Diarrhea

[joshg]

Hi All - I hope one of you many chicken experts can help me understand something. I have a year-old buff orp (part of a flock of four - I raised them all as chicks) that has had runny stool for a few days now. I first noticed that she is missing feathers around her vent and it is somewhat pink and irritated. I have searched this forum and others for several evenings and have not been able to nail down a cause. What I know is this - she seems very normal otherwise (good awareness and energy, appetite is fine, color of comb is normal, laying eggs regularly, and her crop does not seem to be sour nor impacted). I clean her up at night and in the morn, she looks almost like new. Then at the end of the day her vent is again exposed and her feathers messy and stuck together. Her stool does not seem to have any visible worms. The color is fine, just very loose but I know it's not normal since her vent is irritated? Wondering what else I should do as I monitor the situation. Thank you.

-joshg

 

[Judy]

I really don't know. Suspect others do not either or you would have gotten a reply.

Believe I would start with a poop sample to the vet -- I understand this is not expensive -- to check for worms, even though you do not see any. If you are certain she is laying, it does not sound like an internal laying/eggbound type of issue. I guess next question is diet, whether it has changed, could she be eating some toxic plant, like that.

idk -- but at least this bumps your query.

 

[joshg]

ddawn - thanks for your comments. I am pretty much thinking the same thing - taking a sample to the vet. Also thinking of starting the entire flock on ACV (or maybe that would worsen the problem??). I will add to this post if I get to the bottom of this (pun intended).

-joshg

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Have you tried apple cider vinegar in their water? I had no visible worms, tried it anyway and the diarrhea cleared up.....

 

[joshg]

I have WHAT -

Thank you for that comment. I started on the ACV this morning and I'll post the results in a few days.

 

[joshg]

It worked great. After two days of ACV, all symptoms went away. Not sure if it was a cure or not, but I'll continue using it.