Poopy eggs, dirty hens, and loose stools

[Hoytman]

We're new to this...and all WAS going well for a while.

Now we're getting a lot of poopy eggs, some of the hens butts aren't so fluffy, and getting some loose stools...as well as 14 hens getting their backs ruffed up by a large Brahma rooster...he's got their backs bare a tad...a few are getting pretty bad. We're going to separate him this weekend.

Seen one hen basically squirt water this morning...a leghorn.

Have a buff with a big glob of poop on her butt...the size of tennis ball...so that will get washed off this weekend. It started just as a dirty butt...then I had surgery and spent 2 weeks recovering and my son was feeding and watering...and also NOT watching the birds any while he was up there. I've since told him he has to look at them, watch them some, and pay attention...but he's learning just like me, so I'm not going to be too hard on him.

I'm wondering if I didn't get another bad batch of feed from TSC...or bad scratch grains, or whole corn? We've stopped the scratch and corn for now. Got a bad batch of cracked corn from there and decided to feed "live" seed to the birds, which means giving it whole. Again, we've stopped all but the Purina crumbles and pellets. Poops were nice and dry before we started the scratch again and the corn...perhaps that's the issue.

Are the eggs safe to eat?

I'm thinking they may need wormed, maybe? We've never wormed them. Have given cider vinegar in the water, but need to do it again. Also, mixed in some food grade DE in the feed this time...hoping that will help.

Could be the scratch and corn again...two handfuls with grit each day for 15 birds. Or, it could be stress from the rooster.

We lost an Australorp earlier this week. Never even gave it a thought to look the bird over...course I was recovering and didn't feel up to it.

 

[DobieLover]

Sorry you are having issues with your flock.
It could be worms, but without seeing them in the droppings or getting a fecal float done, it's hard to say.
Unfortunately, putting ACV in the water and DE in the feed will do nothing to prevent or treat internal parasites.
The eggs are safe to eat if you've not given your chickens antibiotics or wormer.
@Sue Gremlin did a fecal float for me and hopefully she would help you too. It would be good to rule out internal parasites.
I will say that I was also seeing some loose stools in my flock and wasn't sure what was going on. Then one night someone dropped a load with about 5 or 6 large round worms in it. I began treatment of my flock that day and everyone is back to normal and my egg production is up.
If you suspect their feed, check all of it very closely and toss anything even remotely suspect. For the time being, I think it would be best to clean everyone up, do a full blown clean out of the coop, waterer and feeders, feed only their complete feed and get that fecal done. You may want to add probiotics to their feed to help with the obvious GI issues.
It certainly would have been informative to know how the Australorp died.
Good luck to you.

 

[Hoytman]

Could have been that rooster...that girl was my worst as far as having a bare back from him.

We've been keeping the coop cleaned out...but I will admit it's worse this time since my surgery, but still it's been 3 weeks since the last cleaning. We usually clean out one a month to a month and half and start with 2 and sometimes 3 bails when it's cold... bails of pine shavings and add another bag as they get dirtied up. When we hit 4 to 5 bales we clean. My birds are cooped up a bit tight for the number of birds, but we have less now than before and it hasn't been an issue even with more. Still, soon as warmer weather is here there are big expansion plans in mind...as well as more birds, but no more birds until this is resolved.

What wormers are needed and are they OTC? Things being what they are at the moment I'd like to forego any big expense at this time if at all possible.

 

[Hoytman]

Birds are on concrete...so aside from scooping what else do any of your recommend for cleaning? Sanitizing with what, if at all? Sort of tough to do that in winter weather.

 

[Hoytman]

Birds are on concrete...so aside from scooping what else do any of your recommend for cleaning? Sanitizing with what, if at all? Sort of tough to do that in winter weather.

 

[seminolewind]

I would worm everyone. Best is Valbazen 1 dose then another 10 days later. That would be the most likely problem. Then take your dirty butt chickens and give them all hair cuts down there. Cut off all the dirty feathers. Then spray their buts with Pam spray, LOL. You may have to repeat this on occasion . Do they perch at night?

I think you are right on with only giving them chicken feed for the time being.

 

[Hoytman]

Well, when I built the coop that had a perch about 10" off the ground. I took it out because they're weren't using it and a few months later built them a ramp and elevated place to sleep and perch. The continued sleeping on the ground in a corner of the coop, up underneath a 3'x4' old dog coop about 24" up off the ground...they slept huddled together under that. Over time the leghorns moved up the ramp and into the perch and now more are using it, but I'm certain not all are using it yet. I think they eventually will though. I have 4-5 birds on the perch, at least, of the 15 birds we have.

Is that an over-the-counter product?

 

[seminolewind]

Yes it is for worms. I get mine at Jeffers or Amazon.
I had some poopy butt problems with my chickens not being on a perch. Otherwise some tend to sit in their poo.

 

[aart]

Poops were nice and dry before we started the scratch again and the corn...perhaps that's the issue.

There ya go!

Over time the leghorns moved up the ramp and into the perch and now more are using it, but I'm certain not all are using it yet. I think they eventually will though. I have 4-5 birds on the perch, at least, of the 15 birds we have.

How big is coop and how long is roost, in feet, for 15 birds?

I'd work on space and diet before worming, unless you get a fecal float first.