Re-homed a week ago -Diarrhea

[Katymae001]

Hope someone can help. I just got 5 hens and one rooster from a friend of mine 7 days ago. My one Barred Rock is experiencing diarrhea. She is still eating, perky, and laying eggs. Her comb looks fine and I don’t notice anything else out of the ordinary. Do you think this could be due to stress from change of environment? Or should I be worried? Should I clean their butt off because there is some white poop stuck to it? (I am also feeding them the same food as my friend was).

 

[Eggcessive]

How old are they? I would clean off the vent area, and trim any excess fluff that is collecting poop. What are you feeding? Is she drinking a lot of water? Do they have both granite poultry grit for digestion, and some crushed oyster shell for laying eggs? Post pictures of droppings if needed. Probiotics or a little plain Greek yogurt with live cultures may help. Since they are new, I would look at their skin for any lice or mites, and consider worming them with Valbazen 0.5 ml orally once and again in 10 days, or SafeGuard liquid goat wormer 0.25 ml per pound of weight given orally for 5 straight days. Some hens will have occasional runny droppings, but if it persists, and she acts off or lethargic, then she may need some Corid for possible coccidiosis.

 

[Katymae001]

How old are they? I would clean off the vent area, and trim any excess fluff that is collecting poop. What are you feeding? Is she drinking a lot of water? Do they have both granite poultry grit for digestion, and some crushed oyster shell for laying eggs? Post pictures of droppings if needed. Probiotics or a little plain Greek yogurt with live cultures may help. Since they are new, I would look at their skin for any lice or mites, and consider worming them with Valbazen 0.5 ml orally once and again in 10 days, or SafeGuard liquid goat wormer 0.25 ml per pound of weight given orally for 5 straight days. Some hens will have occasional runny droppings, but if it persists, and she acts off or lethargic, then she may need some Corid for possible coccidiosis.

Thank you for the advice. They are a year old. I’m feeding them all flock organic food and they do have oyster shells available. I have a sand coop and it also has some grit in it they like to peck at. This is my first time owning chickens so I really appreciate the help. How do you keep a hen still enough to clean the vent and trim the feathers?

 

[Katymae001]

Thank you for the advice. They are a year old. I’m feeding them all flock organic food and they do have oyster shells available. I have a sand coop and it also has some grit in it they like to peck at. This is my first time owning chickens so I really appreciate the help. How do you keep a hen still enough to clean the vent and trim the feathers?

She may be drinking a lot of water I’m not sure

 

[Eggcessive]

If you can bring her in and keep her warm enough, you could wash just her vent area in a 2 gallon bucket or plastic dishpan, with warm water and a small squirt of Dawn. Then dry her well before putting her back out.

 

[Bawkbok]

The easiest way to hold a chicken still to clean the vent is to have a helper hold her while you work on her bottom. Use warm water, I prefer Dawn dish soap, paper towels and gently clean the bottom up. Or, if it's particularly stubborn, I have found dipping a Q-tip in some mineral oil cleans the feather shafts quickly and easily and lubricates the skin at the same time. It might be easier to work on her at roost time when they are a little sleepy, just grab her from roost and administer to her. If you are doing this alone, having a towel to wrap around the wings to help subdue her will help so you can work on her bottom. It's difficult to hold the chicken and clean her up yourself which is why a helper makes life better.

 

[Katymae001]

The easiest way to hold a chicken still to clean the vent is to have a helper hold her while you work on her bottom. Use warm water, I prefer Dawn dish soap, paper towels and gently clean the bottom up. Or, if it's particularly stubborn, I have found dipping a Q-tip in some mineral oil cleans the feather shafts quickly and easily and lubricates the skin at the same time. It might be easier to work on her at roost time when they are a little sleepy, just grab her from roost and administer to her. If you are doing this alone, having a towel to wrap around the wings to help subdue her will help so you can work on her bottom. It's difficult to hold the chicken and clean her up yourself which is why a helper makes life better.

Thanks! I’ll have my husband help me with this.