Solitary chicken - need advice

[Kirstie]

I seem to have had such bad luck my my girls in the last year.

I've had 3 chickens on separate occasions that I've found dead - nothing I can see that has happened so had assumed they had heart issue, I've had two look like they had starved themselves (by that I mean when I noticed they were ill(again these were on separate occasions) they were hunched up and not moving around with the other girls and when I picked them up their crops were empty and there was no weight on their breasts- and I couldn't get them eating anything - no porridge, tasty treats etc! I had assumed these two were old being hybrids but they were only 4 or 5 which isn't old. They had got so weak and wobbly we had them put down.

 

I bought some new girls in in September and in October one of my new ones was sitting hunched and not doing anything - empty crop looking very sorry for herself. I took her to the vets (I have done so with the others in the past as well) the first vet said she will prob die and sent me away with nothing but a bill for his time! This was on a Friday! I then fretted all weekend and went in on Monday insisting on antibiotics and treatment for coccidiosis just in case! She miraculously got better after treatment.

 

Yesterday one of my two year olds I noticed was all hunched and keeping herself to herself (please don't think I don't notice them looking ill for a long time because I check them at least twice a day and am quite observant) her crop was full. I gave her some nutridrops to boost her, but this morning she didn't get out of bed. I moved her out of the house but she was very ill, eyes closed, not eating or drinking, when I put some porridge in her mouth she didn't even swallow it or shake her head! I brought her inside and put her on the dogs bed next to the Rayburn where she slept but this evening she past away.

 

I'm so worried I've got something awful going around my flock! Any ideas?

 

I wormed them in September and will worm them again starting tomorrow. They are in a field so it doesn't have grass the length of a lawn but it's not super long - I am concerned it could have been a blockage due to grass (her crop was still full today - not hard more squidgy - but seeing as she didn't get out of bed) I have used cider vinegar in their water and prob will start again. I also use poultry spice I'm their food.

 

Anybody have any clues? Or any other tonic things that may help? I'm planning a walk in run with a concrete base for them now as worried about ground contamination - but with access to free ranging too. Hmmmm my chickens make me feel like an over paranoid mum!

 

Kirstie

[mimi5]

Please let me say how sorry I am that you have encountered these difficulties. I have only been keeping chickens myself for just a little over 2 years now and have also suffered sad and sometimes sudden loses. I have learned a lot about chicken husbandry and also the basic truth that sometimes despite all our best efforts chickens die It's obvious that you care for your hens and are doing your best!!!

 

I have lost hens and 2 cockerels to a mixture of things, like an impacted crop, myco, Mareks and some mystery unknown illnesses!! I felt like you do now, but a good friend of mine reminded that I totally try my best to give my girls a good life and should take heart from this

 

My best advice is give a good feed and use supplements as and when (ie nutri -drops when off colour, a tonic when moulting etc) Handle you girls as regularly as you can to keep an eye on the weight and their crop (full and empty) Use a good ground sanitizer in their run (I do this every 1-2 weeks) and let them free range safely when you can....it really does enrich their lives If you have a supportive vet that can be a great help in times of illness. Also REALLY watch your hens behaviour daily if you can...I know it's hard, but hens hide illness till they can't, by which time it's often too late

 

This time of the year is really difficult for chicken keepers I find that I hardly see my girls in daylight hours as I work 8-7, 3-4 days per week Bad weather and mud mean little or no free ranging too!!! But also please remember that there are alot of experienced chickens here on this forum who can help!! I know because they have helped me

 

I'm not sure if I will add to my flock, but I am determined to keep the 6 I now have a well as I can to have a long and healthy lives as possible!!! I have a poorly girl in my kitchen as of today!! She nearly died earlier this year and survived with TLC and help from my supportive vet She has only laid soft shelled eggs since but is a sweetie and I hatched her last spring under my hen Molly (my only original hen!)

 

Best wishes and let us know how you girls go!

[miller30]

Hi please try not to let this get you down where theres livestock theres deadstock easier said than done I know you sound like you are looking after them great some people can just have a run of badluck I have in the past you will hear people have had chickens for years and had no problems but then some have had nothing but ill chickens that die . I wouldn't bother getting any new girls now until the spring or when the weather decides to get better also if your pen has gone a bit muddy I would sprinkle some stalosan-f on it great for smells and bugs and germs leanne

[Olly]

With respect, four years old is an advanced age for a hybrid - while I had a Speckledy who lived to the age of six or seven , most of my other hybrids have not made it much past two years old. If you had some sort of infectious problem in your flock, you'd have more than one hen sick at one time.

 

I think your first two hens probably died of old age - well done on nursing the sick hen back to health in October. I'm sorry you lost a hen just before Christmas, but my guess would be that she too had just reached the end of her natural span. As Leanne has so aptly put it - 'where there's livestock, there's dead stock' - hens are not the most robust of creatures. I don't think you're doing anything wrong,

[libby22]

You sound like a very caring person who works hard to look after her girls and has just suffered some real bad luck. That is the thing with these chickens - you can go ages with utter peace and quiet and then it all goes pear shaped and keeps doing so until you think it is something you have done.

 

As for 4 -5 years - wow Totally impressed there - hope mine last that long.

[Kirstie]

Thank you for all your lovely messages.

 

I know it's prob a run of bad luck as they are dying really randomly but it does worry me when I've had so many die recently.

 

I've just ordered some more ACV and some ground sanitiser and I'm worming them all (again!) so I'm covering what I can. And I still want a walk in run! We are lucky as we have a field that I move them around so they don't get too muddy but I'd love them to have a permanent run that's pretty dry so they can do more then huddle together on miserable days! But still be able to free range on dry days. One day - sigh!

 

Some days I feel it's easier looking after children then chickens!

[debbiedoobs]

I can completely relate to this, I lost one of our little silkies only 2 weeks ago and it's heart braking. After treatment for egg peritonitis not working followed by an X-ray and blood tests we had to put her to sleep as she could no longer walk. We have lost 3 in 8 months and are feeling the same as you, we are currently waiting for blood results for Mareks. We got up on Christmas Day to another walking with a little limp, it was constantly on my mind so decided to get drunk and hope it'd be better the day after, lol. Hopefully seen as she was running around with the other girls today she is ok. I've read somewhere something about the rickets diet for chickens is supposed to be good but not sure if it works. Really hope you have some better look in the future x