My chicken is dying :(

[sorky]

She's had 2 days of frothy yellow poo, which could've been the caecal lining, but not for the second day.

She's been eating/drinking (though how much is difficult to tell). She was normal up until this morning.

She didn't come straight out of the hen house, but was in the nest box, so I thought she might be laying.

Went out 30 minutes later and she had moved to the other nest box.

Left her to it and went back out as I couldn't remember seeing her much and she was collapsed on the hen house floor :(

She was very hot!

Took her to the vets who thinks she has Peritonitis...she's given her 2 antibiotic injections and given her 12 hours

Aside from clipping their wings we haven't handled them at all, waiting until they trust us to get close. She'd lost a lot of weight and I now feel awful that I could've gotten her treatment earlier maybe if I'd picked her up....I'd have noticed the weight loss.

:(

She's dead :(

lost one at Christmas, it's not nice.

what do I do with her?

I dont keep chickens, can you bury her?

I think we will, when the children have gone to bed and the others are roosting.

Have to go get her out of the hen house then :(

Only been chicken-keeping one week!

I knew I was no expert, but a chicken dying in 7 days has to be classed as pretty crap!

Aww so sorry for you. I lost one in March, ended up digging a very deep hole and burying her. Not sure if thats the done thing really, maybe someone else can advise. Hope your others are ok.

If you have only had her a week can you contact your supplier and request a replacement hen? She must have been ill when you got her.

That is pretty quick for a chicken, can you speak to whoever you bought them off? Other chickens might also be poorly.

:(

i agree with the others to check with the seller, and also to get the others to be checked over by the vet.

i would have said, if you'd had them longer, that they are good at hiding their illnesses, but if you've only had them a week, then you must check with the seller etc.

:(

you think I should let them know?

Vet seemed to think it was retained egg yolk which caused Septicaemia. She said the others would be ok.

What do I look out for then?

Well I guess just look out for the odd symtoms that your poor chicken showed, and also the basic things like condition, behaviour, etc. The vet is probably right but it doesn't hurt to let the seller know in case they've suffered something similar and then at least you might know if something's going round.

Seller has had nothing reported. She said it sounds like some kind of infection, given she felt very hot, but agreed it was odd that she felt so thin.

Will keep an eye on the others.

She offered to replace the hen I've lost but I don't want to. I want to keep an eye on the other 3 first.

You get so attached to them very quickly.....maybe we shouldn't have named them.

Haven't told the kids yet :(

On a practical note, make sure the hole is very deep - you don't want her disinterred by a fox.

Sorry sorky :( I've lost a few hens at this stage, and it's never pleasant. If you do bury her (which you're not strictly speaking supposed to, according to DEFRA regs) make sure it's deep and you put something heavy over the grave. I have buried one hen, but two others went to the vets.

Think I'll see what Dh wants to do when he gets in.

Thanks all

Sorry sorky :(

... what bad luck Sorky ... sorry.

Oh Sorky I'm so sorry to hear about your chook :( just because it happened so soon after getting them doesn't mean at all that you did something wrong - sometimes these things just happen. We lost a chick after a week and a half due to cocc so I feel your pain.

I know it's awful, but the recommended way to dispose of a hen is to either double-bag and put in the bin, or burn it on a bonfire. Although I would check with your local council first.

Sending you positive thoughts, think of it this way - you gave her a very happy 7 days :)

Dh is digging a big hole over the allotment atm. He's going to plant a blackberry bush on top :)

Closing the pop-hole tonight was a bit sad but I still have 3 healthy girls, so I'm not being put off. Think I've just been a bit unlucky.

Thanks all for the kind words :)

TBH if you are thinking of getting a replacement hen, do it soon to avoid settling in a new hen into an established group. Just makes it easier for them. Good luck, keeping chooks is fab!