Smelly Hens

[Carly Rae]

We bought 6 ISA Brown hens about a month ago, they were quite cheap for 18 month old laying hens, advertisement photos looked great, hens looked healthy and said they were free range, although when we got there it was clear the advertisement was twisting the truth...

We should have left them there or perhaps not have given the people a cent as these poor girls were in terrible condition... One died within 3 days of being here with severe conjunctivitis or something of the sort. Their feathers were very scraggly and all had some nasal discharge and pale combs... Worst of all, they smell of death, I'd say they have been trodding around dead hens, or animals.. The car trip home with them was awful due to the smell. And a month has passed and they still badly smell. It's so bad that I hate to enter their cage and I haven't touched one since we got them.
But I clean their cage regularly and they are given fresh water every day with feed grade bicarb soda, they are on a good diet and I spray their faces with colloidal silver ever few days. Since then their nasal discharge has cleared, and their combs are getting more colour, but still pale.

I just wanted to know if anyone has some suggestions on the best way to get the smell off them, willing to try anything now, I was hoping the smell would just go away. I would also like to be able to let them out to free range with my other hens, but want the smell gone. Also, they have started to lay eggs, do you think they would be safe to eat?

I now know not to jump at the opportunity to buy cheap hens... I just hate to think of all the other poor girls that are still there..

Thanks in advance!

 

[DucksAndGardens]

I'd bathe them in dawn dishwashing liquid and then blowdry them and see if that helps. Also check their vents for vent gleet which can cause a nasty stench. Give them some probiotics and electrolytes and see if that helps resolve the smell.

 

[chickendreams24]

Poor girls sounds like you got retired battery hens. Good for you for taking then but shame on the sellers for falsely advertising them.

First I would give them a very thorough once over to be sure they don't have any injuries or infections. Infections also smell like death.

Second are they molting? That could cause paleness. Otherwise they could be anemic. Have you wormed them? Checked them for external parasites?

Crack open a few of the eggs and make sure they look and smell fine.

I would suggest definitely giving them access to a dust bath that will help.

If they are really still unbearable to smell I think there must be a reason. Check under their wings also for injuries sometimes injuries and infection can hide under there.

If all else fails give them a bath be sure to rinse them very well and blow dry them. Do not put them back outside if they're wet and it's cool out. I'm not sure where you live but they can get cold. That's why I mentioned blow drying them. Of course be careful not to get any soap or water in their eyes nares(nostrils) or their ears. They will then need to preen and reapply the oil from their preen glands over their feathers to make their feathers water proof and insulating again. If the down against their skin is wet they will remain chilled. Which can lower their immune system as can stress. If you decide to wash them or do anything watch for any signs of the drainage recurring.

If they do indeed have an illness be very careful introducing them to your other birds. That being said unless you've maintained extreme quarantine which is almost impossible in a backyard setting you've probably carried whatever possible illness it was to your other birds and exposed them already.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

We bought 6 ISA Brown hens about a month ago, they were quite cheap for 18 month old laying hens, advertisement photos looked great, hens looked healthy and said they were free range, although when we got there it was clear the advertisement was twisting the truth...

We should have left them there or perhaps not have given the people a cent as these poor girls were in terrible condition... One died within 3 days of being here with severe conjunctivitis or something of the sort. Their feathers were very scraggly and all had some nasal discharge and pale combs... Worst of all, they smell of death, I'd say they have been trodding around dead hens, or animals.. The car trip home with them was awful due to the smell. And a month has passed and they still badly smell. It's so bad that I hate to enter their cage and I haven't touched one since we got them.
But I clean their cage regularly and they are given fresh water every day with feed grade bicarb soda, they are on a good diet and I spray their faces with colloidal silver ever few days. Since then their nasal discharge has cleared, and their combs are getting more colour, but still pale.

I just wanted to know if anyone has some suggestions on the best way to get the smell off them, willing to try anything now, I was hoping the smell would just go away. I would also like to be able to let them out to free range with my other hens, but want the smell gone. Also, they have started to lay eggs, do you think they would be safe to eat?

I now know not to jump at the opportunity to buy cheap hens... I just hate to think of all the other poor girls that are still there..

Thanks in advance!

 

[BullChick]

Hi, Connie!

 

[BullChick]

Okay, laying hens.
You should not be letting them anywhere near your other chickens. Anything they have, the other chickens can get. They should be quarantined for at least four weeks if not six.
Among injuries, they could also stink because they have sour crop. Check their breath.
Look into fermenting their feed. All you do is combine some feed (however much you want) with ACV with the mother (a glug of Braggs or Heinz) and water to cover. Mix it up, and mix it once or twice a day for about three days. You can feed it to the hens before then. It just won't have the right effect. To replenish, simply add feed and water. No additional ACV is needed. You can make it wetter (strain it with a plastic strainer or bucket with tiny holes drilled in), or drier. Wet, but it has cracks in it.
For a small flock, I liked it wet. The bubbles made me laugh!
Once the feed is fermented, it will help with; healthier stools, healthier crop, and healthier gut. It allows nutrients to absorb more effectively. After a week or so, you will notice that they eat less of it. That is because they have the nutrients they need with less feed.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

Firstly at 18 months these birds will be moulting and look rough and scraggly and have pale combs. That is normal.
Well done for sorting out the nasal discharge. The next step is to figure out where the smell is coming from..... front end or back?? As others have mentioned sour crop or Coryza would make their breath smell bad and vent gleet or an internal infection at the back end, as well as them possibly having some injuries that are festering under their feathers.
I'm not sure why you are putting baking soda in their water but I would stop that and replace it with a little Apple Cider Vinegar. Fermenting their feed can definitely help improve the health of their digestive tract and is very easy to do.
Acidified Copper Sulphate will help if it is a yeast/fungal infection like sour crop or vent gleet.
Get back to us with more information when you have identified the possible source of the smell.

Good luck with them. It sounds like the person selling them may be rehoming battery hens in a slightly less than honest way. At least they have a good home with you now though. Keep us posted.