The day you brought home those daytime - erstwhile biddy seems like only yesterday . So diminutive and cute , they quickly worked their path into your heart . Since that time , you follow them grow up and lay their first eggs . After those first ballock come along , eight years passed and your hen made another change : They entered the creation of senior citizenship .
As a biddy years , she has an increased risk of developing certain procreative disorderliness such as ovarian Crab , egg yolk peritonitis and other deadly generative disorders . However , reproductive disorders are n’t the only health condition age hens face . Arthritis , departure of vision and audience , and a more challenging annual molt are all common consideration for elder chickens .
This article will discuss six of the often overlooked health concern in age hen and how you’re able to help your hens live their best life in their golden age . Note that this article is n’t signify to name , deal or cure any wellness issues in agedhens . If you discover any change in behavior in your older hens , take them to a licensed veterinarian that specialize in domestic fowl .
Arthritis
An orthopedic condition induce joint inflammation , arthritis can affect onetime wimp , causing pain , joint damage and loss of joint affair . Signs that your hen may be suffering from arthritis include :
creaky chickens should be check up on regularly to control that they ’re staying free from extraneous sponger . insect powder may be used to handle infestations , but not all insecticide are legal for use on birds in all state of matter . Some may only be used in the henhouse or surrounding environment . The University of California , Riverside , section of veterinary entomology hosts asearchable databasefor registered insecticides by state that may be helpful in identifying ware you may use .
Another option is providing a food - tier diatomaceous earth dust bath . The most effective way to habituate DE is to mix about 6 cups with about 25 Lebanese pound of washed play sand in a shaping container , such as a swimming pool or cement - mixing bin .
Simply dusting the birds or the environment is not enough . The shuttlecock must dust bath in it and get the DE into their feathering .
If any of youraging henssuffers from arthritis in the legs , softly rub her leg , understructure and toe in between your ovolo and finger’s breadth . Gently massaging her sore legs and feet may provide some relief for her suffer junction and let her to move around less stiffly . Massage your hen each morning before tolerate her out into the streamlet .
Bear in thinker that creaky legs are prone to give out and could have a hen to trigger or fall . Never allow an aged chicken to perch if she is having mobility issues . Removing perches and any tripping obstacles — excluding waterer and feeders — from the coop and run will help oneself to subside the chances of older hen fall .
Never allow your arthritic hen to loose - cooking stove unless forthwith supervised . ( This means that you ’re in good order there with them , not go bad out on function to moderate on them or looking out your window . ) In general , elderly crybaby — specially those suffer from arthritis — can’t move as speedily as younger hen and could more easily become a victim of a predatory animal attack .
Read more : Read more about effect often face by age hens .
Frostbite
On cold winter nights , chickens tuck their heads under their wings to slumber to protect combing and wattle from frostbite . Arthritis in the neck may prevent aging biddy from being able to pucker their heads under a warm wing , leaving combs and wattles discover to cold weather and develop a greater risk of exposure of frostbite .
The ripe way to prevent frostbite is to scratch combs and wattle with some coconut or olive petroleum when temperature dip below 30 degree F. On exceptionally cold nights , consider moving elderly chicken into the service department or cellar . When caparison chickens in a service department , never allow for your car run when they ’re in there and that all doors , windows and drains are right shut or incubate to avoid predatory animal from entering .
The master star sign of frostbite is ale color spots on combs and wattles that will turn inglorious as the skin and infected tissues die .
If you suspect your wimp has frostbite , take them to a licensed veterinarian for discourse , as frostbite can often cause a subaltern infection of sphacelus .
Blindness
As hens age , the chances of them developing cataracts increase , leading to misfortunate vision and often sightlessness . If your crybaby is present one or more of the accompany symptoms , they may be suffering from pitiable eyesight or sightlessness .
Blind chicken ’ pauperism vary a slight from volaille with levelheaded eyesight . Here is a tilt of things to keep in intellect when dealing with unreasoning chicken .
Read more : Supplemental winter goody keep chickens happy and healthy when the weather change state cold .
Hearing Loss
As chickens maturate , their hearing can drop . Deaf chickens usually live normal life . But owners should keep a few precautions in brain .
Molting
A chicken ’s yearly molting is traumatic for each biddy in the flock . But for aging hens , it ’s an super unmanageable clock time . If you have ever picked up your biddy when she is exuviate , you have in all likelihood noticed that she has lose quite a mo of her normal body weight . This is a born part of moulting , as a hen ’s food intake usually decreases during a molt . All the nutrient she does eat is converted into making new feathers .
jr. Gallus gallus ’ higher hormone levels help them to bounce back quickly from the ecdysis and regain exercising weight loss . However , for honest-to-god birds recovering from a moulting is n’t as well-fixed as it was in their unseasoned years . Older hen also seem to feel sickish during a moult and will sometimes even defy to eat .
If your hen stop eating , take her to a veterinary surgeon to make trusted her moulting is the only health concern . Clinical signs include inordinate feather loss .
With a little extra TLC , an older biddy will ordinarily recover from a molting and regain her normal body weight unit . The best manner to facilitate your hen recoup is to feed her high - protein treats and herbs in moderateness during and for several workweek after her molt is nail . High protein treats and herbs include Brassica oleracea italica , peas , wheat berry berries , old - fashioned oat , black soldier aviate larvae , common fennel , parsley and marjoram .
keep off feed loot , corn , alimentary paste and mealworm .
After your biddy has completed her molt and regained her normal body exercising weight , lento reduce her treat inhalation until her dieting is back in sync with the rest of the flock . Adding probiotics daily to your chickens ’ water can also assist all your chickens recover more quickly from their molt .
Loneliness
crybaby are batch creatures who prosper on being with other chickens . From day one , your chicks have work a adhesiveness that will build as they mature . Over the course of their life , most chickens raised together will become inseparable .
lonesomeness often occurs after your mature hen loses her best friend , particularly if she is the lone balance of her original flock . Some elder chickens will bond chop-chop with their untried flock mates , never seeming to leave out a round over the change in their living . Unfortunately , other chickens do not .
Trying to help your hen imprint a bond with the younger members of the fold is the best way to help her get past her loneliness . Oftentimes , you wo n’t need to avail her find a new friend , as young hens in the flock will realize she is alone and start hanging out with her .
Spending excess time with your hen and providing her with superfluous treats or fun mental stimulations can also help your biddy master her loneliness . signboard of loneliness include :
Most of these symptoms can be augury of illness , too . If your biddy is evidence any of these symptom , take her to a commissioned veterinary to ensure she is n’t pallid .
Although maturate hen are more prostrate to health issues than young hens , with some extra vigilance from you , they can still live full and enriched lives .
More Information
No one wants to think about it , but the time will come when we have to say au revoir to our aging hen . If one fall out away peacefully in her nap , you ’re leave behind with the peace of psyche that it was her clip . However , if your volaille is suffering from pain , Cancer the Crab or heart problems , the variety affair to do is to terminate her suffering with humanist mercy killing performed by a licensed vet .
puddle the decisiveness to end your biddy ’s or rooster ’s spirit is never an promiscuous decision to make . But sometimes , it ’s the best matter for your feather friend . Before make this important determination , ask yourself the follow questions .
Roosters years just like hens and are prostrate to the samenonegg - related health issues that are common in backyard hens . Being more prostrate to squabbles than hen , elderly roosters have a peachy risk of exposure of being bullied or even kill by young roosters trying to take over the flock .
To forbid the older Male from being injured , avoid housing them with untried , more belligerent , cock .
This article originally appear in the January / February 2023 military issue ofChickensmagazine .
