The very first chickens we bought were heritage breed Rose Comb Rhode Island Reds. All adults. At the time, we were just getting into the backyard chicken community and though reading online and in books hadn't quite had a full grasp of what to look for when purchasing chickens. We got our RIRs from a quaint little farm near us and everything was well kept and orderly. One of the hens had no feathers on her butt and the lady told us that she has a problem getting poop stuck in her feathers so every once in a while you just have to clip them off. We thought that a little odd but it seemed a perfectly good explanation...at the time. Now we have 4 adult birds that have never laid an egg in three months and we have noticed that they have severe diarrhea. Shortly after we got the RIRs, we purchased some young pullets and some of them are beginning to show the same symptoms. I took a young bird to the vet and he did a fecal and found worms. I got Panacur and administered for three days last week. They seem to be a little brighter but still with the diarrhea. They eat well and have what I would say is slightly below average activity level. Our rooster doesn't crow and very seldom breeds any of our hens. He is very lethargic and sometimes lays down to eat. He shows very little interest in the hens at all. We are waiting on a call back from the vet but I am anxious to hear some opinions from you very knowledgeable and certainly much more experienced folks on here.
