Just to share information on my experience with diagnosing and curing my backyard hen, with some failings, in case it helps anyone.
Bought 2 gold top hens Spring 2021. Both healthy and laying. Called Bird 1 and Bird 2
In month 4, Bird 1 dies of respiratory illness after 2 weeks of illness, despite antibiotics and wormer. No cause identified. Bird 2 remains well.
After 2 months a third hen, a meek Buff Orpington, is purchased as a companion for lonely remaining hen and they get on well.
Bird 2, after 1 month, is found outside of the henhouse at night- unusual behaviour. Had stopped laying for a week prior.
Causes researched, henhouse cleaned and scrubbed, earthed and sprayed for mites. Lice identified on both hens and eradicated with drop on de-louser- very effective.
However Bird 2 not going back in house, cause found to be weakness and unsteadiness, cannot get into coop up ramp. No respiratory symptoms, eating well (wheb able to get food) and pooing. Dirty vent feathers noted for first time. Worms considered and Soluverm added to water however, before she had chance to have some, Bird 2 qas found dead in the morning, after a 2 week illness.
Buffy the Buff Orpington is unaffected, but now lonely. Decision made not to purchase new hen due to poor track record. Sure enough, within 3 months, Buffy shows signs of listlessness, sitting a lot, stops laying. Same symptoms. 1 week prior was seen eating big juicy earthworm in run. Dirty vent feathers noticed too.
Soluverm trialled- no change in symptoms. Despair in owners as the coop and run felt to be cursed from a mystery contagious disease causing weakness, cessation in laying and, eventually, death. Eating and pooing however, poos appeared to be a bit runny on occasion and 'seedy' I.e containing undigested food.
I tried the Chicken Vet website which offered a poo testing kit for worms. 2 poo samples sent and results were back after 7 days. Tests indicated Capillaria species (threadworms)- moderate infection with around 200 eggs seen in poo samples.
Fenbendazole was added to food at a dose of around 10mg/kg (total dose) spread over 7 days, with the course repeated after 10 days (slightly higher dosing- 15mg/kg over 5 days).
Buffy showed quick recovery- energy levels normal, dust bathing and roaming behaviours returned and regular egg laying resumed.
Learning point- think worms. According to websites, they can live in the environment of the run for weeks, and can persist inside earthworms, especially Capillaria. We weren't quick enough to think of worms as a cause for poor Bird 2 because symptoms were really vague, and she had lice also, which we thought may be the problem. From this experience, symptoms of worms may include general low energy, stopping laying, and dirty vent feathers from loose poo. Easy to test for, with the poo sampling kit at around £11 from ChickenVet website. Quick to eradicate and resulted in full recovery for our remaing hen.
Hope this helps people if they have a mystery, seemingly contagious illness caused by the environment.
Bought 2 gold top hens Spring 2021. Both healthy and laying. Called Bird 1 and Bird 2
In month 4, Bird 1 dies of respiratory illness after 2 weeks of illness, despite antibiotics and wormer. No cause identified. Bird 2 remains well.
After 2 months a third hen, a meek Buff Orpington, is purchased as a companion for lonely remaining hen and they get on well.
Bird 2, after 1 month, is found outside of the henhouse at night- unusual behaviour. Had stopped laying for a week prior.
Causes researched, henhouse cleaned and scrubbed, earthed and sprayed for mites. Lice identified on both hens and eradicated with drop on de-louser- very effective.
However Bird 2 not going back in house, cause found to be weakness and unsteadiness, cannot get into coop up ramp. No respiratory symptoms, eating well (wheb able to get food) and pooing. Dirty vent feathers noted for first time. Worms considered and Soluverm added to water however, before she had chance to have some, Bird 2 qas found dead in the morning, after a 2 week illness.
Buffy the Buff Orpington is unaffected, but now lonely. Decision made not to purchase new hen due to poor track record. Sure enough, within 3 months, Buffy shows signs of listlessness, sitting a lot, stops laying. Same symptoms. 1 week prior was seen eating big juicy earthworm in run. Dirty vent feathers noticed too.
Soluverm trialled- no change in symptoms. Despair in owners as the coop and run felt to be cursed from a mystery contagious disease causing weakness, cessation in laying and, eventually, death. Eating and pooing however, poos appeared to be a bit runny on occasion and 'seedy' I.e containing undigested food.
I tried the Chicken Vet website which offered a poo testing kit for worms. 2 poo samples sent and results were back after 7 days. Tests indicated Capillaria species (threadworms)- moderate infection with around 200 eggs seen in poo samples.
Fenbendazole was added to food at a dose of around 10mg/kg (total dose) spread over 7 days, with the course repeated after 10 days (slightly higher dosing- 15mg/kg over 5 days).
Buffy showed quick recovery- energy levels normal, dust bathing and roaming behaviours returned and regular egg laying resumed.
Learning point- think worms. According to websites, they can live in the environment of the run for weeks, and can persist inside earthworms, especially Capillaria. We weren't quick enough to think of worms as a cause for poor Bird 2 because symptoms were really vague, and she had lice also, which we thought may be the problem. From this experience, symptoms of worms may include general low energy, stopping laying, and dirty vent feathers from loose poo. Easy to test for, with the poo sampling kit at around £11 from ChickenVet website. Quick to eradicate and resulted in full recovery for our remaing hen.
Hope this helps people if they have a mystery, seemingly contagious illness caused by the environment.
