PICS ADDED!!! I posted a few weeks ago that one of my 3 hens died - actually she was near-death and was euthanized by our vet. I came home from a short vacation to find her listless and laying in a pile of diarrhea. I brought in a poo sample for the vet to test for worms since she was incredibly skinny (yes, I feel bad that I didn't notice but she was still very 'fluffy'). The vet said negative for worms, but treat the remaining 2 hens for coccidia, which I did using Corid in their water for days. I now only have a BO and a BR left.
They're both 3 years old and haven't layed in about 3-4 months
The BR looks healthy with a bright red full comb and wattles, although she is still skinnier than she should be. They're eating layer pellets and treats fine. The BO doesn't look as good as she should. Her comb and wattles are light pink and much smaller than they used to be. Today I inspected her for mites - nothing. I looked at her vent and it's a mess. It's smelly and all the feathers around it have smelly wet poop on them. She's also much skinnier than she should be.
What on earth can I do?? I'm currently paying to have a new coop built for them (should be ready by Friday), but now I worry that they're ill and I'm too clueless to figure out what it is. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? I'm about a mile past desperate at this point. I honestly am just out of ideas. No worms, no mites, treated for coccidia..... I just don't know what to do I really don't want them to die
PICS ADDED Here you can see her very small light pink comb and wattle
Following are several pics of vent area. You can see that the feathers around it are wet (and smelly) but the vent appears ok?
Anyway, you can see the wet poop all over her feathers around her vent. Ideas for me? We go out of town for a week on Monday I assume I should give her a bath before I leave.... but how can i 'fix' her?
Edited to add this:
1) What type of bird , age and weight - BO, age 3, feels skinny along keel bone.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.- Behaving OK, but smelly wet poo on feathers around vent. Comb and wattle are not full and right, but are small and pink.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? a few weeks, but more obvious the past few days.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? My BR seems to be OK. My EE died about 2 weeks ago.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. - No, just the smelly, poopy vent.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. - Had poo checked by vet. Said not worms, but to treat for coccidia, which i did last week for 5 days with Corid.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. - seems to be eating and drinking normally. Neither hen has layed in about 3-4 months.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. - poop looks pretty normal I guess? no blood in it.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Corid for a week 5 days ago to both hens. BR seems better. BO does not.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? I'm going on vacation for a week and do't want to come home to a dead hen
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. - pics above.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use - coop with attached run. Straw in coop and honestly it's hot and wet in there bc they have a hot-weather coop due to FL summers. Problem is, it rains in the open hardwire cloth. New coop is being built by a carpenter and will be picked up on Friday!!!!! Will use pine shavings inside and it's totally waterproof and will be a much better environment for them. I realize that the coop isn't helping things, but the new drier coop should help - if they last long enough to move over to it.
*****NEW PICS ADDED POST 4*********
They're both 3 years old and haven't layed in about 3-4 months
The BR looks healthy with a bright red full comb and wattles, although she is still skinnier than she should be. They're eating layer pellets and treats fine. The BO doesn't look as good as she should. Her comb and wattles are light pink and much smaller than they used to be. Today I inspected her for mites - nothing. I looked at her vent and it's a mess. It's smelly and all the feathers around it have smelly wet poop on them. She's also much skinnier than she should be.What on earth can I do?? I'm currently paying to have a new coop built for them (should be ready by Friday), but now I worry that they're ill and I'm too clueless to figure out what it is. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? I'm about a mile past desperate at this point. I honestly am just out of ideas. No worms, no mites, treated for coccidia..... I just don't know what to do
I really don't want them to die
PICS ADDED Here you can see her very small light pink comb and wattle
Following are several pics of vent area. You can see that the feathers around it are wet (and smelly) but the vent appears ok?
Anyway, you can see the wet poop all over her feathers around her vent. Ideas for me? We go out of town for a week on Monday
I assume I should give her a bath before I leave.... but how can i 'fix' her?Edited to add this:
1) What type of bird , age and weight - BO, age 3, feels skinny along keel bone.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.- Behaving OK, but smelly wet poo on feathers around vent. Comb and wattle are not full and right, but are small and pink.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? a few weeks, but more obvious the past few days.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? My BR seems to be OK. My EE died about 2 weeks ago.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. - No, just the smelly, poopy vent.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. - Had poo checked by vet. Said not worms, but to treat for coccidia, which i did last week for 5 days with Corid.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. - seems to be eating and drinking normally. Neither hen has layed in about 3-4 months.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. - poop looks pretty normal I guess? no blood in it.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Corid for a week 5 days ago to both hens. BR seems better. BO does not.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? I'm going on vacation for a week and do't want to come home to a dead hen
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. - pics above.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use - coop with attached run. Straw in coop and honestly it's hot and wet in there bc they have a hot-weather coop due to FL summers. Problem is, it rains in the open hardwire cloth. New coop is being built by a carpenter and will be picked up on Friday!!!!! Will use pine shavings inside and it's totally waterproof and will be a much better environment for them. I realize that the coop isn't helping things, but the new drier coop should help - if they last long enough to move over to it.
*****NEW PICS ADDED POST 4*********
Last edited:
