Hello,
Background - I was given 4 banty hens and a banty rooster from a neighbor last year. They all had lumps on their feet from Scaley Leg Mites and so I have been treating them with foot soaks and a natural oil/ointment to smother the mites and heal their feet. This winter I was trying to be more aggressive and totally clean up their feet, plus two of the hens were limping a lot, so I brought two at a time into the house in a large rabbit/guinea pig cage so I could treat them each night. I didn't want to put them back out in the cold with some feathers possibly wet from the foot soak. I just put one hen whose feet were completely healed back out in the coop and brought this hen in about a week ago. This hen does not have really bad feet, just a lot of raised scales. She also was starting to moult, so that is why I brought her in next, because it was so cold outside. She was always the "lead hen" of the group, very bold, inquisitive, and active. The first few days she was in here she was complaining all the time, constantly scratching in the bedding in the cage, and taking dust baths in it. She was eager for food and apparently totally healthy. She laid an egg about every other day. The other hen that is still in here with her had the worst feet, but they are almost better, and she has been getting more active and I hope to put her back out soon. I especially don't want her to get sick, if Lynette(the sick hen) has something contagious.
1) Banty hen, mixed breed - looks like an Old English Game hen, not sure of age, haven't weighed her.
2) Droopy, lethargic, sits on perch hunched over and closes eyes. Not interested in eating. Runny, clearish watery poo.
3) Only been like this the last 2-3 days. She was acting normal and laid an egg 3 days ago. Was a bit quieter than usual the next day, but perked up for a while to encourage her cage-mate to lay an egg.
4) None of my other bantys are acting this way.
5) No.
6) I really have no idea what could have caused this. She was acting normal and healthy 3 days ago, laid an egg, was scratching bedding and interested in food. The other hen in the cage with her is acting normal. I thought at first it was just because she is moulting, but it seems pretty drastic for that now.
7) She has had the same food as usual - we make a homemade chicken feed with corn, sunflower seeds, and spelt, partly ground and mixed with Fish meal, Nutri-balancer, and kelp. They also get a small amount of whole grain scratch each day. Being inside, I have occasionally given them bits of lettuce and grated carrots from our salads and a few crumbs from our homemade bread or muffins.
8) Her poo has actually been pretty runny ever since she was inside, this morning I watched her poo and it was almost clear liquid with a little black runny part.
9) I haven't really treated her much yet, as I don't know what is wrong. I have been sprinkling a little diatomacious earth (food grade) on their bedding to help with smell, and deter bugs, and they have picked at it and eaten a bit of it, which I know is a natural wormer too. I tried to give her a little diluted Ningxia Red (a superfood nutrient juice) last night and this morning, but she only swallowed a few drops.
10 ) I definitely plan on treating her myself, as much as possible. Don't have the funds for a vet, and would rather treat her naturally anyway.
11) I will try to get a pic up of her later, if you think that would help.
12) See background above - She is in a large rabbit/guinea pig cage with pine bedding, a wood 1x2 angled across the bars for a perch. Chick waterer raised on wood blocks in one corner and small plastic dish with food in other corner.
I hope the description is helpful, and I will be grateful for any suggestions/advice on how to help my chickie!
Thank you,
Charity
Background - I was given 4 banty hens and a banty rooster from a neighbor last year. They all had lumps on their feet from Scaley Leg Mites and so I have been treating them with foot soaks and a natural oil/ointment to smother the mites and heal their feet. This winter I was trying to be more aggressive and totally clean up their feet, plus two of the hens were limping a lot, so I brought two at a time into the house in a large rabbit/guinea pig cage so I could treat them each night. I didn't want to put them back out in the cold with some feathers possibly wet from the foot soak. I just put one hen whose feet were completely healed back out in the coop and brought this hen in about a week ago. This hen does not have really bad feet, just a lot of raised scales. She also was starting to moult, so that is why I brought her in next, because it was so cold outside. She was always the "lead hen" of the group, very bold, inquisitive, and active. The first few days she was in here she was complaining all the time, constantly scratching in the bedding in the cage, and taking dust baths in it. She was eager for food and apparently totally healthy. She laid an egg about every other day. The other hen that is still in here with her had the worst feet, but they are almost better, and she has been getting more active and I hope to put her back out soon. I especially don't want her to get sick, if Lynette(the sick hen) has something contagious.
1) Banty hen, mixed breed - looks like an Old English Game hen, not sure of age, haven't weighed her.
2) Droopy, lethargic, sits on perch hunched over and closes eyes. Not interested in eating. Runny, clearish watery poo.
3) Only been like this the last 2-3 days. She was acting normal and laid an egg 3 days ago. Was a bit quieter than usual the next day, but perked up for a while to encourage her cage-mate to lay an egg.
4) None of my other bantys are acting this way.
5) No.
6) I really have no idea what could have caused this. She was acting normal and healthy 3 days ago, laid an egg, was scratching bedding and interested in food. The other hen in the cage with her is acting normal. I thought at first it was just because she is moulting, but it seems pretty drastic for that now.
7) She has had the same food as usual - we make a homemade chicken feed with corn, sunflower seeds, and spelt, partly ground and mixed with Fish meal, Nutri-balancer, and kelp. They also get a small amount of whole grain scratch each day. Being inside, I have occasionally given them bits of lettuce and grated carrots from our salads and a few crumbs from our homemade bread or muffins.
8) Her poo has actually been pretty runny ever since she was inside, this morning I watched her poo and it was almost clear liquid with a little black runny part.
9) I haven't really treated her much yet, as I don't know what is wrong. I have been sprinkling a little diatomacious earth (food grade) on their bedding to help with smell, and deter bugs, and they have picked at it and eaten a bit of it, which I know is a natural wormer too. I tried to give her a little diluted Ningxia Red (a superfood nutrient juice) last night and this morning, but she only swallowed a few drops.
10 ) I definitely plan on treating her myself, as much as possible. Don't have the funds for a vet, and would rather treat her naturally anyway.
11) I will try to get a pic up of her later, if you think that would help.
12) See background above - She is in a large rabbit/guinea pig cage with pine bedding, a wood 1x2 angled across the bars for a perch. Chick waterer raised on wood blocks in one corner and small plastic dish with food in other corner.
I hope the description is helpful, and I will be grateful for any suggestions/advice on how to help my chickie!
Thank you,
Charity
