My hen seems to be missing something in her diet, what could it be?

[Jazkabor]

*very healthy hen, other than she has diarrhea during the laying months that seems to get worse as the summer goes by*

I have a hen that is very healthy when not laying, but gets a dirty bottom as soon as laying begins. It got so bad in the beginning of winter we thought she was a goner. She stopped laying, didn't leave her perch for two days (leaving a large green POOL of diarrhea)and we brought her in to live in the living room for the rest of winter giving her vit/water, and pro biotic in her food.

We free feed purina Layena, and oyster shell, even offering vitamin/electrolytes water in the coop. They get the whole yard all day, and we give a cup of organic 6 grain scratch as a treat "most" days.

I saw this when she first started laying last fall, but thought it was normal until she started not only being dirty but losing feathers. Even saw some blood on her eggs. I was excited to see her start laying last week, thinking she was finally in the clear! Her feathers were all back and her bottom was poofy again! Yeah!

But now a week of laying, (her first eggs were broken at the tip when I collected them). (she is not eating them) Her bottom is dirty again. So I was right in my first assumption that it is when she is laying that something is going on and it is not that she has caught something. We spent a lot of time last year looking up chicken illness' and asking chicken keepers and knowledgeable feed store workers and came up with NOTHING as far as a diagnoses. Though none of them believed me that it was something that came when she started laying.
I have also started giving my hens Kefir, they eggs stopped being broken, but still a dirty bottom.
Any help would be great!!
Thank you!
Oh she is a barred rock, and she just turned one.

 

[LarryPQ]

So I am clear: You are not concerned about weak shells (you can give them oyster shells for this) but are concerned about her pooping while laying?

 

[Erica]

I wonder if she has a weak cloaca or some kind of fistula? A fistula is probably the wrong term... At any rate some kind of failure of the part where the reproductive tract and fecal tract exit the bird.

Both these tracts are separate but each one empties through the vent. If your girl has a problem with the sphincter she may be forcing fecal matter inwards when she lays. However my understanding is this condition is not very common except in high volume layers (like commercial hybrids). Naturally it isn't good as it can lead to an e-coli infection inside the bird.

If it was me I'd force a moult by feeding only wheat for a week or so, to give her system a chance to fight any germs that might have invaded, then see if it returns once she resumes laying. If it does then you might be best off seeking the advice of an avian vet. Unfortunately repeated internal infection isn't good news, whatever the cause...

I hope you get to the bottom of it, one way or another — of course the ideal would be that she recovers for good! Cross fingers for that.

Regards

Erica

 

[Jazkabor]

Quote:
As I said, we are feeding freely oyster shell. At the same time we are having these problems.

No, I am not concerned about pooping while laying. I am concerned that during her laying months she has diarrhea and that last year it got so bad she stopped leaving the perch and had completely WET droppings, stopped eating and drinking, and lost her bottom feathers.
Which is why we brought her inside, where she got better (though she also wasn't laying). What I am thinking is she is missing something in her diet that causes her to get sick when producing eggs. As in her body can not take care of it self and produce eggs.


So I am hoping I can find out what needs to be added to her diet, she is very healthy beyond the diarrhea, and is my kids favorite "pet". I am just trying to stop the diarrhea.

I posted that her first week of eggs were broken in case that meant anything to someone who could help.

 

[Jazkabor]

Quote:
Erica, thanks for posting.


She JUST came out of molt. After being sick she recovered and went into molt. She has now been laying two weeks.

I am not at all sure what you are talking about. Maybe I am not explaining it well. Maybe my response to Laree's other post will make more sense.

 

[carrlr]

I'm going to say it's something other than her diet. Layena has enough ingredients to include enough calcium and manganese to provide strong shells and healthy golden yolks. I would bet there is something internal that's just not right. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

 

[CCourson05]

Quote:
Agreed. Doesn't sound like any deficiency that I know of.

 

[Jazkabor]

I just can't think of anything to do but change feed. I am going to start a less processed feed from a local farmer who tries to use local only, with no fillers and junk.

I am crossing my fingers that the extra dough I have to dish out will be worth it.

Any other suggestions on what to do, would be appreciated.

 

[CCourson05]

You could try bringing her inside a nice air conditioned building, as hens can develop watery poop when the temperature increases excessively... This acts as a method of cooling them off. Also could explain why she is staying in the coop if that is your only shaded area they have to escape the summer/spring sun...

 

[Jazkabor]

Quote:
No she is not staying in the coop. That is what she did last winter at her worst.