yr. old hen with the runs

[Backyard Bird Mom]

I have been a backyard off and on hen owner over the years, so I am pretty clueless. I have had my 2 hens 1 yr. old hens for about 7 weeks. They both had the runs when I got them because I noticed it in the box I brought them home in. I thought maybe it was the stress of moving. After about a week of it I did some searching the BYC and found some suggestions. I started giving the probiotics and vitamin E and my BR has gotten better. i did not add the Sulmet because I was not sure of the cause. The red sex link still has the runs and just recently for the last 4 days has not been laying. Everything else seems to be normal. She eats and drinks and walks all over the yard when I let them roam free.
So one question I have is should I just go ahead and try adding the Sulmet?
#2. Should I now be worried because she quit laying?
#3. Should we have been eating the eggs? (which we did)

Thanks for your help.

 

[Judy]

You won't know the cause for sure unless you take them to a vet, and maybe not then. Believe I would give the Sulmet to the other one, since it seemed to help the first one. I'd also give them a carton or two of plain live culture yogurt, to get the normal gut flora up and running again. I would check at night for mites and lice. And I would probably worm them in a couple of weeks, after they recover from the Sulmet.

 

[Judy]

Oh, yeah, I'd eat the eggs, too. Not saying it is totally safe, just that I would.

 

[dlhunicorn]

hmmm difficult when you have no idea... faecal testing should not be that expensive (might be worms too or a combo of things) > or just give them broadspectrum wormer like ivomec Eprinex (spot-on application method)
If it were me I would worm them first and put them on a good general supplement like AviaCharge 2000 (available te purchase online thru McMurry or Strombergs) and be sure to keep up the daily free choice yogurt (be sure to have a separate bowl of oystershell for them set out too). You can also add some sunflower seed hearts as a treat at the end of the day with some grated carrot and apple...
... unless their symptoms worsen and then of course I would indeed consider the sulmet if no improvement after a couple weeks.