Topic: One of my chickens died :(

[Sparkly]

Not good news; found her in the hut dead this morning :( She was lying on the floor spread out like she had fallen off the perch? Certainly not like she had huddled up in the corner like some animals do when they are going to die? Her crop looks quite big? Could it be that? The symptoms are that she had a bit of a pooey bum for a few days then 2 days ago she started to look lethargic (was normally quite perky). Then she also had a bit of a snotty nose. She has still been eating and drinking. Yesterday she was very slow and I checked her out and it was a bit too easy to pick her up! Any tips on how we could find out what happened? Boooo I am really sad about this. She was a very cute pet! I don't want the others to have the same fate so any help would be great. Everytime I look up symptoms it could be a number of things so not really sure what to do. We have reguarly been putting cider vinegar and garlic granules in her water and they have been given smite powder on them and their food. She was a 22 weeks old white legbar and had not laid any eggs yet.

 :( :( :( :(

[sunloving]

Sorry to hear about your hen it is so worrying becuase they cant tell you whats wrong.

I'm no expert and i would say go onto either the poultry garden or the chicken keeper to talk to them about it.

but as far as i can tell chickens have normal colds like us which clear ususally by themselves and then there are some very serious diseases that have cold like symptoms such as mycoplasma that kill around 80% and within a week.

I would say that if any of your other hens have cold like symptoms then a trip to the vet to get antibiotics may be the only way to be sure. the common ones are tylan and baytril.

My vet is very expensive and ive found that it is cheaper to go and ask for a prescription so that i can buy a big tub of the anti biotics rather than be given  small amount by the vet. I pay £20 for the consult (with the poultry vet) and around £5 for a squirt of baytril or £7 for a prescription for a big tub of tylan which is then around £18 which will allow me to treat any flu like symptoms for the next couple of years.

sorry you had a bad few days with your hens and fingers crossed that no body else is sick and you can move on.

x sunloving

[betula]

So sorry about your chicken,so upsetting .

[beanie3]

Sorry to hear about your chicken.   I remember when my first one passed away and it was so sad - unfortunatly i have got use to it now!  We had our first lot of chickens four years ago and this year all of the first batch we got have passed on.  I am presuming this is just good old age.

I would keep an eye on your other chickens and make sure that none others are showing any symptons.  If they are not i wouldn't overly worry.  I know it doesn't help to finding out what your chicken had though.  You mentioned her crop was big.....if you are concerned about your chickens crop i would give them some maggots (i have done this in the past - the chickens think its great - but the maggots will go down whole and eat any rubbish that is sitting in the crop).

[Morris]

Very sorry about your chicken. :(  It is so upsetting when they die.  Hope your other girls are still fine.

That's a good (if gross  ;) ) tip about the maggots; I must remember that just in case!

[worldor]

If you suspect they have sour crop hold them gently with beak facing down and massage the crop. If loads of foul watery stuff comes out then they have sour crop. Make sure they get enough grit and corn and this shouldn't happen.

[chicken girl]

 :( :( :( im so sorry to hear about your girl i have had the same thinh happen to me fine one day and sadly gone the next xx