hi,i have a hen started lose weight slow,now she is skin and bones,the other chickens are not effected,she eats and drinks and still lose weight,gave her tylan 50,and at the last i gave her valbazen,dont know what to do now,she is dieing slow,i never catch her poop on the ground,can anyone help my with this? thanks
loss of weight
- Thread starter swamperkk
- Start date
Has she been wormed with Flubenvet in the past 4 months? A heavy worm burden will pull a hen down and make her less able to resist any other health problems she may have.
It may be that she has some kind of internal growth, in which case nobody on here could advise you, especially without seeing the bird. I think that the best thing would be to take her to the vet, although by the time a hen has got to the stage you describe, she' may be too far gone to help and culling her would be the kindest option, sorry. I really don't think that its a good idea to give her antibiotics without the advice of a vet, you're just shooting in the dark if you do this, and anyway its illegal in the UK for anyone other than a vet to dispense antibiotics to a particular animal.
It may be that she has some kind of internal growth, in which case nobody on here could advise you, especially without seeing the bird. I think that the best thing would be to take her to the vet, although by the time a hen has got to the stage you describe, she' may be too far gone to help and culling her would be the kindest option, sorry. I really don't think that its a good idea to give her antibiotics without the advice of a vet, you're just shooting in the dark if you do this, and anyway its illegal in the UK for anyone other than a vet to dispense antibiotics to a particular animal.
chrismahon
Well-known member
You need to isolate her Swamperkk and check her eating and poos and for lice and mites. As Marigold says it could be a chronic worm burden. Unfortunately when it gets very heavy she could die from the wormer because of the toxins given off by the dying worms. Giving antibiotics is counter -productive without good reason. They kill the gut flora and stop the bird digesting properly, which is the last thing you need at the moment -restricting her nutrient intake.
Feed. You mix it in with their pellets or dry mash, and its worth doing 2 or 3 times per year, just to make sure you're not getting a worm problem. Mix it up with feed for all of 'em, it'll do no harm.
May I ask, how old is she?
As things are, I'd either seek veterinary advice (if she is otherwise young and strong) or euthanise (if she's an older bird and putting her through treatment will prolong suffering). Dying slowly is the part that bothers me about your description - thats not fair on her, so either seek help (steroid treatment to put weight on alongside some antibiotics is a likely treatment from the vet) or neck her
May I also ask, any other symptoms? Lethargic? Bad smells?
May I ask, how old is she?
As things are, I'd either seek veterinary advice (if she is otherwise young and strong) or euthanise (if she's an older bird and putting her through treatment will prolong suffering). Dying slowly is the part that bothers me about your description - thats not fair on her, so either seek help (steroid treatment to put weight on alongside some antibiotics is a likely treatment from the vet) or neck her
May I also ask, any other symptoms? Lethargic? Bad smells?
If you haven't used .Flubenvet so far, then you should give all your hens a course as soon as possible because all of them will need it, even if apparently healthy. and thereafter treat them all every 4-6 months. Its easy to administer, just add a measured amount to a weighed quantity of pellets, using the measure provided in the packet, and then feed only these treated pellets for seven days. Don't give anything else, so each hen will eat the full dose she needs according you her weight and appetite. A pot of Flubenvet treats 20 birds so will last more than one time if you have fewer than 20. You can buy it online and there's no egg withdrawal problems.
Unfortunately it may be too late for your poorly hen. I agree with Chris and Cab that you should either take her to the vet if she is very special to you, (though this may be a costly way to find out that nothing can be done to save her,) or cull her, especially if she is an older bird.
All hens get worms and their health and productivity depend on your controlling them. See this article in Poultrykeeper for more information on worming http://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/worming-chickens
Also, please read this article, about using antibiotics on chickens.
http://poultrykeeper.com/poultry-medication/antibiotic-use-in-back-yard-poultry
Unfortunately it may be too late for your poorly hen. I agree with Chris and Cab that you should either take her to the vet if she is very special to you, (though this may be a costly way to find out that nothing can be done to save her,) or cull her, especially if she is an older bird.
All hens get worms and their health and productivity depend on your controlling them. See this article in Poultrykeeper for more information on worming http://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/worming-chickens
Also, please read this article, about using antibiotics on chickens.
http://poultrykeeper.com/poultry-medication/antibiotic-use-in-back-yard-poultry
Sorry we couldn't have been more help. I looked back through your posts and now remember you're in Louisiana, USA. I don't know what is the licensed worming drug for poultry over there, but there must be one even if it's called something different. Have you tried finding Flubenvet online, eg on Amazon for USA? Or maybe try an American chicken forum for advice?
As I said, it would be good if you could treat all your flock regularly with an appropriate product to keep the worms under control. Don't rely on herbal remedies, they won't do the job.
As I said, it would be good if you could treat all your flock regularly with an appropriate product to keep the worms under control. Don't rely on herbal remedies, they won't do the job.
