Sick Hen need help and suggestions!!

[chickenman101]

i have a 3 yr old leghorn hen. Ive noticed her but feathers are picked out and she has a really messy rear. She hasnt laid in about a week. she still drinks and eats good and plays with other chickens most of the time, but sometimes she seems to get tired and she will just lay around i wouldnt really call it it lathargic because its not constent. any ideas on what this could be and what i should do? any help is appreciated.

 

[chickenman101]

anyone?

 

[Judy]

Could be a problem with the egg laying equipment, could be she needs worming, could be something else. If you bathe her then isolate her in a cage or dog crate or something, maybe put an old towel in there for nesting, you will really be able to tell what is coming out of her vent, both what the poo is like, and whether there are any egg-like components, then let us know. Do you have any idea whether she is pulling her own feathers, or others are doing it?

 

[chickenman101]

i seen her today trying to pull them out herself, atleast she looked like she was. there is also flies starting to get on her. this may sound stupid but how do i bathe her? im new at this

 

[chickenman101]

???

 

[tstoikes]

I think a leghorn may be similar to bathing a silkie. Have a towel and your soap. Baby shampoo or else something like Ivory or if you have organic stuff that should do okay. I bathe my silkies in the bathroom sink but that may be too small for a leghorn. Wet her down with warm not hot water gently. She is already probably scared to be in a strange situtation. Gently was the dirty area and the rest of her. Rinse with warm water. Wrap her in a towel and kind of pat her dry. I wouldn't do much rubbing as her feathers might be brittle. If she would tolerate it you could blow dry her on a cool setting. (Most birds probably won't) Keep her in a draft free area until she is totally dry (you don't need her catching a chill) And then at least that part should be okay. Good luck

 

[chickenman101]

thank you

 

[purpletree23]

If she is pulling her feathers out herself it is probably mites. They make the chicken miserable and lethargic from the constant irritation. Mites can also eventually kill the chicken because they suck so much blood. I would bath her, let her dry very well and then dust with poultry dust or Sevin dust.

If you have other chickens you need to treat them as well and the coop.

 

[chickenman101]

would the mites cause diarrhia too? and do i just throw the dust down in the run and in the house? is it safe for the chickens to still be in the house with the dust???

 

[Judy]

Quote:
I don't know the answer on the diarrhea; that could simply be the heat.

No, you must dust the birds. Easiest to do after they have gone to roost. One way is to put some in an old nylon stocking and pat them all over, except the face of course, particularly around the vent, on the neck and under the wings. I don't know that any insecticide can really be called safe, but people dust hen houses and hens all the time, and certainly the mites/lice will kill them if the infestation is bad enough. You must also treat the coop.

Here is a good fact sheet on the subject:

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

And here is a bunch of rather graphic pics of poo, normal and abnormal, to help you evaluate what you are seeing:

http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0