my 14month old hen has stopped laying and has swollen wattles

Question

I have a 14 month old plymouth rock hen, that has recently stopped laying. She has developed a pale, drooping comb, and her wattles have become pale and swollen as well as the area under her chin between them. She is also rather lathargic, and seems to struggle to find her balance, and seems to go to sleep  stood up in the run. Her tail feathers are drooped, and her stools are quite runny. She also shakes her head alot. She is still eating and drinking, but not as much as before. Have you come across these symptoms before? thanks in advance

Answer 1

Hello, the fact she has recently stopped laying maybe in connection with her other symptoms. We would advise you check your hen and the house for signs of red mite. A bad infestation will cause pale comb and wattles and can even lead to death if left untreated. Click here to check out our range of treatments.

If you can see no sign of mites then your bird may be suffering from an infection and our best advice would be take her to your nearest vet. Please let us know how you get on.

Best wishes

Chicken Vet

Comments

Thanks for the advice, but im afraid she died not long after i had asked the question. There is no sign of redmite, and all the others seem fine so im putting this one down to an isolated infection.

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Hello we are sorry to hear your hen died, like you say she was obviously suffering with some other illness. Keep an eye on the rest of the birds and seek veterinary advice quickly if they start to present with any abormal signs or symptoms.