Very Sick Hens - Can Anyone Help??

[juliebrown]

Three weeks ago we adopted 4 hens that are 1.5years old and laying. About a week later they all got really runny white/yellow poops with some blood in them and I saw worms in one poop. One of them was also passing shell-less eggs in the night. The lady at the feed store said it was cocci and gave me Pig Swig to treat them. They just got their second dose yesterday and while they still run around and eat and drink (free range for an hour+ each day), the last two nights three of them haven't pooped at ALL on the roost/poop board and the one that did was super runny and I could see whole grains from their feed in it.

One has had runny poops that matte in her butt feathers (we have bathed her twice and cut off the really bad feathers that almost looked moldy at their base (???) and she doesn't seem to mind). She has a VERY wide stance/gait and seems to have mushy abdomen, and has lost lots of weight despite eating, and is laying down a lot. Tonight she couldn't jump up to the roost with the others. She tried three times, falling down each time. I walked her up the ramp and she settled in real slowly. I am sad for her.

All four have definitely lost weight, I can feel their sharp breast bone. Someone at another feed store said to use Sulmet now, but I need some BYC help before adding more meds! Anyone have opinions??

I have been feeding them scratch/peck layer feed, ACV in their water, garlic water, occasional cottage cheese/yogurt, garden greens, and lots of love. I appreciate any and all help!!

 

[allbirds4me]

sounds like you have cocci and parasite issues.
Fenbendazole ( safeguard goat wormer 10%) is good for a lot of diff. kind of worms.
For coccidiosis seems a lot of people go with corid, I like to use Sulmet personally.
don't know anything about the pig swig stuff, sorry.
you can perform a search here on both cocci and parasites to find the dosage suggestions, n/t...headed out of town for now.

Give them some vitamins, electrolytes and probiotics also, esp. the probiotics when treating for worms and other issues that can wipe out their beneficial gut bacteria.

 

[MrsBrooke]

Corid is good stuff and treats all strains of cocci. Sulmet treats only a few of the strains of Cocci that affect chickens. You can buy either liquid or powder Corid. I use the powder, personally.

Dosage:

Powder - 1.5 teaspoons (NO LESS) per gallon of water.
Liquid - 2 teaspoons per gallon of water.

Give free-choice all day and all night for 5-7 days.

For worms, you can use either Safeguard liquid goat wormer or Valbazen liquid goat wormer. I'm a Valbazen girl.

Dosage for Valbazen is .5cc for standard birds or .25cc for bantams and cockerels/pullets. Treat once orally and then again in ten days. There is a 14 day withdrawal period, so discard eggs for 24 days from first dose.

I'd wait on the probiotics until AFTER the treatment is over. Then you can shove them full of the good stuff.

Keep us posted!

MrsB