What could this hen have?

[kari_dawn]

fingers crossed! I will be watching for updates! I used to feed my girls a can of pumpkin every once in a while. they loved it. I have no idea if it helped with worms, but it is such a nutrient dense food, it is worth including anyway.

A word on the DE, I use it in my coop too, but if it does turn out you have soft ticks, you really have to get it into the cracks and crevaces....I recommend something like this to squeeze it into those deep nooks they can hide in http://www.amazon.com/WXBUY-Alcohol...sr=8-1&keywords=glue+rosin+bottle+with+needle Just make sure you get a large gauge needle the DE can flow through easily

 

[maureenclaire]

So I have no good news, in fact I fear it's now worse. I am terrified something contagious is happening in my flock and I've been cleaning everything and crying with frustration and cleaning more. I'm exhausted and I don't know what to do. I feel like a horrible bird mother. Today now another bird is acting off. This one is standing off from everyone else with her head pulled in and her feathers ruffled. I have two birds quarantined now. I'm running out of space, I'm paranoid that EVERYTHING is contaminated, and I don't know how to treat these birds. ***ONE POSSIBLE CLUE SOMEONE HERE MAY BE ABLE TO USE TO HELP*** I have found a few gelatinous, soft shelled and a few soft broken eggs in our coop. I found some information on Egg Peritonitis. They have all of the symptoms but I see no yolk-like material in their feces. Our girls eat layer feed and I supplement with oyster shell also. The hens are going on their second year. Our yard is fenced. There are 21 hens and 9 ducks on a little under an acre. It's now more than one bird and that is why I am so terribly scared. Can someone please try to help me figure this out? I have videos of the hens bowel movement, close ups of her vent, and pics of her compared to my other hens. I will re-tell anything I may have posted earlier to make it easier, I will post pics or send videos. I will inspect the bird further if that would help someone. Anything, please. I'm desperate and so frustrated. Thank you.

 

[enola]

I am going to suggest taking one of your sick chickens to a lab for an autopsy......

 

[KayTee]

Post the poop pictures and videos so that we can see what they look like. The more information you put out here the better.

Exactly what symptoms are the two sick girls showing now? Try and list everything that doesn't fit with their normal behaviour, activity etc - it may help to ring a bell with someone. Also try and think of any little thing that might have changed recently, no matter how small (feed, bedding, water supply, feed bowls, neighbours, new plants or compost or anything else you may have used in the area they free range in ...)

It is awful to be at a loss when your girls are sick - I know exactly how you feel because I have just been through an awful time with a really sick girl and didn't have a clue what to do for her. It makes you feel so helpless and frustrated, because you want to do the best for your girls but don't know exactly what that is. It doesn't matter what anyone says, you still feel really bad until you can find a solution.

I'm thinking of you, and hoping that someone will be able to help you sort this out.

 

[KayTee]

And enola has a point - if it does come to the worst and you lose one of your girls, you should really make the effort to send her for a necropsy. It can only be beneficial for you and the rest of your flock, as it will let you know if you are dealing with individual girls with problems, or an infectious disease that could spread to them all.

 

[cafarmgirl]

When something is going on in your flock that you can't put your finger on the best thing to do is start with the most common possibilities and work your way out from there. Based on what you've described what I would do if this were my flock? I'd start by deworming everybody and with something safe and effective, personally I'd use Valbazen and not waste my time with Wazine. There are all kinds of worms chickens get and Wazine will only get rid of round worms, if your birds have anything else at all then you've wasted your time. Treat all standard size birds with 0.5 cc with a needless syringe and repeat the dose in 10 days.

The other possibility I would consider is coccidiosis. In fact before I dewormed them I'd probably run a course of Corid for 5 days so that I could at least rule out that possibility.

Also check them over very carefully for mites/lice. Check in the coop at night with a flashlight, see if you see mites on the roosts, they come out at night to feed. If you see anything then you need to treat birds and coop with something much more effective then DE. Sevin or Garden and Poultry Dust will do the job. Strip the coop and spray it, dust all the birds. Repeat all of it in 10 days, that should clear things up though sometimes you need to do it again.

Things like ACV and garlic, pumpkin seeds, cucumber etc. etc. will do nothing to clear up a worm infestation if your birds have them. They make humans feel good to use those things but the birds need something that actually works. To me it's worth it to use something effective a couple times a year and have healthy, happy birds then to loose birds to things that are totally preventable/controllable.

And Enola is right, if you loose a bird get a necropsy done by a state lab. Some states do them for free. They will test for everything under the sun and you will have your answer as to what is going on in your flock.

Good luck, hope you are able to get to the bottom of it.

 

[enola]

Cafarmgirl said it much better than I could.....

One more thing I would like to add; I handle every bird I own at least once a month. Chickens can hide illness very well. One of the first symptoms is loss of body weight. And the time to start working on a sick chicken is the first day you notice something is not quite right about that chicken.

 

[Shabana]

Check your feed too to make sure it hasn't gone off or mouldy. It doesn't take much and it can make them really sick.
Are they moulting ?

I worm with flubenvet twice a year without fail. My birds are on the same ground so I'd rather be safe than sorry. They also get ivermectin spot on treatment to prevent scaley leg mites a few times a year as I have a few breeds that have feathery legs and have been susceptible in the past.
I think it's good advice and good husbandry to inspect and handle your birds often.
If you are experiencing soft shelled eggs it could be a blip and due to their moult and going out or coming into lay.
Vit bs can help together with a protein boost. Once a week I mix in garlic powder and seaweed powder into their feed and during their moult I give them a feed that's higher in protein content, wet fishy cat food, hard boiled eggs etc.
I do hope your flock is ok and that you find some answers.
My heart goes out to you.