I got a new pullet and she isn’t doing well this morning!

[Redhead Rae]

What does her poo look like?

 

[Sagey_7878]

What does her poo look like?

Yesterday before she got to my house and started eating my food, on the way home she did a normal type of chicken poo, but this morning it was runny. It has something to do with the food change right?

 

[Redhead Rae]

Yesterday before she got to my house and started eating my food, on the way home she did a normal type of chicken poo, but this morning it was runny. It has something to do with the food change right?

Could be.

What was her housing like before now? Was she kept in a stall on wood chips or allowed on grass?

 

[Sagey_7878]

Could be.

What was her housing like before now? Was she kept in a stall on wood chips or allowed on grass?

Her owner was a lovely lady, very nice, has been looking after poultry for over 30 years and loves them... She was kept in a dark shed with some straw, but mostly dirt floor. They all seemed healthy. And she rotates her chickens on grass so I’m guessing she has been on grass before. Right now she’s free ranging and no dark sheds. She seem a to like dark places, in the coop, she keeps sitting on the woodshavings near the nest boxes and roosts. There were also about 30-45 POL Isa Browns with her.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Got it, the concern about if she had been on grass or not is because I've met a couple people on here who bought show stock birds that were kept in stalls on pine shavings their entire lives to prevent their feathers from getting dirty/damaged/sunbleached. When they brought the birds home and put them on grass, the birds succumbed to a sudden case of coccidiosis (a bacterial overgrowth that causes diarrhea and GI bleeds) because they were never exposed to the bacteria when they were younger to develop a tolerance for it.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I would give her a few days to settle in. Keep an eye on her, make sure your other bird isn't beating her up.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hopefully, she is just stressed from the move. Do you know if she was caged for a long time before you picked her up? Some people that sell will cage them at night, and they may not get water or food for a time if they are not picked up in the morning. Another scenario is that she might be getting ready to lay, and is acting funny. But chickens can be carriers of some diseases that may show up with the stress of a move.

Watch her droppings, give her vitamins, offer clean water, chopped cooked egg or tuna, and look for mites or lice, sneezing, or any watery or bubbles in eyes. She could just be missing her friends.

 

[Sagey_7878]

I would give her a few days to settle in. Keep an eye on her, make sure your other bird isn't beating her up.

Thank you so much! Ive had a lot of experience with coccidiosis and I have the medication for it in case she gets it as you said, her body may not be use to grass. The other pullet is an Australorp and are bossy birds, my Australorp is at the top of the pecking order with the Isa Brown. The Australorp is not bullying her, only pecking her a bit as any flock does. I’ll keep everyone updated.

 

[Sagey_7878]

Hopefully, she is just stressed from the move. Do you know if she was caged for a long time before you picked her up? Some people that sell will cage them at night, and they may not get water or food for a time if they are not picked up in the morning. Another scenario is that she might be getting ready to lay, and is acting funny. But chickens can be carriers of some diseases that may show up with the stress of a move.

Watch her droppings, give her vitamins, offer clean water, chopped cooked egg or tuna, and look for mites or lice, sneezing, or any watery or bubbles in eyes. She could just be missing her friends.

The owner didn’t know we were going to buy her so she would have food and water available. I was thinking she may be getting ready to lay...I will be giving her tuna and vitamins now, what doesn’t the tuna do?
Thank you!

 

[Eggcessive]

Sometimes if I am introducing a new bird, I will place her a large dog crate with food and water inside the coop with the other chickens, so they can get used to each other.