NewFLChickenMama
Chirping
Hi Everyone,
I have a 14 month old easter egger, Tilly (Attila the Hen) who has a constant problem with lose poop. I know chickens poop a lot, but what she produces is nothing like the other 5 hens. She varies from watery with little other content, to a watery diarrhea like splash... yes I said splash, cause my girl has -range- when she lets fly. That stuff is under pressure, and you'd better be ready to dodge if she's aimed in your direction! Rarely would one of the specimens have enough 'substance' to have any form at all. She's been like this from the very beginning, and I've tried plenty of suggestions. Pumpkin seeds as a natural dewormer, Durafend Type C medicated feed etc. Yogurt regularly - full fat and plain. She eats like there is no tomorrow, and pretty much lives for the morning grape and evening blueberry snacks. She's on layer feed for the majority of her diet though, with access to crushed egg shells as she wants them.
She drinks so much at once that it will occasionally reappear from her nose, but that's been going on from the beginning too, and doesn't slow her down at all.
The runniness of her poop did cause her flockmates to have far to much interest in her butt (it mats the feathers and I soak her lower half in warm water in a dishpan to loosen it from her feathers- can I say thank you enough to the people that make latex gloves?? I think not!) Her crew did pluck her tush bare and raw- it was fine one morning, and 4 hours later it was a bloody mess. She became a house baby to recuperate after that 6 months ago, and that's allowed me to watch her really closely.
Aside from the feather loss of a light molt, her comb is pale but otherwise she looks good- about half of her butt feathers have grown back- Good for her, more soaking time for me. She goes outside for about half the day on Saturday and Sunday, with her own private section of the run and a little house all her own to keep her safe from her friends. During the week, she really only gets outside time when I get home before dark, so it's an hour or less each day with the shortening daylight.
She's a very solid bird who seems otherwise to be perfectly ok. Eyes are sharp and clear, she cheers the other ladies on loudly and enthusiastically when it's egg song time, and she seems to be in absolutely no distress.
The only other symptom I can report is that she doesn't lay often. Once every 2 weeks perhaps, but that is a more recent development and the timing matches her feather molt. Head feathers only... and they're starting to come back in. She looked a lot like a bird version of Skeletor there for a while! I'm ok with no eggs. She's a pet first. Donating breakfast is just a side benefit from my ladies.
I have not been able to find a vet willing to take a chicken client... can you kind folks give me your thoughts and ideas? Again- she's a pet. As long as she's happy, I don't care if she never lays another egg. I just want her to be healthy, and perhaps be able to safely rejoin the rest of the flock someday.
Thanks for reading and any input you may have to help Tilly.
I have a 14 month old easter egger, Tilly (Attila the Hen) who has a constant problem with lose poop. I know chickens poop a lot, but what she produces is nothing like the other 5 hens. She varies from watery with little other content, to a watery diarrhea like splash... yes I said splash, cause my girl has -range- when she lets fly. That stuff is under pressure, and you'd better be ready to dodge if she's aimed in your direction! Rarely would one of the specimens have enough 'substance' to have any form at all. She's been like this from the very beginning, and I've tried plenty of suggestions. Pumpkin seeds as a natural dewormer, Durafend Type C medicated feed etc. Yogurt regularly - full fat and plain. She eats like there is no tomorrow, and pretty much lives for the morning grape and evening blueberry snacks. She's on layer feed for the majority of her diet though, with access to crushed egg shells as she wants them.
She drinks so much at once that it will occasionally reappear from her nose, but that's been going on from the beginning too, and doesn't slow her down at all.
The runniness of her poop did cause her flockmates to have far to much interest in her butt (it mats the feathers and I soak her lower half in warm water in a dishpan to loosen it from her feathers- can I say thank you enough to the people that make latex gloves?? I think not!) Her crew did pluck her tush bare and raw- it was fine one morning, and 4 hours later it was a bloody mess. She became a house baby to recuperate after that 6 months ago, and that's allowed me to watch her really closely.
Aside from the feather loss of a light molt, her comb is pale but otherwise she looks good- about half of her butt feathers have grown back- Good for her, more soaking time for me. She goes outside for about half the day on Saturday and Sunday, with her own private section of the run and a little house all her own to keep her safe from her friends. During the week, she really only gets outside time when I get home before dark, so it's an hour or less each day with the shortening daylight.
She's a very solid bird who seems otherwise to be perfectly ok. Eyes are sharp and clear, she cheers the other ladies on loudly and enthusiastically when it's egg song time, and she seems to be in absolutely no distress.
The only other symptom I can report is that she doesn't lay often. Once every 2 weeks perhaps, but that is a more recent development and the timing matches her feather molt. Head feathers only... and they're starting to come back in. She looked a lot like a bird version of Skeletor there for a while! I'm ok with no eggs. She's a pet first. Donating breakfast is just a side benefit from my ladies.
I have not been able to find a vet willing to take a chicken client... can you kind folks give me your thoughts and ideas? Again- she's a pet. As long as she's happy, I don't care if she never lays another egg. I just want her to be healthy, and perhaps be able to safely rejoin the rest of the flock someday.
Thanks for reading and any input you may have to help Tilly.
