17 week old barred rock hens bleeding from vent

[Twobrookschickens]

Hi Folks. Noted two of my girls were splatting pure blood from the vent instead of feces yesterday (Thursday). I isolated them and got amprolumium from vet to treat in case it's coccidiosis. I'm treating the entire small flock of nine hens/two roos and the 15 pullets expected to mature in September. The two girls have been stressed due to roosters coming of age earlier than them and attempting fertilization. On Tuesday this week I isolated the roosters outside so they could not board the girls. On Wednesday I noticed that the girls were too fearful to come off the roost to eat or drink. Upon noting that I fed them watermelon at the roost; next morning fed them water and grain and then put a feeding/watering station on the wall up next to them on the roost but perhaps too late to ward off dehydration. It happened that two of the days in the hen house, it was very hot and humid. I had a fan in the hen house, changed the water frequently and put ice packs in the house to try to cool it. All those things would not benefit these two girls though if they were not drinking during that period. Yesterday I put bread in the medicated water so that they would get meds ASAP and fed some yogurt. This morning I put them by themselves in outdoor "playpen" for their comfort because they love to be outside, and see they are drinking which is good 'cause the water holds the medication, but they are not that interested in eating today. I've just recently put cooked oatmeal with vanilla yogurt in the pen. This is a favorite but they are not that interested in it. Is there anything else I can do or just leave them for now and hope they improve physically and psychologically. Gave the three offending roosters to a friend yesterday and today the rest of the flock seems calmer with the one gentle fellow left with the hens. Any ideas about the bleeding or anything else I should do?

 

[LeezyBeezy]

ouch, no ideas, but it sounds like you are being as proactive as possible. good luck!

 

[Twobrookschickens]

Hi Folks, just to let you know that I contacted my provincial vet who gave me a water additive for cocciodosis just in case that was the case. My girls, although, it was difficult to make them drink; I put bread in the water to get them to take the medicine. And, I treated the rest of the flock at their waterer. My lovely roo; very gentle fellow. He even lets the hens take bread from his beak! Anyway I treated my isolated girls and roo for two weeks, giving them the run of the property, believing that they know what they need. Once the stress of the new birds was gone, the meds took hold and they were comforted with their place in the world, I slowly brought them together with the free range method. My girls are now full grown and laying eggs! They have a special place in Roo's heart - I call him Buff for his buff coloured feather. He is wonderful to his girls. So gentle, so caring and so encouraging. It's been an interesting Study for me in bird behavior. I listened to them and what their needs were, responded and now they are giving me their eggs, trust and love.