Had to take my hen to the vet today, still don't know what's wrong with her.

[das Huhnchen]

Holy information overload, Batman! But really, that's what I was hoping for, thank you, Casportpony. Yeah, I haven't wormed anyone with the levamisole hydrochloride. I know worming is hard on them, it's hard on all animals.

I did get some BOSS and whole corn. Thanks for the ratio and amount to feed per bird, Centrarchid, that's going to help a lot. I agree with the lay mash, it gets spread around pretty easily. I don't really want to change their feed, but I might have to. I've also added another container of feed so that they are sure to have enough to get to.

Regarding their living arrangements. Their coop is a custom made 3x5 foot on wheels with an attached 3x8 foot enclosed yard. The coop has an elevated laying area about a foot deep and 3' wide, and an elevated area on the other side about the same size, where they roost and sleep with a few perches inside and a window. It is insulated and lined with shower surround material, bedded well with pine shavings. It was built with the idea of moving it between rows in the garden. Right now, there is not much forage on the ground, we're in the middle of winter and the previous season was drought stricken. We move the hens' tractor every few days. They get out to free range most days for at least an hour.

The hen who no longer appears to be sick, is going stir crazy, but she's tolerating confinement. Our weather is cold and blustery today, I don't want to put her out in the cold today.

 

[centrarchid]

Been there, done that, too. Now I watch my peafowl and turkeys like a hawk and if I notice *any* odd behavior I'll weigh them. If they have lost weight, or haven't gained, I know there is a problem and they get treated accordingly. I'll be honest, I'm not as good about the chickens, but I can usually tell when there is a problem. Unfortunately, I have Marek's in my flock, so I do see a lot of that, but there's nothing I can do for them.

I am playing with a Marek's hen now trying to get long-term survival. Something was wrong sometime before she actually went down. I was primed to watch for it owing to time of year it strikes. Impacted birds usually show subtle signs something is off that make you think they are mildly drunk.

Thread below.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/733001/attempt-to-get-long-term-survival-in-mareks-infected-hen

Second real attempt at this. Previous bird recovered only to be dispatched by neighbor's dog.

 

[centrarchid]

Confining birds protects from predators and elements but can setup so disease issues more intense when activity concentrated over infected ground. I move my confinement units to keep them moving over relatively fresh ground. Worms and cocci I associate with wetter conditions.

 

[casportpony]

I am playing with a Marek's hen now trying to get long-term survival. Something was wrong sometime before she actually went down. I was primed to watch for it owing to time of year it strikes. Impacted birds usually show subtle signs something is off that make you think they are mildly drunk.

Thread below.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/733001/attempt-to-get-long-term-survival-in-mareks-infected-hen

Second real attempt at this. Previous bird recovered only to be dispatched by neighbor's dog.

The last one of mine started by hiding in the bushes all day and wouldn't go up on her perch at night. I brought her in, dusted and wormed her. In two days she didn't want to walk, but was still eating. Two days later, she couldn't stand, but was still eating. The next day I had to put her in a box small enough to keep her upright and I started tubing her. I did this for about two weeks, but she died anyway. FWIW, she had at least the neural and ocular forms. I have at least 20 that have the ocular form, but they seem okay.

 

[casportpony]

Holy information overload, Batman! But really, that's what I was hoping for, thank you, Casportpony. Yeah, I haven't wormed anyone with the levamisole hydrochloride. I know worming is hard on them, it's hard on all animals.

I did get some BOSS and whole corn. Thanks for the ratio and amount to feed per bird, Centrarchid, that's going to help a lot. I agree with the lay mash, it gets spread around pretty easily. I don't really want to change their feed, but I might have to. I've also added another container of feed so that they are sure to have enough to get to.

Regarding their living arrangements. Their coop is a custom made 3x5 foot on wheels with an attached 3x8 foot enclosed yard. The coop has an elevated laying area about a foot deep and 3' wide, and an elevated area on the other side about the same size, where they roost and sleep with a few perches inside and a window. It is insulated and lined with shower surround material, bedded well with pine shavings. It was built with the idea of moving it between rows in the garden. Right now, there is not much forage on the ground, we're in the middle of winter and the previous season was drought stricken. We move the hens' tractor every few days. They get out to free range most days for at least an hour.

The hen who no longer appears to be sick, is going stir crazy, but she's tolerating confinement. Our weather is cold and blustery today, I don't want to put her out in the cold today.

Keeping her wam and hydrated is key. Has she lost any weight?

 

[das Huhnchen]

Confining birds protects from predators and elements but can setup so disease issues more intense when activity concentrated over infected ground. I move my confinement units to keep them moving over relatively fresh ground. Worms and cocci I associate with wetter conditions.

Being that my landowner only let me have 6 hens, we decided to go the 'tractor' route and have 4 hens. That, and we've got a plethora of predators that we don't want to entertain. And same reason why we move them around, too. It just makes 'clean' sense. One of the reasons I haven't wormed yet is because we live in an environment that is drier than a popcorn fart and has been for a few years. Think High Plains Desert.

 

[das Huhnchen]

Keeping her wam and hydrated is key. Has she lost any weight?

No, I don't think she has lost weight. If anything, she's putting it on. Unfortunately, the vet didn't put her vitals on my receipt, and I didn't think to ask her. I desperately need to get a scale.
She's acting like a hen, preening, scratching, pooping, eating, clucking at me, saying, 'Cmon, let me out!'. Keeps dumping her water, so I'm perpetually busy with that.
I want to take her out and cuddle with her, but she hates to be held, and I don't even want to imagine the havoc she'd wreak if she got loose in the house!
I do think it was a bacterial intestinal thing. She was feeling and acting better the very next day.
Her other 3 coop-mates are acting like they're just fine, too. Normal poos and good appetites.
They haven't figured out the whole corn. Why whole as opposed to cracked? Seems cracked corn would go down easier.

 

[casportpony]

No, I don't think she has lost weight. If anything, she's putting it on. Unfortunately, the vet didn't put her vitals on my receipt, and I didn't think to ask her. I desperately need to get a scale.
She's acting like a hen, preening, scratching, pooping, eating, clucking at me, saying, 'Cmon, let me out!'. Keeps dumping her water, so I'm perpetually busy with that.
I want to take her out and cuddle with her, but she hates to be held, and I don't even want to imagine the havoc she'd wreak if she got loose in the house!
I do think it was a bacterial intestinal thing. She was feeling and acting better the very next day.
Her other 3 coop-mates are acting like they're just fine, too. Normal poos and good appetites.
They haven't figured out the whole corn. Why whole as opposed to cracked? Seems cracked corn would go down easier.

Most of mine like the whole corn better than the cracked, but they get mostly rolled corn because I thinks it's easier for the ducks to digest, and it comes in a 70 pound bag and is cheaper.

 

[centrarchid]

Being that my landowner only let me have 6 hens, we decided to go the 'tractor' route and have 4 hens. That, and we've got a plethora of predators that we don't want to entertain. And same reason why we move them around, too. It just makes 'clean' sense. One of the reasons I haven't wormed yet is because we live in an environment that is drier than a popcorn fart and has been for a few years. Think High Plains Desert.

Drier means fewer, not zero worms. I use chicken tractors as well with my American Domniques and they provide moist microhabitats for worms the surrounding area does not. The worms I tangle with are also most problematic during late winter to mid spring when ground is cool and at least moist from snow. I assume your birds add moisture to soil when they defecate and spill water.

Genetics of birds is also important. One of my founding strains got hammered by worms even though others in same tractors (birds all marked with wingbands) were not affected or only midly so. I eliminated the vulnerable strain and thus problem even though worms are still present. Over time look into different breeds to find one that is more resistant to whatever ails birds in area. My suggestion is that as times approaches to get replacement birds, look for those bred and raised in your area. Landrace will cut down on color options but will increase odds birds used have resistance bred into them for whatever conditions prevail in your area.