young hens have diarrhea

[AdrieeC]

I bought 4 young laying hens today. 3 RIRs and a BSL. The initial inspection they looked healthy... two of them have been pecked a little, but the skin looks good. On the way home one of them had Diarrhea, and when I put them in the temporary pen. It looks like some of their food is in the stool but no worms. He said he feeds them all scratch, I will be feeding them layer feed. Is there anything I can do to help clear up the diarrhea?

Thanks!

 

[VerlonCox]

Adriee, I would mix a little baking soda in with their feed in the beginning but I would DEFINITELY keep them seperated from my flock for a good month first and foremost. Is there any unusual odor coming from them? If so you may have a case of enteritis on your hands and if that's the case I feel for you.

 

[AdrieeC]

Well they smell how i would expect a chicken to smell...my healthy rooster smells like a chicken. They are a bit dirty because the rain last night was ridiculous. I plan to give them a quick bath tomorrow after work, and then they will continue in quarantine.. the stool doesn't smell any different than regular chicken stool.

I looked up enteritis, suggested treatment is penicillin. Do I have to take them to the vet to get it?

the symptoms listed don't seem to match with what I have seen from them thus far, though I will continue to observe. the stool is light brown almost white, and the list of symptoms suggest that it would be dark brown. I will mix in the baking soda this evening.

Thanks!

 

[wildorchid053]

it might be all the stress from being transferred.. just keep an eye on them.. as long as they eat and aren't lethargic i would just watch..

 

[AdrieeC]

I checked on them when I got home this evening and there did not look to be any new loose stools. I have them in crates for tonight. Tomorrow or the next day I will put them in their coup, then I will add my roo in when they are through their quarantine period. I can keep Wally on the covered porch much easier than 4 hens. when we were transitioning them from the car into the crates he detected them and was quite curious, and trying to show off... I'm glad...he seemed happier almost instantly. I am sure he will be quite happy with them once he moves in.

Thank you for your help.

 

[paddock36]

Quote:
Just happened to read the post. What does baking soda do?

 

[AdrieeC]

Update on new hens:

This morning I went out and I had to basically dump them out of the crates... but other than that they seem active, alert, talkative, tails up nostrils and eyes clear...combs perhaps a little dry but otherwise fine. they seem kinda dull in color... but that may be normal? The hens we had growing up were not all that shiny that I remember. I only have my memory and pictures to really compare... My rooster is very shiny... but that might just be because he's a rooster...?
The poops I saw did not look runny like the ones I saw yesterday. They were mostly dark brown, kind of loose, but some form and no obvious food contents.

I did not notice it yesterday but now... they do seem to stink a bit...is that because there are 4 of them now? All I had before was the one roo, and he smelled like chicken...but it was not as strong as I have noticed it today.

On the plus side...I got 3 out of 4 eggs this morning. Don't know if I should eat them or not?

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

If you want to firm up their pooh, feed them some cooked, long grain white rice. Also, I would give them all a little yogurt; repopulate their colons with good bacteria. Also, I would add Apple Cider Vinegar to their water--never hurts, and often helps.

 

[AdrieeC]

Yay! they are eating and free ranging... DH had them in the yard when I got home from work today!