Hi this is my first post and am after some advise, I have a RIR hen who is roughly 2yrs old, we rescued her 3mths ago along with 4 others, the are all ex free range layers. She has always looked poorer than the others not as shiny, pale looking and recently has lost a lôt of weight. Thursday evening she was puffed up, eyes closed and not happy, we have since put her in the hatchery under the heat lamp, she is drinking and eating but not an awful lot but is looking brighter but still not right. She was laying but stopped a few weeks ago, not egg bound, mites etc there was an egg without the shell laye 2 weeks ago but have no idea if from her or not? All others seem fine?! Any ideas or anything I can give her to try and perk her up a bit or any weight gaining food I can give her? Thanks
Hi I'm new and have a poorly chook!!
- Thread starter Dutchess
- Start date
have you wormed them if not then try that first flubnevet is the best one to use but its also better to do the whole flock it will be a 7 day course, with her being quiet and puffed up it culd be anything is there any other syptoms ? like wheezing or sneezing or bubbly eyes , also check her for sourcrop i have had a few go all quiet and puffed up and next thing as i pick them up loads of yuk comes out thier mouths .
Hi thanks for replying, they have all been wormed with flubenvet 1% last month, no sour crop either, she is brighter in herself I'm thinking maybe she has gotten wet and Cold in this weather and with her being so thin has made her like this, still have no idea why she is so under weight though! Thanks
this weather is enough to make anyone or anything poorly they only need to get a slight chill i dont know what esle to suggest but to keep her comfy someone esle should be along and give you some more ideas .
p.s welcome to the forum
17
p.s welcome to the forum
17
chrismahon
Well-known member
Try an extra feeder Duchess. She may be being bullied off the feed. We had a Wyandotte went like that and an extra feeder got her eating again. She has now put a lot of weight on, her confidence has improved and the second feeder can come out really.
Hi Dutchess, and welcome to the Forum. I'm sorry to hear about your poorly hen. She may just be beyond laying because worn out - commercial hybrid layers do sometimes come to the end of their productive life much sooner than you expect, for a variety of reasons. It's quite likely that the soft-shelled egg was hers and that she has now given up on laying. She may have internal problems connected with her laying history which are making her feel poorly. Since she is a rescue hen, you can never know what she has been through, but you do know she is of the age where commercially she would have been culled because her best laying days were over. If you know the problem isn't worms or infestation, and if her breathing seems OK and her eyes are not bubbly and you don't think she has a chest infection, there's probably not much you can do except make sure she has shelter from rain and wind and is offered nourishing food, perhaps away from the others so she can eat in peace if she wants to. If you remove her from the others to more comfortable surroundings, she will like it at the time, but may have problems if they bully her on her return. The symptoms you describe do suggest she is in decline, and at her age, and with her history, you will just have to make her as comfortable as you can and see how it goes.
