hadn't freeranged much recently. Tatty was already looking poorly when we let them freerange, so I don't think they picked anything in the garden...

I'm upset to have lost two chooks so fast, I know they're not young, but losing two seems to suggest they might have something contagious... and I'm anxious to give Fern a chance to escape it...

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Many thanks everyone,

[Daphne]

Poor you, it sounds a bit grim

 

I hope these events may be coincidences rather than anything more sinister. It sounds as if Tatty may have had egg peritonitis (would account for the swollen abdomen if it was squishy). There is not much you could have done (there are treatments depending on the sort of EP, one can be managed, not cured, but it can be costly especially if she was a hybrid and so at a reasonable age, and the other type isn't treatable). EP does kill quite quickly, they go from being normal to hunched, tail down, and die within 24-48 hours or so.

 

Cally may have worms, this does bring a bird down quickly if its a heavy infestation and/or if there is something else like lice/mites or for some reason she is not A1. I would check the house for red mite and the 2 remaining girls for creepy crawlies. I presume she doesn't have noisy breathing or bubbly eyes? Respiratory conditions like infectious bronchitis and mycoplasma do rear their heads from time to time in carriers, and usually manifest themselves in times of stress.

 

If she is still with you tomorrow, then start Flubenvet as soon as you can, and obviously do Fern as well.

 

Fingers crossed.

[Andrew]

Hello Ziggy. Sorry to read you have lost your two girls in such quick succession. The symptoms you describe are very similar to the rapid decline that my two Sussex Star's succumbed to in the last couple of months. Both were the same age (about 3 years old) and both experienced a swollen lower tummy, became hunched and didn't really move around at all. In fact, when they did move, they waddled like a duck, head up, tail right down (towards the end having to use their wing tips to prevent falling sideways when waddling). In both cases, which were only about two months apart, this all happened very quickly. They both died within two or three weeks of showing the first signs of the symptoms. Before that they were both fine and happily running about with all my other hens.

 

Thankfully, none of my other birds seem to be affected or showing any similar characteristics.

 

I don't know what it was that caused their rapid decline. I didn't engage a vet as it was obvious there was little chance of recovery and the end was near. However, having read your post, I would be interested to hear if anyone has an explanation.

 

Andrew

[Egghead68]

It sounds like peritonitis to me, Andrew. I am sorry to both of you that you lost your girls.

[LottyJ1]

Yep the swollen tummies and walking like a duck is classic peritonitis signs. Could also be a tumour but peritonitis more likely.

 

Three is a good age if a hybrid but if you are worried take them to the vet. I have one that is being managed for peritonitis at the moment due to internal laying. She had a swollen hot tummy and a temperature so she had a two week course of Baytril and Matacam and has now been implanted for two months. However if this option isn't for you then sometimes its better to have them PTS as they can last weeks in pain and it can affect their breathing.

 

Its sadly very common i'm afraid but as long as they have had a good life that is what matters.

[Andrew]

It sounds like peritonitis to me, Andrew. I am sorry to both of you that you lost your girls.

Yes, having done a 'Google' on the condition everything I read matched exactly with the symptoms that my two Sussex Stars fell ill with. They were both prolific egg layers, but just before falling ill they started laying eggs with no shell. I shall know for next time and keep a closer eye on things if/when that happens again. Everything I read last night suggested a low chance of recovery, so I'm not sure there was much I could have done even if I'd have known more about what I was dealing with.

 

On a positive note, they both enjoyed a good, healthy, life with us and as LottyJ1 noted, that is what really matters.

 

Andrew

[Ziggy]

Sorry to hear about your hens Andrew.

Peritionitis could have been an option for Tatty, as I felt the swelling, but Calli had no swelling at all, and was in perfect health... which makes me think that Tatty died of something else, which Calli also died of, and whatever that was it took both very quickly... a few hours of 'quiet' behaviour, hunching then puffing a bit and then gone...

Fern is still in full health (apparently), so I've taken her out of the coop and WIR and placed her in a totally separate spare empty coop with different food and drink dishes and nothing from the old coop... will talk to the vet and see if we could give her anything 'just in case'...

Going from three chooks to one is quite a shock!!

[Ziggy]

Quick - though not so helpful - update...

Fern is still ok so far and has started the flubenvet course, which thankfully arrived very quickly considering I only ordered it yesterday... I was at the vet with my dog today, and asked if I could ask about the chooks as well, hoping they might give me some kind of 'covers most things antibiotic' which I might be able to give to Fern... they couldn't give me anything without seeing the chook though, even though she has no symptom (I understand, I'm not complaining), but I made an appointment for her tomorrow morning, just in case symptoms start between now and then (I hope not!!), or they can give me something tomorrow to give her 'just in case'.... I'm not terribly optimist they'll be able to help, but it does make me feel a little better to be trying! Tatty and Calli went too fast to be taken to the vet, I kind of believe that when a chook is old and declines so incredibly quickly, I'd rather not put them through the stress of vet visits and medications and so on, but rather let them die in peace... it only took 24 hours for Calli

Keeping my eye on Fern now... I hope she is ok...

[Andrew]

It only took 24 hours for Calli

Keeping my eye on Fern now... I hope she is ok...

Sadly, they do say that if a hen looks sick, she's actually really ill.

 

Andrew