4 year old Americauna with a messy rear end

[Gypsi]

I work a lot in spring. A lot. I moved my older birds all to the lot and got some point of lay pullets in late January. Added extra roosts, the run is half a lot, privacy fenced, although I can close the smaller run I usually don't. I closed it for a few days to make sure how many hens were laying. These are older birds. Only the Delaware and the other Ameracauna are laying. Coop is open, everyone goes in to roost at night

I'm not sure if this lady was afraid of the rooster or the older hens or something else going on but when I go out to feed in the morning she comes out from under a bush etc and shows up to eat but she isn't eating much, feces caked to her feathers, she's not keeping herself clean, eyes clear but cheeks don't look as full, comb is red.

Doesn't seem hot like she's broody. I don't think she has laid an egg since the move to the lot, and I'm not sure she was laying before then. She is light, so not full of eggs that won't come out. With avian flu 100 miles away if she doesn't improve she is certainly going to be more vulnerable if it shows up in my area. I though about culling her this morning. I do work a lot, there is no one to do a lot of hand nursing, but I do have a dog crate and a shed, and I could bathe her this morning, and set her up there. Suggestions?

 

[Gypsi]

I can certainly spare the eggs and worm that whole flock. Keep her separate and worm her too. The possibility exists that I should cull the older birds. My young girls are in the back yard coop, I have plenty of chickens, but they are pets. I really wouldn't miss those 2 eggs a day and it would be nice to know all of them are free of parasites. I am cleaning the coop today. I have Wazine 17. I'll have to keep them from drinking out of the ponds for a day but that isn't too hard.

 

[coach723]

Worming is a good idea, see if that helps. If she's not drinking well then she may not take in enough of the Wazine to treat well. A better option for her might be Safeguard or Valbazen, then you can direct dose and know she got the appropriate dose. Also, wazine is only going to treat large roundworm, if there is another parasite present it won't treat it, the Safeguard and Valbazen will treat everything except tapeworm and coccidia. If she's lethargic, sitting fluffed up, not eating and drinking well, then coccidia should be considered also. Anytime birds are moved to new ground they can be exposed to strains they haven't been exposed to before. In addition to the above symptoms they will usually have runny, mucousy or bloody droppings (blood is not present with all strains). Treatment for that would be Corid, and treatment is very safe. You can treat with Corid at the same time as the Safeguard or Valbazen, I would not use the wazine and Corid at the same time as it may put them off the water. If she's low in the pecking order and being picked on, she may be getting kept from feed and water and getting malnourished from that. Those are my initial thoughts.

 

[Gypsi]

I suspect low in the pecking order, for her and another hen, my sexlink/mutt cross who looks like a small buff orpington. I wish I had another run to move them to. The ground they have been moved to is close to desert like, it's my apiary, the birds help control hive beetles.

I will see if the feed store has Safeguard or Valbazen. When I got the Wazine it was all they had but that has been some time ago, and there is a Tractor supply a bit farther down the road. I'm not seeing any bloody droppings, even on my messy girl, just green goo, but not cleaning herself is a big concern. Maybe the quarantine in a crate would be good? And some scrambled eggs with shell bits in them too? Thank you for your reply @coach723

 

[coach723]

Safeguard is often available locally, Valbazen most often has to be ordered on line.

 

[Gypsi]

Safeguard for goats or Valbazen for cattle? Have to go to Tractor supply, feed store has something with garlic in it

 

[Gypsi]

Safeguard pellets, paste or liquid? I'm going to Tractor supply. I can't get Valbazen at least from them, locally

 

[coach723]

Safeguard liquid for goats, or if they don't have that you can use the horse paste, dose is the same. Valbazen is labeled for cattle, I order mine on line. Biggest difference is that you will need to dose the Safeguard 5 days in a row, the Valbazen you can do two doses 10 days apart. They both work well. Safeguard dose is .23 ml per pound of bird weight 5 days in a row (if you knew it was only roundworm you could do 2 doses 10 days apart, the 5 days in a row will get all), the Valbazen dose is .5 ml for a 6 lb bird, 2 doses 10 days apart will treat all (actual math if you want it is bird weight in lbs / 2.2 X 20 /113.6).

 

[Gypsi]

It looks like Walmart has Valbazen in a smaller container online, maybe I should go with that. I am ordering it, I'm just cleaning up the coop today and cleaning up this bird. I don't think anyone is actually wormy, I think she is stressed and I sure am. I work all weekend, Valbazen should arrive Monday.

 

[Gypsi]

My dirty bird after her bath. She really doesn't look sick, vent area isn't pink, I don't see mites, she is just anti-social. going to scramble her an egg in a minute. With shell for seasoning. She had a runny poop but after I cleaned her cage she cleaned up a bowl of scrambled eggs with great enthusiasm.