Mystery Chick

A puzzle was handed to me yesterday.  Her name is Rocky as she is a Plymouth White Rock hen.  Her owners are first-time flocksters. A flockster is someone who really enjoys raising chickens.   We have had several phone calls and visits about this hen this summer.  It started in hot weather when their other two pullets started feather picking and soon Rocky’s bottom was devoid of feathers.  I met them in a parking lot so I could examine their bird following a chicken seminar I was teaching.  I gave them some suggestions and, for a while, they worked. But then the problem of “bare butt no feathers” returned. I did a home visit and was able to identify several issues that helped alleviate the problem for a season.  Then they found a “tumor” on her chest and she was still not laying eggs. They were anxious to give their hen the best of care so they made the drive out to our homestead.  She is a beautiful bird and it is obvious that she was very well cared for.

By a process of elimination, you can usually figure out what is ailing your bird. 

The first thing I did was move her to an isolation cage.  I swept the area where I would place the cage so that it was clear of debris and fecal material from other birds as I need to be able to “read the poops” produced by Rocky.  You can tell volumes about the health of a chicken by looking (reading) their droppings.  The color, fluid content, odor, and structure can all tell you something about the health of the chicken.

Next I did a thorough exam of the bird.  I checked her crop and yes, that was the suspected tumor.  Many flocksters get into a panic over that large squishy growth on the chicken’s chest which turns out to be a full crop. I know I did.  Rocky’s crop was full last night and I gently massaged it, checking for sour crop. You open the bird’s mouth and sniff. If there’s a gross smell – it’s sour crop.  I gave her fresh water but no food. In the morning the crop was greatly reduced in size.  I moved her this morning to an outdoor isolation coop where she can benefit from the company of other birds as I know that she is not contagious.

Please use caution and if you have any hint that a bird might be contagious house them in an isolation cage far enough away from your flock so that nothing air borne can travel to your healthy birds.  Always care for sick birds last that way you are headed to the house to wash your hands with less threat to the rest.

Here’s the mystery. She is clear eyed. She has no rattles or other signs of any respiratory infections. Her vent is moist. She is active and drinking well.  No gait issues or any other signs of impactions such as drainage from the vent.  The feathers around her vent are gone and she has not lain an egg in days. She is slightly over-weight but has been fed top-of-the-line 16% pellet so probably no vitamin deficiencies.  She is free of all sign of mites or lice. The first day she was here, she laid an egg!  On day three, she lays another egg but on the wire of the cage.  It is very thin shelled so it breaks and falls to the lower level of the coop.  I examine it and add oyster shell to her feed mix.

It’s important that I go out and spend time watching her.  Is she huddled in a corner of the cage?  Is she constantly picking and grooming her vent area?  Is she gasping for air?  How active is she?  Is she trying to interact with her new surroundings?  Is she pooping and how does the poop appear?

Can you venture a guess on what is wrong with Rocky?

I have a pretty good idea.  I will give her some time to adjust to the new home and then treat her for what I think the problem is.  I will monitor her crop daily but I think that issue has been resolved, we will see.

I will start feeding her a soft diet of cooked eggs and yogurt to help the crop issue. I add black pepper as a vitamin boost.  She didn’t lay an egg on day two but she did get out and about with the flock for a few minutes today.  I am trying to reduce her stress levels.  I will give you can update on Rocky next month.  If you have any suggestions feel free to leave me a comment.  I would love to hear from you. Be thankful, it’s important! Anne