SLOW, EATING, GETTING WEAKER

by sandi
(ct)

I have an older hen (4?)She has been acting off for at least a week ......I honestly thought she was just going to pass, but she goes to the feed everyday still slowly pecks for bugs but spends much time laying down and feathers always fluffed. She gets up if I go out with food or treats and drinks.

I have been giving her aureomycin in yogurt for 3 days and nutria drench in water separately....she readily eats all but is getting weaker....tonight I figured I might try a 5 day wormer.
Looking for any advice or info
thank you in advance
Sandi

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by: Anonymous

An update on my chicken.....I ended up having her euthanized and they did an xray post mortum and she had a tumor.
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starstarstarstarstar 		4 YEAR OLD HEN
by: Sharon

You haven't said what breed she is. 4 can be very old for production breeds.

I wouldn't used antibiotics, or wormers unless you know for sure there is an infection or worms. Antibiotics can harm the digestive process for chickens, so should only be given when there is a real need. Wormers also can be hard on them since they are a type of poison, usually given in a dose small enough to harm just the parasites, but something that her body will have to process and clean out of her system. I prefer Diatomaceous Earth for worming. It works naturally by making the gut inhospitable for parasites, scrubbing them out with tiny particles, while giving beneficial trace minerals to the chickens.

If she is a long lived breed and 4 is young, I would try to help her with conditioning feed, vitamins & minerals, greens and fruits. You didn't mention her droppings, or if she is still laying. I might suspect she is egg bound. No droppings would be a sign of that. Her whole body should be checked for signs of external parasites. If any found I would start with the most natural treatments, like a nice warm soapy bath. In her condition she may not be able to tolerate chemicals.

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