Possible sick hen?

[RollyWhit]

Hi all! I am needing some advice. But first, let me give you some background info. We began raising backyard chickens in July so we are very new to this. We started with 4 2-week old chicks. We have an Australorpe, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Golden Comet and Rhode Island Red. All very spoiled and loved on by our family including our children. Sadly last week my 11 year old rushed through checking them into the coop and she left her Red out. A raccoon got her overnight and we are all devastated. We decided to go to a local farm that sells eggs and chicken meat to get another Rhode Island. She is 7 months old and laying. Our remaining 3 are just now 5 months old and not laying yet. We have kept them separate at night and allow them to roam freely together during the day. The first day had some issues, but they have all gotten along now for 4 days. Problem is, I get the feeling our new hen may be sick. She is older, but a lot smaller, her legs have an odd pasty white color (our first Red had beautiful golden legs) and she does have some diarrhea. We have her on our back porch to watch her and sometimes she has normalish poop, other times it is almost just water. Any ideas on what we should do? Thank you in advance!

 

[Eggcessive]

When adding a new chicken to the flock, it is best to quarantine for 30 or more days, just in case the bird could be sick. That way you can check them for lice and mites, diarrhea, or not any unusual symptoms, especially he dreaded respiratory diseases. Is she alert, active and eating/drinking? Since you live in Florida, it could be hot, and chickens that drink a lot of water in heat can have watery stools. Also since she is on new soil, she could be exposed to a different strain of coccidiosis in your soil that she is not immune to. Worms could also be a cause of worms. In cocci, blood can be present in some strains but not others. Is there any blood, or pink or orange coloring to her droppings? I would start by deworming her with Valbazen 1/2 ml given orally, and repeat in 10 days. Then if she has any of these symptoms of coccidiosis (lethargy, diarrhea, not eating, standing around puffed up or hunched, or very weak) then I would give her Corid (amprollium) in her water for 5 days for cocci. Probios Dispersible Powder is a great probiotic that can be put in the water, and may help with diarrhea and intestinal immunity.

 

[RollyWhit]

I will definitely try worming her first. She acts just fine. Has taught my other 3 how to dig in the rocks hehe, She just looks pretty rough. I was a bit surprised at her living conditions. She was in a suspended wire cage and was only let out every couple of days. Is it normal for their legs to be a pasty white when they are a Rhode Island Red? Also, she has given us an egg a day, but without knowing what is going on, we haven't eaten any. Do you think they are safe to eat?

 

[Eggcessive]

Her eggs should be safe to eat, but eggs should be tossed for a period of 24 days when giving the 2 doses of Valbazen above. White or off-color legs can show up in hatchery RIR, and leg color can fade with seasons and eating fewer greens (at least it has with mine.)

 

[RollyWhit]

Another question! My Australorpe is the one that had cocci a couple months ago and I gave her corid followed by a probiotic. She pulled through thankfully. But we had a cold snap last week and for the last couple days she has been sneezing a lot and sounds kind of like a growl while breathing. Does she have a respiratory infection? Can I give her the corid again?

 

[Eggcessive]

Corid (amprollium) is not for respiratory issues--just for coccidiosis. I would watch her for other symptoms. Sneezing and noisy respirations could be a respiratory infection, but antibiotics will only help if it is bacterial. Mold or viruses can also cause respiratory diseases. Look around for wet conditions, mold, dust, or ammonia odors. Make sure coop ventilation is good, overhead, and not direct drafts. Usung heat in a coop can also contribute to respiratory issues since it can cause excessive panting if the chickens get too warm. If I were going to medicate a respiratory infection with an antibiotic, I would probably use Tylan 50 injectable, given orally for 5 days, or as a shot into the breast muscle for 3 days. Dosage for an adult hen over 5 lb would be 1 ml. Oxytetracycline given in the water would also work instead for 7 days. Here is a good link to read about respiratory diseases: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044