Australorp hen

[JudysMuscovy]

Ok, it helps if you don't confuse the issue with photos of other hens at this stage. Maybe make new threads for them. You certainly need to be concerned about the one in the second photo though. She is not well.
Can we see a photo of the one that is the subject of this post.... the one with the swollen bald vent area, so that we can see her general condition and demeanour?

and yes I realize she is not well the second hen.

 

[JudysMuscovy]

Ok, it helps if you don't confuse the issue with photos of other hens at this stage. Maybe make new threads for them. You certainly need to be concerned about the one in the second photo though. She is not well.
Can we see a photo of the one that is the subject of this post.... the one with the swollen bald vent area, so that we can see her general condition and demeanour?

This is the hen with the red butt
She looks happy and her comb and wattles are red

 

[JudysMuscovy]

I just checked her over again and her butt area doesn't look as swollen. Maybe the bath yesterday help and the no pick cream I used I am hoping she is really just molting

 

[rebrascora]

She doesn't look happy to me. She has her head pulled in.... see how her neck feathers are all bunched up and her eye doesn't look focussed....like she is not taking notice of her surrounding. My guess would be that she is in pain. But I'll admit she doesn't look as sick as the other bird.

 

[JudysMuscovy]

She doesn't look happy to me. She has her head pulled in.... see how her neck feathers are all bunched up and her eye doesn't look focussed....like she is not taking notice of her surrounding. My guess would be that she is in pain. But I'll admit she doesn't look as sick as the other bird.

How do I know if she is in pain? She is eating, drinking, preening herself. I don't know what to do. I will try to keep her comfortable. I don't want to lose any of my flock but I surely can see they are not well. I will make them some electrolytes.
thanks for your help today I do appreciate it. I am just sad and don't want to lose any of them.

 

[CiceroXY]

I just checked her over again and her butt area doesn't look as swollen. Maybe the bath yesterday help and the no pick cream I used I am hoping she is really just molting

She is not well you said right but I think she is not only molting because the moulting doesn't include also irritated skin and swollen butt. There is something more than the moulting. To be honest I think you should call a vet and finally obtain an expert opinion. However I have no experience about this kind of situation but If I were you I would have bought some vitamins to add to her water

 

[JudysMuscovy]

She is not well you said right but I think she is not only molting because the moulting doesn't include also irritated skin and swollen butt. There is something more than the moulting. To be honest I think you should call a vet and finally obtain an expert opinion. However I have no experience about this kind of situation but If I were you I would have bought some vitamins to add to her water

I have some polyvisol baby vitamins can I use that with the electrolytes or just do one or the other?

 

[CiceroXY]

I have some polyvisol baby vitamins can I use that with the electrolytes or just do one or the other?

I don't know because I have never used electrolytes to my chickens.. Let's see what the other breeders say, I'm sorry

 

[rebrascora]

How do I know if she is in pain? She is eating, drinking, preening herself. I don't know what to do. I will try to keep her comfortable. I don't want to lose any of my flock but I surely can see they are not well. I will make them some electrolytes.
thanks for your help today I do appreciate it. I am just sad and don't want to lose any of them.

I do understand. We all want to do the best for our birds and it is not always easy to figure out what is going on and how we can help them. Chickens are very good at hiding illness and pain, so there is no way to know for sure if she is suffering but it is a good sign that she is still eating and preening etc.
Do keep a close eye on her when she is eating because often when they are sick they will pretend to eat, but if you watch closely they either peck and miss or pick up and drop the same piece of food. It is an instinct to act normal as long as possible because the flock will often set upon or run off a bird that is sick in order to safeguard the health of the flock as a whole. Once they are too sick to make the effort to pretend is usually when we notice and often that is too late to help them. So I would say that if she stops eating and stands on her own all hunched up and doesn't struggle when you go to get hold of her, when normally she would be difficult to catch, those are all things that tell you she is very ill. It is also a good idea to regularly monitor her crop and breast area. Her crop should be full at night when she goes to roost and empty on a morning(before she has chance to eat anything). If it stops emptying overnight there is a problem. Similarly, check her body condition by feeling her breast bone. If it feels sharp under the skin she is losing body condition and probably needs to be brought in and given a heat source and extra nutritional feed and more close observation/supervision.

 

[micstrachan]

Part of me is relieved that she is not the hen in the second photo. But now you have two sick hens on your hands. So sorry. Good job coming here to learn and get advice.