WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY HENS, TWO PROBLEMS!

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MrShax

MrShax

In the Brooder
5 Years
Aug 11, 2014
71
4
43
United Kingdom
My Coop
My Coop
OK firstly...................................I have 10 chickens in my flock and one cockerel, recently one of my hens started coughing or sneezing looks like both i suppose, then my little hen has started doing the same so there's now two of them, what could this be?


Secondly............Also the little one is a rare vorwerk chicken which keeps hiding away under the pallets or where ever she finds a place away from the rest of the hens or even worse doesnt come out of the coop and if i get it out it just runs straight back in,, soon as she comes out the rooster is on her every time, he just wont leave her alone i think this is why she hides away and doesnt come out, how do i fix this problem because i want her to feel comfortable with all of them and free range in the yard, every time i look at her she seems scared and worried and it makes me feel horrible and upset, please help.

I will upload a video showing what she is doing so someone can get a better idea of what i mean.

Thanks

MrShax

0.jpg
 
How common is gape worm where you live? I'd check down her throat and see if you see anything, or swab with a Q-Tip and see if you get anything. It looks to me more like she's coughing/gagging on something rather then a respiratory disease but it could be that too.

As for the hen that is hiding from the rooster? The only way to put a stop to that may be to separate him for a while. I had the same problem a while back, my rooster was fixating on one hen and just wouldn't leave her alone. I put him in a bachelor pad for a few weeks and he forgot about his obsession. My poor hen was certainly much happier without him hounding her all day!
 
gape worm is highly likely, its rare here am from the UK, well i think it is as ive been told, ill have a look down her throat tomorrow morning, also what is a Q-Tip? and finally how do i go on about the respiratory disease.

thanks
 
Sorry, Q-Tip is a just a brand of cotton swab.

If it is some kind of respiratory disease it's usually best to treat the sick ones with antibiotic's to help prevent secondary bacterial infections and pneumonia. That is most often what kills the birds rather then the disease itself. It's good if you can get a bird seen by a vet and have some testing done so you know what your dealing with and how best to treat and manage it.
 
A Q-tip is a cotton bud.

For the respiratory problems you need to contact a vet who has some knowledge of chickens, because it is likely that they will need an antibiotic. I have just gone through a similar problem with my flock, and the antibiotics the vet gave me worked wonders - a 5 day course of treatment and it cleared up like magic!
 
ahh ok, so does this mean my hen is going to die? she is only little and the poor thing looks so weak i feel helpless looking at it, when i got it first it was so active i dont know why this has happened all of a sudden! but i think il bee taking to the vets.

thanks for you're advice.
 
Of my flock of 10 hens, one was so bad that I really thought that I might lose her. I had to keep her in the house for 3 days, as she was just too bad to go out with the others, but I made certain that she got the full dosage of the antibiotics by sprinkling it on a treat that she would eat (not in the water). By the 4th day she was desperate to go back out with the flock, and by the 5th day she was almost back to normal.

So don't panic - there is hope for your girl, but you really need to take her to a vet tomorrow and get her checked over so that he can prescribe you the right antibiotics.

(It might also do her some good to keep her isolated for a few days, as it will give her a rest from the rooster!)
 
Last edited:
MrShax said:
ahh ok, so does this mean my hen is going to die? she is only little and the poor thing looks so weak i feel helpless looking at it, when i got it first it was so active i dont know why this has happened all of a sudden! but i think il bee taking to the vets.

thanks for you're advice.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. If she does have some kind of respiratory disease they often get through it just fine if you can get some antibiotic's for them. If it progresses into pneumonia then the prognosis is not so good. A vet who is familiar with poultry would be a great help.

Very pretty bird by the way!
 
well thanks for you're support guys i really appreciate it, i hope she gets well soon, and thank you @cafarmgirl she is a lovely bird very cute, i will be taking her to the vet tomorrow morning thanks guys.
 

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