[Andt]

I went to lock up my hens last night and noticed that one of my blackrocks didn't look right, I thought she may be going to lay and thought no more of it. When I let them out this morning she flew down from her perch and seemed ok, when I locked them up tonight she was standing on her own hunched up.
I walked over and picked her up, checked her crop (which had some food in it) and then put her down. She seemed to lose her balance for a second and then went for a drink, she was walking very slowly and I had to pick her up to put her in their shed. She then went and stood in a corner under the perches.
 
Any suggestions what could be causing this, she lives with 15 other hens and all the rest a fine?

[Beewyched]

Could she be going broody? Has she always gone back to the same nest? If she's eating & drinking ok, but not walking well, has she damaged a leg?
 

[Andt]

Hi Beewyched,
 
Her legs are fine she's just walking really slowly, she's not going to any of the nest boxes, when I locked her up earlier she was just roosting on the floor.

[doganjo]

Think you may find she's gone in a day or so.  Hunched up, not eating/drinking normally usually means they a[size=78%]re ill.[/size]

[Fowlman]

Could be egg bound.

[Beewyched]

Could be egg bound.

Just what I was about to suggest too - how old is she?

[Andt]

Thanks for your comments, she's about 2 years old.

[Andt]

Thought I'd post an update. I let the hens out this morning and when they'd all left I noticed that the ill hen wasn't out, fearing the worst I opened the main door and as I did out she came.
I picked her up and noticed that she'd lost a lot of weight and could feel her keel bone was prominent, I felt for an egg but couldn't feel anything. Then she flapped her wings and jumped out of my hands and went for a drink.
When I got home from work I went straight over to see her and she was standing in the corner on her own, I threw some corn down for the hens and she ambled over and pecked at a few grains.
I thought it best to bring her over to the house and put her in a box I've made for keeping chicks (4'*2') with porridge, corn and water with VermX in it.
She still seems to be very interested in everything going on around her and very alert, the plan is to keep her in the box and see how she goes. Any other suggestions would be really helpful.

[Fowlman]

I think maybe she needs worming, use flubenvet.  Verm-x is about as much use as a chocolate teapot in my opinion.

[chrismahon]

I agree with Fowlman about Vermex, it is simply a discouragement. In fact I was told recently it no longer claims to be a complete wormer on the packaging. Flubenvet every 6 months minimum, 4 months for free ranging. So perhaps that's why she is so light Andt?
 
Must warn you that when worms die they give off toxins. If a hen is too badly wormed the toxins will be sufficient to kill it. So perhaps your stage approach is best. Lose some with Vermex and then go for the Flubenvet.

[Andt]

Thanks Chris and Fowlman.
 
She has been on Verm X for 2 days, I have some Flubenvet coming today. Yesterday I managed to get her to eat some bread dipped in milk and she is drinking a little mile and water mixed with Verm X.
This morning she is still alert but not eating, I will try and syringe something in to her when I get home from work, she is drinking though. Any suggestions of something that will give her some more energy and hopefully kick start her eating. I was thinking of sugar water.
The one thing I have noticed is that when she defecates there is a very strong smell, even though most of it is urine.

[Beewyched]

Hiya
Glad to hear that she's still with you.  The smell may just be the milk going through her.  Have you tried her on chick crumbs? or maybe pestle a bit of her usual food & add a little water if you are helping her to eat.  We haven't used Verm X for ages - so not sure if there is a withdrawel period for it - just before you start on the Flubenvet.

[doganjo]

Try my old remedy of porridge with honey and milk, and some citricidal or poultry spice if you can get it.
Glad she's still around, I had my doubts.

[chrismahon]

No withdrawal for Vermex as it's a herbal remidy Andt. Not sure about the smelly poo but it could be the milk fermenting/rotting -not something they should be given regularly as they are not tolerant to it. Boiled mashed egg in small quantities, and treats like sweetcorn. Until she is eating she can't take the Flubenvet in the correct dose. I have got round this in the past, very successfully with immediate effect, by mixing HALF of the 2g level scoop with 1.2mL of Cod Liver Oil (which is also good for them) or thereabouts. It makes about 2.1 mL of paste and give her a seventh of the resulting paste (0.3 mL per day by my calcs) down the back of the throat before feed. This is based on one level scoop treating 2 Kg of feed which is the feed requirement for two laying hens for a week.

[Andt]

Thanks all for your suggestions. Unfortunately she passed away today, probably for the best as she has just been sitting in 1 spot since yesterday and refusing to stand up unless I lift her. When I have been trying to syringe water and food into het she was getting distressed and was then extremely tired.
 
Thanks again for your help.