- Aug 21, 2014
- 8
- 0
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Hello. I've been a lurker for two years and recently became a member. Thanks to all for all of your sharing. Here is my situation...
2 year old Rhode Island Red , probably a mix. Great gal. Good layer. We've been busy watching the broody hatch a surrogate clutch of 4/4 so haven't really thought twice that Lucy has been hanging out in the corner the last few days. Thought she was dust bathing. Or hanging in the shade. Temps in the 80's.
My 4 hens have a coop with attached, enclosed 6x8 run and free access during the day to a 30x40 fenced area with a couple of trees, small patch of grass, sand and plenty of water in a few different places. Daily feed is layer pellet and scraps from my very large organic vegetable garden. Fruit from over 20 trees.
Today hubby and I were watching mama and the chicks, in the partitioned henhouse. Noticed Lucy was standing in the enclosed run, thought because it had some nice shade during the heat of the day. Then I noticed her eyes were closed. She had one leg up, but as she fell more asleep, she put it down for balance. I mentioned to my husband and he said he'd seen her in the corner the past few days. Me too, and then she pooped clear liquid so I came here to see what might be the trouble. Saw lice/mites a few times as a possibility and it had been over a month since we treated all, so my husband grabbed her and turned her upside down for a dusting. She started to drool clear liquid out if her mouth.
She is eating treats and I have seen her take a few sips of water, but haven't seen her eat any pellet. When I locked them in the run/coop for the night she tried to get in the outside roost and kept losing her balance. She couldn't settle down.
Here is maybe the problem...my husband is the one that lets them out in the morning and if we don't have veggie scraps we have meal worms. Today I opened the container to see if I could tempt her with some and noticed that 1/2 of them were mildewed. Asked my husband and if course he didn't notice and had been giving them out. How can you not notice?
She is very thin. I felt around her abdomen and she didn't feel hard. Not squishy. Just skinny. I'm not sure if she has been laying because she and another are always in the boxes at the same time and the eggs are very similar. If I had to guess, I'd say no. Egg production is down overall this summer from 3-4/day to 1-2/day (accounting for the broody).
Is it food poisoning from the meal worms? Or is it something contagious? Everyone else is fine right now. She is sharing the coop with the mama and the chicks.
This may sound terrible to some, but as much as I adore these hens if they need to be culled we are willing. I don't want to risk the rest of the flock for one. Please let me know what your expert thoughts are. I appreciate it so much!
2 year old Rhode Island Red , probably a mix. Great gal. Good layer. We've been busy watching the broody hatch a surrogate clutch of 4/4 so haven't really thought twice that Lucy has been hanging out in the corner the last few days. Thought she was dust bathing. Or hanging in the shade. Temps in the 80's.
My 4 hens have a coop with attached, enclosed 6x8 run and free access during the day to a 30x40 fenced area with a couple of trees, small patch of grass, sand and plenty of water in a few different places. Daily feed is layer pellet and scraps from my very large organic vegetable garden. Fruit from over 20 trees.
Today hubby and I were watching mama and the chicks, in the partitioned henhouse. Noticed Lucy was standing in the enclosed run, thought because it had some nice shade during the heat of the day. Then I noticed her eyes were closed. She had one leg up, but as she fell more asleep, she put it down for balance. I mentioned to my husband and he said he'd seen her in the corner the past few days. Me too, and then she pooped clear liquid so I came here to see what might be the trouble. Saw lice/mites a few times as a possibility and it had been over a month since we treated all, so my husband grabbed her and turned her upside down for a dusting. She started to drool clear liquid out if her mouth.
She is eating treats and I have seen her take a few sips of water, but haven't seen her eat any pellet. When I locked them in the run/coop for the night she tried to get in the outside roost and kept losing her balance. She couldn't settle down.
Here is maybe the problem...my husband is the one that lets them out in the morning and if we don't have veggie scraps we have meal worms. Today I opened the container to see if I could tempt her with some and noticed that 1/2 of them were mildewed. Asked my husband and if course he didn't notice and had been giving them out. How can you not notice?
She is very thin. I felt around her abdomen and she didn't feel hard. Not squishy. Just skinny. I'm not sure if she has been laying because she and another are always in the boxes at the same time and the eggs are very similar. If I had to guess, I'd say no. Egg production is down overall this summer from 3-4/day to 1-2/day (accounting for the broody).
Is it food poisoning from the meal worms? Or is it something contagious? Everyone else is fine right now. She is sharing the coop with the mama and the chicks.
This may sound terrible to some, but as much as I adore these hens if they need to be culled we are willing. I don't want to risk the rest of the flock for one. Please let me know what your expert thoughts are. I appreciate it so much!
