Dancingbirder
Chirping
Hi everyone,
This morning I found my 18-week-old Dominique with her cape/neck feathers caked in a light brown, sewage-smelling color. I brought her inside to wipe off her feathers with damp towels, and while she was there she made a strange looking poop. A number of my pullets including this one also have little black dots on their combs that doesn't seem to rub off. Otherwise they are active and normal and their photos didn't match the dry fowl pox pictures online. These are our first chickens so I'm not sure how worried to be.
Also we aren't even sure that this is a pullet
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
- 18 week Dominique, doesn't seem thinner..but maybe? Our other hens are bigger, heavier breeds (Buff Orpington, Columbian Wyandotte)
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
- see above. Not sure if I should worm them? Or is this the beginning of coccidiosis?
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
- black spots on comb started a week ago. A couple others also have very infrequent black spots - wasn't sure if it was just from pecking each other or something to worry about and I read that I can't do anything about fowl pox anyway. I did see watery poops also starting about a week ago but inconsistently so thought it was connected. She (he??) has no other symptoms - I just saw her chasing another hen around the run. Vent and skin all look clear (no mites).
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
- some of my other pullets, also 18 weeks, have black spots on their combs.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
- no
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
- they just started living outside fulltime in their coop as of three weeks ago.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
- definitely drinking, I have to watch more closely to make sure she is eating. I will check her crop this evening when she goes up to roost.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
- yellow, runny, with bubbles see photo.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
- cleaned off her feathers with damp paper towel, blowdried and returned to flock. they also are getting ACV in water 3 days/week.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
- would prefer to treat myself if possible. I do have Corid in the cabinet.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
- I have 5 standards and 1 bantam in a big enclosed, covered run (9x12) with lofted coop. Coop has pine shavings under roosts. Run has mulch + soil. They are being fed starter/grower. No free ranging although we sometimes put them out for a couple hours to mow down weeds/grass that are starting to come up in our yard.
This morning I found my 18-week-old Dominique with her cape/neck feathers caked in a light brown, sewage-smelling color. I brought her inside to wipe off her feathers with damp towels, and while she was there she made a strange looking poop. A number of my pullets including this one also have little black dots on their combs that doesn't seem to rub off. Otherwise they are active and normal and their photos didn't match the dry fowl pox pictures online. These are our first chickens so I'm not sure how worried to be.
Also we aren't even sure that this is a pullet
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
- 18 week Dominique, doesn't seem thinner..but maybe? Our other hens are bigger, heavier breeds (Buff Orpington, Columbian Wyandotte)
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
- see above. Not sure if I should worm them? Or is this the beginning of coccidiosis?
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
- black spots on comb started a week ago. A couple others also have very infrequent black spots - wasn't sure if it was just from pecking each other or something to worry about and I read that I can't do anything about fowl pox anyway. I did see watery poops also starting about a week ago but inconsistently so thought it was connected. She (he??) has no other symptoms - I just saw her chasing another hen around the run. Vent and skin all look clear (no mites).
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
- some of my other pullets, also 18 weeks, have black spots on their combs.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
- no
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
- they just started living outside fulltime in their coop as of three weeks ago.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
- definitely drinking, I have to watch more closely to make sure she is eating. I will check her crop this evening when she goes up to roost.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
- yellow, runny, with bubbles see photo.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
- cleaned off her feathers with damp paper towel, blowdried and returned to flock. they also are getting ACV in water 3 days/week.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
- would prefer to treat myself if possible. I do have Corid in the cabinet.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
- I have 5 standards and 1 bantam in a big enclosed, covered run (9x12) with lofted coop. Coop has pine shavings under roosts. Run has mulch + soil. They are being fed starter/grower. No free ranging although we sometimes put them out for a couple hours to mow down weeds/grass that are starting to come up in our yard.
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