Worried about my Henryetta....Please read.

[FlockMama]

Quote:
Yes 95% is layer pellets. They free range for most of the afternoon (and are in the coop in the morning) I don't do oyster shells cause I thought that was only if there shells were soft and the two that lay are both really nicely shelled. They get treats of veggies, yougart, fresh berries, scratch and bread crumbs.

I was hoping it was just the heat too but I don't think so anymore just happend to be at the same time.

I will check for lice and mites. I am going out to do a coop cleaning today so I will check things out.

I checked her vent it was white, I guess open, kinda spasmy(puckery), not dry or tight or scaly, looked okay to me I guess but the spasmy thing.

These are things I have noticed.

I will let you all know.
Thank you

 

[obe10]

the opening and closing of her mouth might be because she is gasping for breath. is it possible that she aspirated? i have had chickens aspirate before but usually they are fine in a few days. also my chickens usually stop laying if it is to cold or to warm. is she eating a lot of earthworms? i found out that eating a lot of earthworms will kill a chicken! i lost a hen to that, she ate a bunch of worms then got really sick, then died a few days later. it is also possible that she has worms and should be wormed just to be on the safe side. her vent is fine the "spasmy thing" is normal

 

[threehorses]

Stress and temperature changes wouldn't cause her to get worms, but they could predispose her to being more effected by them. Or being more susceptible to other threats. A good vitamin/mineral/electroyte supplement for poultry in the water would definitely help.

On her shells, oyster shell should always be provided. The reason is that laying feed is made with a scientific average hen in mind - one that uses something around 6 parts calcium to 1 part phorphorus. (6:1 cal/phos balance). However some perfectly normal hens can need as much as 15:1! You can't force that much calcium on all the 6:1-needing hens, so we always provide oyster shell free choice so that hens who need more normally can supplement themselves. So they should always have oyster shell (preferably crushed, but pelleted) in front of them 24/7 after their combs first start to redden and enlarge. I put mine in the same container as my granite grit. Actually this year I went to the dollar store and bought a kitty waterer/feeder (you know, the two-dish one-piece plastic dishes) and use that. It works wonderfully as it doesn't tip over!

Once you get the hens used to it by putting it near the feed (and some in the feed) then move it off to one side so it doesn't get much bedding on it. Or on top of a concrete block (convenient as they can groom their beaks on it).

On the wormer, since she hadn't been wormed I think that would be a sound bet. It will help her use her nutrition better if there are worms inside, and make her less prone to secondary illnesses. Start with an adult-only wormer like Wazine. Then in the 2-4 week follow up (necessary with Wazine) use a stronger adult/larvacide like fenbendazole ("Wormazole" brand is a good version of this - labeled for chickens), pour-on ivermectin, abendazole, or levamisole. That way you paralyze and expell a good deal of the adults in a manner least likely to stress or clog the hen, and then follow up with something that actually kills adults and larva and stops the cycle. Then I follow up twice annually with the stronger wormer. I use more natural control methods inbetween.

I always use Wazine first if the bird meets any of these conditions:
Bird is under four months old (use wazine exclusively unless a vet or expert says otherwise)
Birds who haven't been wormed in over 6 months.
Birds with an unknown worming history.
Birds who are shedding worms
Birds who are very thin with diarrhea, suspected of heavy worms.

Some options (and these are not wormers, will NOT expell worms, but might help reduce numbers inbetween wormers):

DE in the feed - (food grade ONLY, less than 2% of total feed weight) and in the dust bath areas.
Cayenne pepper - sprinkle on the feed daily
VermX - an herbal product that you use at least 3 days a month.
Very dry environment conditions: sand is better than soil to decrease worm threats, dry/compressed pine shavings (horse bedding) is better than hay.

If you need help finding any of the wormers, using them, etc - please let me know here or via PM or Email.

 

[FlockMama]

Quote:
Thank you for the great info. I got some wazine wormer today and took there water away for awhile so they are really thirsty when I give it to them.

I will get some oyster shell too. I didn't know it was used as a calcium supplement as well.

They do have a dry area but I had wetted it down when it was real hot. They love there dust baths it is't sand but really dry dirt. Inside there coop I use a light layer of straw on the ground and in there nest boxes.

She acts like she wants to lay she was in the nest box today and making her sounds but no egg...

thanks again I appreciate all the helpful responses and I will let you know in a couple days how she looks.