The Poultry Keeper

Liverpool FC · Joined: 14 May 2006 Posts: 7

We have 8 ex-factory hens, and have had them for about a year and all of them are happy except one.
The ill(?) hens eye around the pupil is bright red, whilst all the others have an orange/yellow eye. It is very fluffed up and looks very miserable and for the past few days it hasn't been coming outside to eat with all the other hens, it just sits in the hen house. Its crown has shrunk drastically in size. It has not been interested in chick-weed, which all the others love, and it used to like it too. Confused

I managed to get it to eat some pellets, but when it pecked at the food, it sometimes missed it and pecked into the air about an inch away from the food...?

Does anyone have any ideas? Question

Liverpool FC · Joined: 14 May 2006 Posts: 7

*sorry i meant comb not crown ... Confused

CP · Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 12:45 pm Post subject:

Sorry to hear about your hen. Sad

Is it just 1 eye that's affected? If so, could it be some kind of injury? Maybe one of the other girls has pecked her.

The only thing I can think of is to bathe the eye gently with a very mild saline solution. Golden eye ointment (for humans - Boots sell it) is also good for eye problems.

Other than that, you may need a trip to the vet. Wink

Liverpool FC · Joined: 14 May 2006 Posts: 7

Both eyes have a red iris, and the rest of the eye is normal. She seems very lethargic and appears puffed up. For a few weeks her comb has been very small and she has appeared fatter than the other hens but until a few days ago she was still going outside. Since then she has stayed in her coop where she has water and is fed. We took her out out the coop on her own to try to tempt her with some food and water but she would either peck at it and fail to eat it or just close her eyes.

Thanks.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

I agree with chicken palace, I think you should take her to the vets. If it's both eyes, it's likely to be an illness as opposed to an accident

Liverpool FC · Joined: 14 May 2006 Posts: 7

Thanks for your help
We took her to the vet and they said her crop and 'belly' were very hard and offered to look for a solution by having an x-ray, and clearing out her crop, but it would have been quite expensive so we had her put to sleep. Sad

(It wasn't my choice it was my dad's because i am only 14... (and my dad has a bit of a problem about spending money Evil or Very Mad

) )

Thanks again for your help

CP · Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 8:13 pm Post subject:

Don't be too hard on your Dad LiverpoolFC.

Chickens tend to hide their illness, so by the time you notice something wrong, it may already be too late to save them. Sad

It's a shame you never had a diagnosis though as it may have been useful to know in the future. Wink

So sorry.

Bhindi · Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 11:14 pm Post subject:

Sorry to hear of your loss, you can take some comfort in knowing her discomfort has ended, and that you've been able to give her a better quality life than before she met you.

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7367 Location: isle of lewis

i'm sorry about your hen ,but you showed that you cared and loved her which is the main thing
,and i'm sure she had a lovely year with you

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

So sorry about the outcome with your hen, but as has been said, usually you're a long way down the line by the time you see an illness in a chicken. You could have gone to the expense of the x-ray and whatever the vet could have done and she could still have died at the end of it, as there was no clear diagnosis.
Don't beat up yourself or your dad ~ it happens with chickens, we can't save them all no matter how much we want to

Nursie · Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 162

Liverpool, don't be cross with your dad. Like the others have said, hens are very good at hiding their problems until it is too late.

I recently lost a hen despite the best efforts of my vet - sometimes it is better to admit defeat sooner rather than later.

At least she is not suffering anymore and you did your very best for her.