Lethargic chook

[Mikey]

One of my flock has been out of sorts for a little while. She stopped laying for a while when she went through moult then started up again with the tiniest little eggs very much like her first egg ( I still have all their first eggs, blown out on a stand). She did this for a week or so then stopped again.

She's been fine in herself up until a day or two ago, she's a little over 3 years old now, and this is the first time that she's gone off laying or had any illness for that matter. I did wonder whether that might be it for her laying, I wasn't sure as she's a hybrid white star bird.

Then the last couple of days she's been very quiet and her partner in crime has been very vocal. She's barely left the enclosure over the last day or two and I've not seen her eat at all, she scratches a bit, but she's very lethargic.

Tonight I took her out and gave her a check over, her underside doesn't have a lot of feathers and what feathers she has around her vent was very matted. I gave her a warm bath to remove the matting and checked inside her vent for broken shell. Her vent is flexing quite a bit but there's nothing coming out.

She's drying herself off at the moment, I've made up a little scrambled egg and given her a small bowl of yoghurt, but she's really not bothered with any of it at all.

Does anyone have any advise as to what could be the problem, I thought she might have had a broken shell but there's no sign of that. The matting around her rear would suggest she's had diarrhea at some point, she's drinking and her eyes are bright and shiny but her comb is a little flatter than usual.

My books are useless at under the weather hens, diseases not a problem but poorly chooks, they are completely rubbish.

To give you some background to her, she's one of 2 hens in an enclosure of about 35sqm. They are on bark mainly but have access to the garden periodically when I'm home. They have layers pellets, dandelions, a little corn as a treat from time to time. Access to oyster shell and fresh water.

I'm pretty religious about cleaning, so there's no sign of bugs in the coop and I replace the bark every 3 months or so.

Any initial thoughts or questions would be appreciated as I'm a bit lost as to what to do really.

[Scarlet]

When did you worm her last? What colour is her poo? You said that her feathers are matted around her vent? Have you checked for lice, I know you've bathed her but sometimes they are not easy to see. It may be something that you can't do anything about time will tell.

All those questions asked, sometimes chickens have a shorter life than expected. Hybrids in particular are bred for egg production, laying eggs every day is exhausting and they live a much shorter life than traditional breeds. Most hybrids live around 4-5years, shorter than this is not uncommon. Traditional breeds last much longer although they don't lay eggs as often.

[Mikey]

They were wormed beginning of April so will be due one again in 6 weeks or so. The matting was predominantly white/cream. Which is a sign of dehydration I think. She is drinking though maybe not enough.

[Scarlet]

It may just be her time
I worm every 3 months as I've kept chickens for years and parasites do build up. Flubenvet (IMO) is the only one that works. If she isn't touching scrambled egg she must be feeling poorly. Is she thin? It may be wise to separate from the other one, if you have room, just in case she does have something contagious though that doesn't seem to be the case at the mo.

[Mikey]

The lack of interest in scrambled egg isn't that much of a surprise they are scared of anything new, and scrambled egg is new to them.

She is a very slight bird anyway, the white star are quite flighty so don't carry a lot of feather or bulk.

[Scarlet]

I only keep traditional breeds and friends that keep "light Sussex" (hybrids) are amazed at the difference in size of my "light Sussex". Their good for the table! Though you should be able to tell if her breastbone is sharp. How about trying meal worms or sultanas?

[Mikey]

The scrambled egg has gone and so has she (to bed) you can feel her breastbone but she has a lot more meat on her than my springer spanial does. I chose her for her white eggs rather than any other reason, she's always been a timid bird and one you had to chase and corner if you wanted to pick her up.

[Mikey]

I've brought the yoghurt in for now, they go loopy for grapes so I'll see if I can tempt her tomorrow with some.

[Scarlet]

Springers need to be lean - Fat springers don't bounce!

[Verinda]

I hope your hen feels much better soon, one of my hens was very droopy recently she had an upset tummy too, but she just picked up again and is fine now. Maybe the same will happen with your hen.

[Mikey]

She's eating a little and moving when its cooler, but she's still quite lack lustre. I tried her with some grapes yesterday and she barely nibbled the egde of one, when she generally throws them down her gullet.

I hope she just needs a bit of time.

[stevie_r]

Sounds like peritonitis to me, I lost one a few weeks ago to it! If she's leaking just white (wee) she's got a blockage, she may be egg bound, if it's both white and dark and smelly it's probably peritonitis, it's sad to say there's not a lot you can do for her, unless she is just bound of course, then you need to use olive oil to help her free the egg? Also a wet warm towel will help, hope she gets through it?

[Scarlet]

If she had been egg bound I think some of the signs would have been noticeable. They can walk funny and their abdomen becomes swollen, you can often feel the egg. Straining the neck as if trying to push the egg out. She hasn't laid for a while and the eggs she had laid were tiny. I'm not sure Mikey has seen any of those signs.

[alifrew]

Poor chucky :-( I also have a white star and she really doesn't like hot weather. Of all my girls, she is the one to be most affected. She also seems to have a dirty behind as a permanent feature but there is nothing wrong with her - she's been checked. I don't know if it's something to do with the breed? Doesn't seem likely but........
I did some reading up on the breeds I had when I first bought them and sadly white stars have one of the shortest life spans. They seem to lay prolifically for about four years and when they stop laying , they seem to just go. I really hope this isn't what's happening to yours. I've had mine for three years now so am watching her v closely. A few of her recent eggs have had wrinkly shells :-(

[Nicos]

Just a thought...
I wonder if she could be in some sort of pain?
That puts most people and animals off their food.
I think you would have noticed if she were limping but do check her feet for bumble foot , if both feet were affected she wouldn't be limping.
Sad to say that another cause of pain and weight loss can be from a tumour .

Is she able to eat the grapes? If so her gullet can't be blocked..which again would cause weight loss.
Keep us updated...fingers crossed she recovers