- Jun 30, 2011
- 5
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During the past week, several of my hens have shown similar symptoms. They became lethargic, passed bright green poo, and ate and drank very little. Two have recovered, but the most seriously affected hen is walking like a penguin, has a soft swollen abdomen, and is quite lethargic. Some possible clues (or red herrings):
1. I wormed with Fenbendazole 12 days ago for gapeworm, which I believe the chickens picked up from earthworms. (They free-range; I also wormed for gape last summer, with no ill effects.)
2. I added two 1-year-old Ameraucana hens from a breeder a month ago. (I know, bad idea.) One passes loose normal-colored stools, and the other has an odd gait, perhaps from a slight spraddle at birth, perhaps from a disease. Otherwise, they're sprightly.
3. Egg-laying has virtually stopped in the entire flock of six hens.
4. One recovered year-old hen shed quite a few feather during her illness, and has a "pimple" in front of her eye I hadn't noticed before. (She could be molting, but she also passed the bright green diarrhea and spent a day sitting in the chicken house alone.)
Thank you for any help you can give.
1. I wormed with Fenbendazole 12 days ago for gapeworm, which I believe the chickens picked up from earthworms. (They free-range; I also wormed for gape last summer, with no ill effects.)
2. I added two 1-year-old Ameraucana hens from a breeder a month ago. (I know, bad idea.) One passes loose normal-colored stools, and the other has an odd gait, perhaps from a slight spraddle at birth, perhaps from a disease. Otherwise, they're sprightly.
3. Egg-laying has virtually stopped in the entire flock of six hens.
4. One recovered year-old hen shed quite a few feather during her illness, and has a "pimple" in front of her eye I hadn't noticed before. (She could be molting, but she also passed the bright green diarrhea and spent a day sitting in the chicken house alone.)
Thank you for any help you can give.
