My black bantam (7 mos old) has been acting odd for the past 3 days. She laid an egg 2 days ago so I don't think she is egg bound. Her comb and cheeks are pale and she is listless. I have seen her drink but not eat. She has creamy, yellow poo and a dirty bottom. I've looked for mites but she seems clean. After reading other posts, I thought maybe she has worms so I've ordered Flubenvet which should arrive next week. She shares the coop with 1 other chicken and they do not fight. They free range all day and there are lots of wild birds around. It has been cool and rainy here for the past 2 weeks. (Maybe she got into something spoiled?) They get laying pellets, corn, some kitchen scraps (toast ends, old pasta, etc) and whatever else they can catch. There is plenty of grit around. Yesterday I added some ACV to their water in hopes to help clean them both out a bit (though the other chicken is fine). Last year we lost another chicken due to an infected crop but it started out much like this. Hope I've given enough details! I've thought of giving her some scrambled egg with crushed garlic for some extra protein. Do you think that could hurt? Any one have and idea what this is or what I can do to help her while waiting for the Flubenvet?? Many thanks! Christy
I really can't think of anything else to add other than maybe getting some Polyvisol (no iron) and add to her water or give her some drops in her mouth until the meds arrive. Deworming sounds like a good idea. You can also offer her yogurt (plain) and other healthy treats. I hope someone else will offer some assistance. Good luck.
The yellow poo makes me wonder if she's an internal layer? I haven't dealt with it but if you do a search here for "internal layer" there will be a lot to read about it. It will tell you what other symptoms might be present. Good luck!
one of my chooks had this a few weeks ago and I figured it was worms. She was eating very little and drinking heaps, quite light to pick up and pale in the face. What I did was soak 2 cloves of garlic in about a jar of boiling water for 8-12 hours then ( I find it easier if you do this at night with a torch ) get an eyedropper full of the garlic juice and drop it into her beak, don't squirt it at the back of the throat or the juice could go into your chooks lungs. It took me a few times to empty the eyedropper as I gave them some time to swallow in between squirts. when you have done this follow with a nasturtium seed, most of my chooks ate it themselves but if they don't- open their beak and place the seed on her tongue and she should swallow it. This helped my hen and she started eating properly in about two days, was gaining weight and has gotten the colour back in her face. I would also recommend you do this to your other hen as well, just in case. As a preventative for worms you should put 1-2 cloves of garlic in their water 3 days up to and on the full moon. I hope this will help. good luck
Thanks for the replies! I've tried to find a bit more about internal laying and I understand that the stomach should feel swollen. Her's does not. But I do have a question as to what a normal crop should feel like?? Hers is not enlarged, if anything it feel completely empty except for a ridge-like thing at the front of it.
