# Sick mother hen not eating or drinking :(



## Joseph (Jan 10, 2012)

BYC is down, so I came to this.
My chicken recently hatched out 10 babies and they were all good and fine yesterday, but today I checked on them and the mother has a dull pink comb and wattle and won't eat or drink! I did a bit of research and she might have mites so I put some chicken flea powder on her. She is by herself with her chicks, there are no other hens around. I don't know what to do!


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## kla37 (Jan 10, 2012)

She may be worn out from setting so long and not eating and drinking much.  Give her some honey in her water, and maybe mix some up in some scrambled or hard boiled egg for her so she gets a little burst of energy.  Some vitamins might help too!  (NOT with iron)


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## kla37 (Jan 10, 2012)

*bump*


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## Julienkc (Jan 10, 2012)

How recently did she hatch them? Mine always go into sort of a trance when they are hatching, and won't move for anything for a day or two. I think it's their version of "lockdown". Make sure she has food and water where she can reach it from the nest. Is her comb very pale, and has it been or did it just suddenly turn pale? My broodies are usually silkies, but I had a bo go broody and I'm pretty sure her comb got pale after a few weeks, and stayed that way until she was done with the chicks and laying again.


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## Cynthia12 (Jan 10, 2012)

kla37 said:
			
		

> She may be worn out from setting so long and not eating and drinking much.  Give her some honey in her water, and maybe mix some up in some scrambled or hard boiled egg for her so she gets a little burst of energy.  Some vitamins might help too!  (NOT with iron)


X 2, especially on the part of more protein.   And as someone else down the line here said, sometimes they are more pale for a bit.  I saw one like that at a friends home.  Looked so pitiful. But, she came out of it in a couple of days.


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## artsyrobin (Jan 10, 2012)

i give mine gamebird feed- cuz its higher in protien, try her on some scrambled eggs, yogurt, things she will want to share with the babies


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## HallFamilyPoultry-Jim (Jan 10, 2012)

Get some baby chick vitamin water mix and if neccessary use a baby med dropper to give it to the hen.


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## artsyrobin (Jan 10, 2012)

try dropping some water on her beak, she will instinctively drink it


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## Joseph (Jan 10, 2012)

Julienkc said:
			
		

> How recently did she hatch them? Mine always go into sort of a trance when they are hatching, and won't move for anything for a day or two. I think it's their version of "lockdown". Make sure she has food and water where she can reach it from the nest. Is her comb very pale, and has it been or did it just suddenly turn pale? My broodies are usually silkies, but I had a bo go broody and I'm pretty sure her comb got pale after a few weeks, and stayed that way until she was done with the chicks and laying again.


I only noticed today that she was significantly pale and I tried to feed her and she wouldn't eat, nor would she drink when I offered water. The babies have already hatched, they are about three days old and she still hasn't gotten off the nest, they've all hatched and there are no more eggs under her, there were thirteen eggs altogether and she got ten out of them!


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## Julienkc (Jan 10, 2012)

Joseph said:
			
		

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Mine took around 3 days to get up. If she's not up by morning up her protein like everyone else said, she needs to get up and get the babies food too. They only have enough yolk for a day or 2, then they need to eat and drink. You may need to take them and brood them, for them and momma.


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## Joseph (Jan 10, 2012)

Julienkc said:
			
		

> Joseph said:
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If I have to resort to that, how do I brood them?


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## artsyrobin (Jan 10, 2012)

have you picked her up and checked her vent at all? try changing the litter, and make her stand a few minutes to break out of her broody mind set?


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## kla37 (Jan 10, 2012)

To brood them:  Warmth, about 95 to start with.  Lots of pine shavings (not newspaper, it can cause splayed legs).  Fresh water (they will dirty it up super quick)  and medicated chick starter.  Can put a feather duster in there for them to hide in if you want.  Red lights are best so they fall asleep.  Just don't make it TOO hot, or it'll be bad, real bad.  Good luck!


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## chiknmathvctm (Jan 11, 2012)

I think thoer circulation slows way down while brooding mine did this...I picked her up put her outside in a small 4 x 3 moveable pen with her babies... once you get her off the nest and she "goes" and moves around her color will get better...poly-vi-sol will help to...you can mix up some save-a-chick powder in thier water will help her and the babies...Good luck!


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