new birds have diareah what should I do?

[sunket77]

I got three new silkies Saturday. One is a hen about 1 1/2 yrs, the roo is 1 1/2 also and a pullet that is not laying yet (I think she was born in may) We got them home and have them in quarantine and noticed they have diarrhea. There used to be a thread on here about poop and symptoms but I can't find it. Should I give them another day? Could it be the stress of a new place? If not does anyone know who to treat it or what the cause is? Also the hen has laid 2 eggs, the first one had a thin shell and the next one's shell was a little better but a little wrinkled and thin on one side. Any advice is appreciated!

 

[joy]

I would say give oyster shell for the eggs to form a harder shell, as for the loose stools hopefully this will clear up after a few days on layers pellets.

 

[purpletree23]

Give them crushed oyster shell right away and offer chicken grit. It's a good start and sounds like maybe they weren't getting it at their previous home. I would attribute the diarrhea to stress from a new home, different food and even different water. Eventually they will adjust. In the mean time give them plain yogurt once a day, a few tablespoons a day should do. It will help their systems develop good bacteria that is important for their digestion and health. If they won't eat it (mine won't) mix it with some Cheerios. Then they will gobble it up.

Give them a few days to quiet down and I highly recommend dusting with poultry dust at least a week before introducing them to the flock you have. Even if you don't see mites or lice they might still have it and you don't want to start an infestation.

What were they eating at their previous home? You might want to get a small amount of their previous feed (ask the previous owner for approx a quart of feed) and mix it with their new feed. It makes the transition easier.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[sunket77]

I asked the former owner about what she feed them and it's not much different and they got oyster shell as well. I know the hen was laying good eggs b/c she brought some to give me and show me her beautiful eggs. The eggs she brought are in great shape so it's probably the stress. Thanks so much for the help!