The last two days there has been one chicken that's apparently passing blood in the night...rather than bloody poo it looks more like blood with poo in it.
I don't know which chicken it is yet, so I can't tell you how she's acting.
I have 13 pullets between 5 and 6 months old, and one rooster. I'm assuming it's not the rooster. Since these girls are all just coming into lay, my guess is that one of them has what could be delicately called a "female problem". They seem too old for coccidiosis, right? They've been free-ranging since they were about 6 weeks old.
We did have one pullet late last week who spent some time each day sitting around fluffed, tail down, etc. We figured she might have eaten something that didn't agree with her or was practicing for egglaying, and kept an eye on her. After about a day and a half, she quit and is now running around just like everyone else. We don't know if she's laying yet. She's my best guess at the culprit.
The chickens free range all day, and coop at night. Coop is bedded in pine shavings, with roosts where they all sleep. No change in environment.
They eat Purina Layena pellets, recently switched from Country Acres layer crumbles (they wasted too much of the crumbles). They do get some treats...millet/sunflower seeds every few days, plus whatever they want to pick out of the kitchen compost scraps when I bring them out.
They all look good to me, clear eyes, red (or reddening) combs, good feathers, not weak...
We will check all their bums tonight when we put them away, but I'd like to pick up meds while I'm in town at work if meds are needed.
Any thoughts? Thanks!
I don't know which chicken it is yet, so I can't tell you how she's acting.
I have 13 pullets between 5 and 6 months old, and one rooster. I'm assuming it's not the rooster. Since these girls are all just coming into lay, my guess is that one of them has what could be delicately called a "female problem". They seem too old for coccidiosis, right? They've been free-ranging since they were about 6 weeks old.
We did have one pullet late last week who spent some time each day sitting around fluffed, tail down, etc. We figured she might have eaten something that didn't agree with her or was practicing for egglaying, and kept an eye on her. After about a day and a half, she quit and is now running around just like everyone else. We don't know if she's laying yet. She's my best guess at the culprit.
The chickens free range all day, and coop at night. Coop is bedded in pine shavings, with roosts where they all sleep. No change in environment.
They eat Purina Layena pellets, recently switched from Country Acres layer crumbles (they wasted too much of the crumbles). They do get some treats...millet/sunflower seeds every few days, plus whatever they want to pick out of the kitchen compost scraps when I bring them out.
They all look good to me, clear eyes, red (or reddening) combs, good feathers, not weak...
We will check all their bums tonight when we put them away, but I'd like to pick up meds while I'm in town at work if meds are needed.
Any thoughts? Thanks!
