- Dec 4, 2014
- 15
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This is my OP from this morning. The RIR has since died. We have quarantined the Buff until I can get her to a vet, but I don't know if I will be able to find a farm vet tomorrow (July 4th). I am so worried about the babies and what they could have been exposed to. Any advice please!
Hi all. I have 3 older (abt 7 y.o.) girls (1 Buff Orp and 2 RIR's). The Buff (my girl!) and one of the Reds aren't doing well. The other Red seems as healthy as can be.
The Red hasn't been "right" for months. She's stayed in the coop a bit more than the others or outside a bit more when the others were in. The Buff, on the other hand, had been extremely healthy. We decided to reclaim our shed and bought them a new coop. At that point, the Red stopped going inside at night altogether. Each night, I would have to coax her inside. I added a light, thinking that would help and it did not. After a couple of weeks, the Buff started doing the same thing. They didn't use the roosts inside or outside of the coop and would roost in the nest boxes. So their little chicken bums are covered in poop. I noticed last week that the Buff's face was white, almost like dry skin. Her comb and wattles look okay. I noticed today that the Red will take a few tentative steps, hunker down and lay on her side a bit. When I picked her up, I saw that the skin on her neck was extremely dry and flaky. I checked the skin on the Buff's neck and wings and it looks the same, dry and flaky. They both spend the day hunkered down together facing an outside corner of the run....not very happy chickens. I checked the skin on the other RIR and it's perfect.
My concerns are, of course, for their health because I want to know if there is a way I can help them or do I need to help them move on at this point? Second, I just added 6 little ones (8 weeks old) to the flock last weekend. I am worried that, if there is a contagious aspect to whatever it is, it will be passed along. If it were contagious, wouldn't the other adult hen have it or is it possible that her immunity is such that she is able to fight it, but the babies could catch it?
I am so appreciative of any help and direction anyone can provide. I called my chicken vet today and she is fully booked until next Tuesday!
Hi all. I have 3 older (abt 7 y.o.) girls (1 Buff Orp and 2 RIR's). The Buff (my girl!) and one of the Reds aren't doing well. The other Red seems as healthy as can be.
The Red hasn't been "right" for months. She's stayed in the coop a bit more than the others or outside a bit more when the others were in. The Buff, on the other hand, had been extremely healthy. We decided to reclaim our shed and bought them a new coop. At that point, the Red stopped going inside at night altogether. Each night, I would have to coax her inside. I added a light, thinking that would help and it did not. After a couple of weeks, the Buff started doing the same thing. They didn't use the roosts inside or outside of the coop and would roost in the nest boxes. So their little chicken bums are covered in poop. I noticed last week that the Buff's face was white, almost like dry skin. Her comb and wattles look okay. I noticed today that the Red will take a few tentative steps, hunker down and lay on her side a bit. When I picked her up, I saw that the skin on her neck was extremely dry and flaky. I checked the skin on the Buff's neck and wings and it looks the same, dry and flaky. They both spend the day hunkered down together facing an outside corner of the run....not very happy chickens. I checked the skin on the other RIR and it's perfect.
My concerns are, of course, for their health because I want to know if there is a way I can help them or do I need to help them move on at this point? Second, I just added 6 little ones (8 weeks old) to the flock last weekend. I am worried that, if there is a contagious aspect to whatever it is, it will be passed along. If it were contagious, wouldn't the other adult hen have it or is it possible that her immunity is such that she is able to fight it, but the babies could catch it?
I am so appreciative of any help and direction anyone can provide. I called my chicken vet today and she is fully booked until next Tuesday!
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