Hen dead, young pullet with poopy vent

[wildswanfarm]

Soooooo. The lovely wife checks for afternoon eggs today, and one of our 2 year old Rhode Island hens is stiff in a layng box. OK, so we're thinking, she was the one with a poopy vent moving slowly for 2+ days now, and there is a pullet from last July ( a lovely Cochin), who has a poopy vent as well

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How do we check for problems? Do we have problems.

Thanks all.

 

[SilkiesnFrizzle]

Have you checked them for mites/lice? What does the pullets poop look like?

 

[wildswanfarm]

I'll check tomorrow morning.
Thanks!

 

[Sarevan]

I'm sorry for your loss, hard finding them that way. This is long but describes what I check for to keep them healthy. Then if I can't figure it out I search here or make a post, there are some very awesome people here. If possible always post pics! (poo, injuries, of the bird)

What I do to check for problems is check them from head to tail, different birds each day otherwise I'd be out there most of the day . I check general stance, tail high, color of comb, and do they seem eager for the treats (greens, veggies, short grass I've clipped) by looking over the whole flock. Anyone that looks a bit off gets picked up. (Or just to acquaint myself with general condition)

I check basic for eyes, nostrils clear, breathing problems, anything strong smelling. Any peck marks to comb, feather condition or loss, feet for marks or swellings. Vent checked for parasites, mites/lice, swelling or redness. Check abdomen for swelling, softness, or for egg that is about to be laid or forming. Crop check normal, feed filled, or spongy soft or hard, which means sour and impacted crop. Open mouth look for nice color, no mucus in the top of mouth, trachea opening and closing fine with breathing no smells. This check only takes a few minutes 2-3 once you know what healthy birds are, easy to see a problem.

I look around the floor, ground for any weird poo, feeders not damp, waterers clean. Anything they may have found that they shouldn't have, string, small plastic etc. Check oyster shell and grit see if they been taking any.

Then the bird that concerns me, I check for weight loss, are breast keel bone thin. Crop not empty in morning, or not eating to fill for the night. I try to see that hens poo, wait for her to go. (It is amazing how often they do go) Sometimes this means putting her in the crate I have in the coop for time outs to check that.

NOW for your girl that died, I would have checked her for being egg bound by doing a necropsy myself to check that and see if she had intestinal parasites. Sometimes after an animal cools in death the parasites are leaving and visible. A severe worm infestation they will leave through vent. Mites/lice can be seen moving away from the host, light colored paper or cloth under body and you can see them leaving.

When did you last worm, and treat for mites/lice? The messy butt is sometimes a clue to worms. A bird that appears healthy can be going down from parasites resulting in what seems sudden death. Starving, blood loss, internal problems from parasite load.

Wormers - safeguard, valbazen seem the best. Can be found in feed/farm/ranch stores. Here is a link to medicine dosages, or do a search for more current info. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-ultimate-medicine-dosing-chart

Mites/lice/fleas - Sevin dust have to do again in 10 days, clean all bedding out, dust coop run, dust bath areas. Do all birds 1 has it they all do. Can be found in the gardening area of store. There are other meds for lice/mites too.

 

[wildswanfarm]

Thank you Silkie'sandFrizzle and thank you Saraven for your compassion AND info! I've printed it out and we'll keep as a future source as well! Awesome!