pepparaaraa
Chirping
Hello,
I got 4 ex batts 5 weeks ago and a day after they arrived, three seemed to turn on one hen. She went up and sat on top of the coop a lot to stay out of their way and I noticed whenever she tried to eat or drink she would be chased away by any of the other three.
I used to stand at one of the feeders so the others would let her eat or put some on the top of the coop with her. She just got worse and was all hunched up and very pale. She was so scared she was the only one that was aggressive.
I took her to the vet because there was some discharge coming out of her vent, she wasn’t laying, she smelled really bad plus she was hunched so I figured the hens might be picking on her because she was unwell.
Sorry this is long winded but trying to give as much info as possible.
The vet wormed her and treated her for lice but that was it.
I brought her home and kept her separate but in the same run, after a week she laid an egg but it was streaked with blood, a fair bit and there was a couple of drops in the nest. I thought it might be because she hadn’t laid in a while but the next day was the same, by the time I went out to them she had worked out a way to get in with the others and as she walked up the ramp I noticed blood dripping out of her vent. She got to the top of the ramp and I noticed a slight prolapse (I’m guessing) but it went back in by itself.
I took her straight to the vets and they said they thought it was Salpingitis so she had a week of antibiotics (can check what she had if it’s relevant).
I kept her alone again and after she finished the antibiotics I found a strange thing in the run which seemed like white membrane from an egg. She had clear fluid coming out of her for a couple of days and no eggs laid.
she then resumed laying normal eggs.
The discharge continued throughout apart from when it was clear fluid.
Nell has since laid A further formed 2 soft shelled eggs.
I originally tried treating the discharge with baths and canesten thrush cream topically (as suggested on the BHWT website for vent gleet), I think that may have improved it slightly but it didn’t resolve it as when I stopped it has returned.
I have tried probiotics and changed from Oyster shell to Gastro Grit which they seem to prefer (to try to help the soft shelled eggs).
I asked the vet about the smell and to check for thrush in her mouth but they said they couldn’t see any... so no anti fungal treatment was prescribed.
Nell was quite skinny but from her time in hospital confinement she has filled out and weighs 2kg. Actually heavier than the other who are all 1.8kg.
She is bright in herself and although she is bottom hen, the pecking her has reduced and she has been partly accepted.
Any suggestions on what it could be?
How to treat it?
I have tried to feel for fluid and I can’t feel anything although I’m not sure I would know! Her crop this evening felt hard with food at bed time. She is up before me in the morning and as Ex batts I haven’t managed to get them all to sleep in the coop yet a couple of them seem to prefer to sleep outside in the run on the shelf, so they eat when they get up at 4.30am ish.
Any things I need to check without removing her too much seeing as she has just made a bit of peace with the flock?
Thank in advance for any help!
Picture’s of Nell’s backside today... if they help!
I got 4 ex batts 5 weeks ago and a day after they arrived, three seemed to turn on one hen. She went up and sat on top of the coop a lot to stay out of their way and I noticed whenever she tried to eat or drink she would be chased away by any of the other three.
I used to stand at one of the feeders so the others would let her eat or put some on the top of the coop with her. She just got worse and was all hunched up and very pale. She was so scared she was the only one that was aggressive.
I took her to the vet because there was some discharge coming out of her vent, she wasn’t laying, she smelled really bad plus she was hunched so I figured the hens might be picking on her because she was unwell.
Sorry this is long winded but trying to give as much info as possible.
The vet wormed her and treated her for lice but that was it.
I brought her home and kept her separate but in the same run, after a week she laid an egg but it was streaked with blood, a fair bit and there was a couple of drops in the nest. I thought it might be because she hadn’t laid in a while but the next day was the same, by the time I went out to them she had worked out a way to get in with the others and as she walked up the ramp I noticed blood dripping out of her vent. She got to the top of the ramp and I noticed a slight prolapse (I’m guessing) but it went back in by itself.
I took her straight to the vets and they said they thought it was Salpingitis so she had a week of antibiotics (can check what she had if it’s relevant).
I kept her alone again and after she finished the antibiotics I found a strange thing in the run which seemed like white membrane from an egg. She had clear fluid coming out of her for a couple of days and no eggs laid.
she then resumed laying normal eggs.
The discharge continued throughout apart from when it was clear fluid.
Nell has since laid A further formed 2 soft shelled eggs.
I originally tried treating the discharge with baths and canesten thrush cream topically (as suggested on the BHWT website for vent gleet), I think that may have improved it slightly but it didn’t resolve it as when I stopped it has returned.
I have tried probiotics and changed from Oyster shell to Gastro Grit which they seem to prefer (to try to help the soft shelled eggs).
I asked the vet about the smell and to check for thrush in her mouth but they said they couldn’t see any... so no anti fungal treatment was prescribed.
Nell was quite skinny but from her time in hospital confinement she has filled out and weighs 2kg. Actually heavier than the other who are all 1.8kg.
She is bright in herself and although she is bottom hen, the pecking her has reduced and she has been partly accepted.
Any suggestions on what it could be?
How to treat it?
I have tried to feel for fluid and I can’t feel anything although I’m not sure I would know! Her crop this evening felt hard with food at bed time. She is up before me in the morning and as Ex batts I haven’t managed to get them all to sleep in the coop yet a couple of them seem to prefer to sleep outside in the run on the shelf, so they eat when they get up at 4.30am ish.
Any things I need to check without removing her too much seeing as she has just made a bit of peace with the flock?
Thank in advance for any help!
Picture’s of Nell’s backside today... if they help!
