Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Mrs AVP]

Hi there,

 

I just wanted to let you all know the outcome of our sick hen 'Rosie' that we purchased from Omlet on Xmas Eve!!

 

We took her to the vets and he suggested she was put down as she was on her way out and it wasn't fair to keep her alive. She hadn't been able to breathe properly since we picked her up and she had yellow spongy like poops!!! This indicates that she had a disease, we are now concerned as the rest of our chickens may have it. So if anyone has picked up chickens around the same time it maybe worth keeping an eye out if any of them show difficulty in breathing as it may not be a cold!!!

 

Thank you all for your help and especially Barbara@ Omlet.

 

Kind Regards, on a sad evening

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I'm so sorry to hear about poor Rosie . Poor little thing and how sad for you so soon into your chicken-keeping . Fingers crossed that the others are healthy .

[chelsea]

So sorry to hear she didnt make it, what an upsetting episode for you.

 

Did the vet suggest putting your remaning hens on antibiotics just in case?

[Chickvic]

Sorry to hear about Rosie, hope your other girls are ok.

[Mrs AVP]

Thank you all hopefully they will be okay.

 

Vet hasn't suggested antibiotics as he was not sure what was wrong with her. I had some info from Barbara@ omlet that suggested it could be Black Rock due to the foamy like yellow poop!!!

 

x

[sandyhas3chucks]

I just posted on the other thread. I think it was blackhead

viewtopic.php?f=41&t=29183

which would appear to be a parasitic thing which needs worming, just going to go back & re read incase I got that wrong though

[chelsea]

yeah looks as though worming might be a good idea (read the thread link) flubenvet though as verm-x will not work against this parasite.

[sandyhas3chucks]

Crikes that sounds really unlikely

Egluntine ?

yohooo?

where are you?

[chelsea]

read that long post in the thread "horrible introduction to chickens" about blackhead disease, really quite scary .

 

Another reason why not to trust verm-x aswell.

[Mrs AVP]

Hi Sandy

 

I saw that picture of the spongy yellow poop which Barbara forwarded to me and that is what the poop looked like from Rosie for about a week. I hadn't tried to worm her as I thought the vet was best to review!!

 

He said he didn't think she had worms, and couldn't be sure of what disease without a post mortem in which he couldn't do now due to Bird Flu!!

 

Thanks for everyone's help and responses

 

x

[SnowWhite]

I know that this yellow poo picture is posted here http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=29183 and is said to indicate blackhaed disease.

 

This photo actually comes from another site http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=17568 (posted by Plum a few days ago - thanks ) which just says it is a normal caecal poo, normal every one in 8 or so.

 

Can someone clear this up - is it normal or not????

 

Blackhead or histomoniasis is serious and I don't we can make conclusions based on this photo - which seems to be misleading.... To my knowledge, symptomatic droppings are usually watery yellow poo...? Help someone?

[Egluntyne]

Sorry to hear the news.

 

**Here** is a bit more info about the disease.

 

The faeces would appear to be sulphur yellow, and contain blood.

[Mrs AVP]

Thanks Egluntine, Rosie had some of these symptoms in which the vet confirmed and there was blood in the poop.

 

He obviously cannot tell without a post mortem but he seemed to think she def had a disease and she was also anameic. By the time we arrived at the vets she could hardly breathe and her eyes were rolling around, he said she didn't have much longer left.

 

I am going to phone Omlet this morning as he said this could be catching just got to keep an eye on the other two.

 

Thanks again

[The Dogmother]

So sad to hear that Mrs B, please be sure to email james@omlet.co.uk so that they can check the rest of the chooks in the holding pens.

[Mrs AVP]

Thanks Claret, I have phoned and he was not there. I will therefore email him to make sure, thanks for the contact.

 

Kind Regards

[WitchHazel]

Sorry to hear about Rosie, what a sad start to chicken keeping.

 

I lost one of my girls just a few months after I got them. (They weren't Omlet girls, they were from Wernlas).

 

The vet (who was very kind)) explained e that sometimes you just get a sickly bird. When I said that Ithey were bought from a replutable place where all the birds are vaccinated and tested for salmonella etc, he explained that the vaccinations are done by water, and it is quite likely that a few birds per thousand will miss the vaccine (or will get it but the vaccine won't "take"). And if your bird is one that missed the vaccine, it's a bit unfortunate.

 

Don't let it put you off getting a replacement.

[Mrs AVP]

Many thanks for your post, Im hoping that she was the only one to have the problem, like you say she may have been just a sickly chick.

 

Im keeping an eye on the others as the vet feels that they could have caught it. Not showing any signs as yet so Im keeping my fingers crossed.

[The Dogmother]

Good that you're keeping an eye on them, sometimes just the sickly one is struck down. I had this last year when one of my girls, poorly from a moult succumbed to suspected Mareks. I dosed all the others up with Citricidal and garlic powder and kept a close eye on them. Often these bugs are lurking in a low level in any flock and only surface when the immune system of a bird is compromised, unfortunatley that usually happens at this time of year.

[Mrs AVP]

Thanks for your advice Claret.

[The Dogmother]

You're most welcome Mrs AVP

 

Take care of that flock now... a vigilant chook keeper is the best sort.

[Mrs AVP]

Just to let you all know Omlet will pay the cost of the vets bill and refund the cost of Rosie.

 

They think it could have been a parasite due to the symptoms I described!! not sure the symptoms Rosie had could be a number of different things.

 

Hopefully the other two Hens will be okay just got to keep an eye out.

 

Thanks everyone for your help and guidance, we wouldn't of had a clue what to do without all your inputs, as we are very new to this.

Edited January 13, 2009 by Guest

[Egluntyne]

Am glad to hear that they have done the decent thing.

 

Fingers crossed that your other girls will be unaffected.

[mostin]

So sorry to hear about Rosie , that is such bad luck.

[SillyClucker]

sorry to hear about your chook. Just to add my twopeneth, yellow poo is common when the birds are coming into lay. Poo which is frothy can indicate that worms are present.

[Mrs AVP]

I have since found that another member of the Forum has had the same problem with her hen that was purchased around the same time as me from Omlet!!!!

 

When i spoke to Omlet they seemed to think this was a one off!!!