[demonfarmer2630]

One of my chickens has been loosening weight and falls over a lot need some one near who could have a look and or show me how to check if she is egg bound or something else I'm in kennoway fife and really need some one to help please if you can pm me ASAP thank you free tea or coffee for any helper

[Torrin37]

Sorry, I'm not close enough to help, just wanted to wish her well.

Don't know what to suggest except a couple of checks I would do straight away. Feel her crop to check its not hard and check her for mites - especially round her fluffy knickers.  Have you wormed her? Is she eating and still loosing weight or is she not eating? Is there another hen keeping her away from the food?

Apologies if you know all this, don't know how much experience you have

[in the hills]

Sorry too far to help, as well.


Same as previous poster. Have you wormed recently? Check for external parasites both on bird and in case of red mite in the coop.


If they are egg bound, they tend to keep returning to the nest boxes and attempting to lay. They are restless and go in and out  of the coop.


Sounds as though she is weak and don't think this is a normal sign of being egg bound (unless maybe it's been going on for a while and not resolved).

[doganjo]

It's a bit far for me too.  If she hasn't laid for a while try sitting her in warm (not hot) water for a wee while.  Try to smell her breath - could be sour crop.  Quite often by the time a chicken is showing symptoms they're on the way out, but I'm not a hen expert - Rosemary might be able to help but she's a bit too far too.  You need somebody nearer Glenrothes don't you?

[goosepimple]

Does she have a skitty bum?  What are her poos like?  Watery?  I would always try worming with hens - so many things can happen to a hen that can be cured by worming. 
 
You can buy (or just ask for) a small syringe from a chemist shop - put a tinsy bit of Flubanvet or other wormer in a bit of water in a glass and sook it up in the syringe.  Get someone to hold the hen around the shoulders so she doesn't flap.  Just take her head and hold it back as if she were drinking.  Open her beak and syringe in the fluid a wee bit at a time, letting her swallow in between.  That way she will have water so she won't dehydrate and wormer for parasites. 
 
It could be many number of things haunting her and unless your vet is familiar with chickens I wouldn't bother taking her, lots of them don't know much about hens.
 
Keep her in a quiet temporary house by herself as other hens can pick on the weak looking ones.  It may take a couple of weeks and softer food (a mash or something like porridge oats) can be more attractive than hard grain if she is delicate.
 
Good luck, they all deserve a chance which is one of the nice things about being a smallholder, you can take a bit of time with them 

[HesterF]

How old is she? Some of the viruses can cause partial paralysis which would explain the falling over but only likely to affect younger hens. Even if somebody were close enough (not me), there's not much you can see just by an external exam anyway. I lost a lot to avian leukosis which had similar symptoms and the vet (who is brilliant) went with worming and antibiotics first so that's a good place to start. When my first 'breeding' cockerel died, I paid for a post mortem which was inconclusive so it wasn't until samples were sent off for testing that we knew what the cause was. Nothing the vet nor anybody else could have diagnosed without lab tests - and equally nothing that could have been cured 

H

[happygolucky]

I was shocked to find one of mine just died....the only time any have died before they were ex batts and they were from accidents from our ducks...little drake did them in.......I find with chickens they hide being ill so well......hope she gets better soon but like us humans, we all get some funny things wrong

[goosepimple]

Had a Welsummer die today, she's looked pale and ill for a few days and was lying dead by the feeder this evening, just one of those things.  I think sometimes their time has come be it young or old.  I've tampered with hens that looked like they were dying in the past, some lived on, some died but they don't want to be tampered with more than once, you do what you can for them then cross your fingers for them.

[Alicenz]

How is your hen going?  Ive had a similar thing healthy birds losing weight and losing strength and balance, in both roosters and hens, a few years ago now, one every now and then. They were all rescue cases from different places (like the roadside), had plenty feed, no paracites and were free range, shut in at night. So were warm and not stressed at all, so no obvious reason for weight loss. The vet said the most likey cause was maricks (sp?) disease.  Do you have this in Eng? I think the most obvious symptom is the eventual paralysis or weakness of the legs. They stopped eating, is your hen eating?  Good luck for her.

[Marches Farmer]

Marek's disease often progresses to the hen holding a leg and one wing out to the side.  Won't eat and comb goes pale.  Sometimes the iris of the eye goes grey. 

[demonfarmer2630]

There was 2 now there's one had to dispatch her last night she lost too much weight and was all bone no breast meat could feel her whole Brest bone and she was just lieing wheezing as far as the things people have suggested all was fine  no problems just think she gave up other chuck lonley now so trying to get a friend for her if anyone close has one please let me know dosnt have to be young mine is about 5 years old think she misses her sister hoping she will be ok though

[HesterF]

I think Marek's is more likely to affect young birds though which was why I was interested in age. Mine were a few months old but that made Mareks less likely and Avian Leukosis more likely. I guess it's like many viruses - if their immune system is having trouble coping, they're more likely to develop the symptoms of the virus which normally their immune system would have under control. Sorry you've lost her - sounds like there wasn't much to be done  .

H

[goosepimple]

sorry you lost her, these things happen and it's good the other one is ok. 


We have a couple of hens left who are over 7 years old, one is sitting presently, the other (a RIR) goes in and out of problems but for the best part is good and just wanders about quite happy making the most of any sun.


maybe if you advertise in the marketplace section, someone may give you a friend for your girl that's left, they like a pal don't they.


all the best demon.

[demonfarmer2630]

Got a new girl today £2 and she is a pullet can I put her straight in or will the other kill it as I was told today

[in the hills]

Really you should isolate any new birds for around 3 weeks before introducing to your flock .... in case they bring in any disease, infection, parasites.


It would definitely be best to introduce the new bird slowly by putting her in a coop next to your existing pen or wire your coop/run in half. Birds can see but not get at each other and will then accept each other. After a couple of weeks or so you, you can remove the wire and they are usually fine.


They can be quite nasty to new arrivals and do some damage.