first post - i have a speckled sussex who has been keeping her mouth open (panting style) much of the time (but not all) regardless of temperature. she also has had very watery poop for a few days. she's eating and drinking, but maybe with less enthusiasm than previously. there has been some stress in the henhouse (two raccoon break-ins with 2 of the previously 4-bird flock being killed). i've done a better job of sealing up the house since, and everyone survived the night last night. just not sure if these symptoms are stress-related or if there's an ailment i should be looking to treat. any insights?
Welcome to BYC. Stress could be related to her runny stools, but she also may be drinking a lot of water, or suffering from another problem. What is the temperature inside the coop? Is she overweight or a large hen? You may want to add some probiotics to her water, and a small amount of cottage cheese, or cooked rice with some buttermilk may help her droppings become more solid. Eating her chicken food better may help as well. Cooked egg and some wet chicken feed (changed daily) might appealmto her to get her eating better. If the coop is hot, a fan and good end to end ventialtion can help. Asthe summer temps become much more of a problem, having shade around the coop and run, and a large pan of shaded water to dip their legs in can help a lot.