What's wrong with my hen?

[Button]

I have a bantam barred rock hen that is about 2 years old. she has what appears to be dirt (or something) in her mouth and doesn't close her beak completely. She also has tearing eyes. She also smells a bit. I dont know if she is still laying as I have a few hens. She is free ranging and is movig around fine. She does take deep naps out on the back lawn. I'm not sure what is wrong with her...any thoughts? Thanks:|

 

[hencackle]

Is it just her face that smells bad or her body? If she has swelling in her face & wattles along with a bad smelling nasal discharge, the hen might have infectious coryza.

Are there changes in her poop or comb color? Does she sneeze or cough?
If you can provide more information it will help us narrow the possibilities.
Stephanie

 

[kingsdaughter]

Try this link

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheets/31.html

 

[pipermark]

Fowl Pox, its carried by Mosquitos. Regardless of what she has the first step is always Quarentine the animal.

Folks cant emphasis this enough , if you even think that maybe a bird in your flock is sick, isolate the bird from the group until your sure and or it is well.

 

[SpottedCrow]

We don't have mosquitos yet, Mark and you can keep yours LOL
Definitely keep her away from the others. If you can hold her, pick her up and listen to her breathing too. It should sound like a blacksmith's bellows, with no rattles or wheezes.

 

[Button]

Thanks for the responses. I'll check out the website. Thank you.

 

[dlhunicorn]

The following link can help you narrow things down (matches up symptoms with disease)
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/disaid.htm

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

I would add raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar to her water.

http://www.cagenbird.com/vinegar.htm

You might give her some steam rice with her feed with some DE added to it. The rice will help her stools firm and the DE will help reduce odor associated with regular feed.

http://www.freshwaterorganics.com