Last week I had a sick pullet (7 mos. 'Brucie'). She is better but another one (Alice) fell sick today with the same thing Brucie had. We had taken Brucie home because she was very sick, we opted to let Alice remain in the run/coop because she doesn't seem as bad. When they went to roost tonight I was watching closely because Brucie had been beat up a little when she was sick. Alice went to roost first and then the others went in. A couple of the Rhodies roosted near her and were pecking at her a little so I was thinking of taking her out. Then there was a raucous and when I looked in again, Alice was in the same spot but the other two Rocks were with her. Brucie next to her and Li'l Peep across from her and Brucie was rubbing her head near Alice's head and on her side and her feet. Brucie has done this to me a couple times when she was sitting with me where she would very quickly rub her head under my chin and around my neck and she would be trilling while she did it. I couldn't hear if she was trilling but she was definitely doing this same behavior to Alice. If I did not know better I would think they were comforting and protecting Alice but I have never seen such behavior in chickens. Anyone!?
Are all of your flock seven months old? Laying? I assume you have checked for eggbound? And, they are at the right age, have you wormed them yet? Do they free range at all? If you have never wormed them... Search here on BYC... "worming"... "giving oral medication".. "Worming with Valbazen"... also "eggbound", just in case... On the worming.. Valbazen is a good first time wormer.. a bit expensive... has to be given orally, individually and repeated in ten days... withholding eggs... 1/2 cc/ml per standard chicken (like yours)... 1/4 cc/ml per bantam or small chicken... being careful of the windpipe / airway.. never get anything into it... dosing each chicken -- use a child's medicine dropper or a syringe without a needle (available with the Valbazen at the feed store).. When you search.. the "Valbazen dosages", "how much Valbazen to give".. "Worming with Valbazsen", etc.. you can pay special attention to and trust posts by dawg53 regarding worming, etc. Better info than mine... more experienced. Something is up if more than one of them has gotten sick..... many illnesses are worms or parasites and misdiagnosed as an illness. Antibiotics will only give temporary relief if it is worms..... and, all chickens get worms if they eat bugs, are outside at all. And, I never saw worms in my chicken's poop.. but, they had worms and got well, and much more healthy and happy after their first worming. Later, they got tapeworms.. ugh.. much harder to treat.. did see those segments... now, they are over all that, and one that hasn't laid since June has just started laying again, yea!! You have probably checked for mites and know you need to use Sevin Dust or Poultry Dust on each chicken for those... (and clean and dust the coop, roosts, nests, etc. if there are mites on them)... Valbazen kills all worms, but not mites. Good luck... take care..
