Watery poo with undigested grass

[Charlotte_DK]

My Easter egger hen is around 24-30 weeks old and started laying for the first time around a week ago. About 4 days ago she started with diarrhea. Today it was watery with undigested grass in it.

She was in bad condition when I got her around 5 weeks ago. She was very pale and had no feathers on her back from being pecked at. Now she has all feathers and her comb and wattle are slightly more red.

She eats well and is eating pellets, a small handful of mealworms and sunflower seeds every day, has access to oyster shells and grit. She is free range and eats others bits I throw out. Clean water everyday.

I also got an araucana at the same time that has had constant milk coloured diarrhea and has a dirty bum. I have bathed her with epson salts multiple times. No signs of worms. Eating well but thin and has feathers missing around vent.

I have just got a probiotic from the vets which I started yesterday.

Does anyone know what could be causing the diarrhea?

Picture of my Easter egger.

 

[azygous]

A chicken will drink more water than usual when they have an obstructed crop or gizzard, trying to flush out the solid matter. Thus the watery poop.

To be sure this little lady is not impacted, you would be wise to make a crop check in the morning before she eats or drinks anything. This will tell you if her crop is emptying as it should over night. If the crop has solid material in it come morning, then you may need to treat for crop impaction. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Charlotte_DK]

Thank you. I checked her this morning and it wasn’t full or hard. Checked tonight and it large and soft. Her poop looked more formed today but still some water and grass. I’ll keep an eye on it over the next few days.

 

[khind]

@azygous
I read your article! Can you tell me what kind of glue you used/would use for the simple crop bra with Vet Wrap? I'm ready to try a crop bra with one of my hens, and I want to get something on her asap until I can buy or sew one (assuming a sewn one would last longer?).
Hot glue/cold glue (like from a glue gun - I'm not sew-knowledgeable so that might sound absurd)? A certain fabric glue? Elmer's-type glue? I have the wide Vet Wrap already. Thank you!

 

[azygous]

Any glue will work fine if you don't wash it. But this is just a fast and easy way to get the project done. I would use whatever you have handy.

Crop bras always require some adjustment. This way you can experiment without having to do a lot of work, and you end up with a working pattern for sewing the permanent bra.

 

[khind]

Any glue will work fine if you don't wash it. But this is just a fast and easy way to get the project done. I would use whatever you have handy.

Crop bras always require some adjustment. This way you can experiment without having to do a lot of work, and you end up with a working pattern for sewing the permanent bra.

Makes sense. Thank you so much.

 

[khind]

@azygous
It also looks like you tied both pairs of straps about the torso and back, and didn't involve the neck, is that correct? Does the crop get situated underneath the bra near the top, so that the bra sort of rests against it?
I put mine on my hen, and the crop is beneath the fabric (i.e., not spilling out), but I have the uppermost pair of straps wrapped around her neck and the others under her wings, but I'm not as crazy about having something that's a bit rough like vet wrap tied around her neck (even though I've seen some commercial crop bras made that way). I'm hoping there's a better way.

 

[azygous]

I made this thread when I made a very nice, functional crop bra. It shows, with pictures, step by step how I made it. It's the end result of a lot of tinkering with the best way to fasten the straps to the hen for safety and comfort and efficiency of function. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/making-a-crop-bra-for-a-hen-with-pendulous-crop.1464848/