uh oh-- my wyandotte hen sneezed and

[bellydancer]

it does not look like poop coming out of her butt. Honestly, this is gross, but it looks more like yellowish cream. (barf). This is two days after the other hen (my only other hen-- this being my first chickens and will I ever shop at the feed & seed again? I think not) died of some sort of respiratory illness 24 hours after I bought her (see my other post). Is there anything I can do? Needless to say, all calls to all my other pets veterinarians this morning before work were fruitless-- they don't treat chickens. Can my chicken take echinacea tincture? What can I give her? This poor little pullet is breaking our hearts-- she comes and hops up on your hand when you put your hand down to her-- just totally adorable. She had been perching at night, but last night slept in the nest box. She has been symptom free until this morning.

 

[DuckLady]

That's terrible bad luck!
I gather you bought them recently as full grown hens? It sounds like they were sick when you got them. Can you contact the people you got htem from and ask if they are having anything ging on with their flock? That might steer you int he right direction for treatment.
I would put her on something. But what? Can you take a sample of hte poo to a vet and ask them to do a fecal float test? They can do that for any animal even chickens. It can tell you what is going on with them.

I would keep her warm, put V&E in her water and I hope you find out what is going on.
This is too heartbreaking!

 

[bellydancer]

My guess is that these "full grown hens" which they sold us are considerably younger than that. After looking at numerous pictures on the internet, I would bet they are about 12 weeks old or a little less.

What is V&E? Is that like avian vitamins that you dissolve in their water?

I have a number of tinctures that would work on humans in terms of an infection of some kind-- they are alcohol based, though, and I wonder if it would be okay to give them to the hen.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

The V & E is Vitamins and Electrolytes and yes it does go in her water.....you can find this at feedstores ....Also Terramycin is an all around antibotic that might work to help her thru this....if its respiratory....my opinions tho

Since they weren't full grown what do you have them on as feed.?..just laying hens should be on a layer at around 18 weeks old...younger should still be on a starter grower.....

Also try the garlic or organic apple cider vinegar in her water for the sneezing....
I know nothing about using the tinctures so no help there...

Just keep her warm and dry.....

 

[bellydancer]

Ok. I put a capful of bragg's in her waterer when I filled it up-- i had read about that on this board.

I will pick up the electrolytes and stuff at a pet food store on the way home.

It is nothing but warm in Texas.

I do not know what kind of feed they are on-- it is supposed to be "laying feed", but I asked my husband what did it say on the label of the bin it came out of at the feed store and he wasn't really sure. He had asked for laying food because we thought we were getting point of lay hens-- they are really much younger. I can tell you that the food they sold us is not pelleted food which surprised me and it contains a large percentage of corn-- about 50%-- and some other grains and stuff, and I added a mason jar of flax seed which I had in the house. We have a cooler full of this mix.

Thank you for your help!

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Sounds like Scratch feed to me and that is not good for your hen other than an occasional treat...they need to be on a starter/grower if they are not at point of lay yet and then moved on to a layer feed...

It comes in a pellet or crumbles and or mash as its called....mine like the crumbles but sometimes its wasted more then a pellet....

 

[bellydancer]

dadgummit!!!! I am so annoyed with this feed & seed store. A call placed to them this morning to inquire if any of their flock was suffering and that our hen bought mere days ago was sick like the one they sold us that DIED ALREADY was met with "they don't know" and they'll have the manager call us back.

I feel so bad. I honestly thought we were doing the best for our little guys-- I had read several books on chickens, perused innumerable websites and message boards, have in fact raised cockatoos and cockateils and love birds and parrots from babies so generally know something about birds, had a dozen RIR's as a child, built a coop and a pen for them to free range in the yard, and we have now totally gone astray.

We knew just what we wanted-- two ready to lay hens, a feeder, a waterer that would hold five gallons, and laying pellets-- and look what we came home with! Two sick birds (from, my husband says, a cage containing more sneezing birds-- well, he didn't know-- he thought they had allergies-- he's never raised birds before) and treat food. Dear god almighty. One bird died, the other one is sick. My dream of caring for chickens is not going well!!!!!

Rant over. We will go to a different feed store and insist on laying PELLETS, V&E, and we will do what we can for this little pullet-- if in fact she IS a pullet and not a roo. I didn't intend to be such a dummy.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Go to the feeding thread forum on this board and read thru the posts on feeding young pullets...there is lots of info in there...this is how you learn and there is never a dumb question to ask as Wes of TX sayss....lol

 

[silkiechicken]

That sucks, when you go out though, get grower feed since shes not ready for the calcium yet. Good luck.

 

[bellydancer]

thank you, tuffoldhen! ((((((((((hugs)))))))))