4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Peaches]

another of my girls is sort of behaving like Samosa (who died on Monday). She's moving around a lot less, closes her eyes a lot, a bit hunched over, and has that strange, sicky slightly faecal smell that Samosa had. I've seen some runny poos around the garden, so I assume they are hers.

 

I've got the Victoria Roberts book now, but none of the illness seem to fit. Her comb is pink and upright .... please don't let another chicken be ill.... She will eat grapes - but so did Samosa until Monday. No mess around her vent (which Samosa had).

 

Priscilla is the biggest and strongest looking of the chickens .... am I worrying too much??

 

Fi

[Plum]

Heck, they know how to worry you. You say she smells have you checked which end the smell is coming from?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Oh no, what a worry for you . I hope it's nothing and she perks up .

[Peaches]

Thanks, peeps.

 

Smell is coming from the business end, I think.

 

I've prepared the dog crate (having cleaned out using Vikron) and put in a little box for her to nest in, clean water, clean food. OH says to chill for a while and see how she goes, she may just be tired. If she gets worse I shall immediately take her indoors and keep an eye on her.

 

They are a worry ..... love them to bits, but feeling in bits myself.

[Budgies]

Oh Peaches, not another one!!

 

I'm not sure we got to the "basics" questions with Samosa, it all happened so quickly.

 

Have they been flubenvet wormed (or similar quality wormer) lately?

 

And sprayed for redmite?

[Peaches]

Budgies - no. Tried to buy some Flubenvet today, and I have checked for red mite, but can't see any. I got the girls a month ago, assumed that as ex-batts they would be full of stuff so didn't want to put more into them yet.

 

Have I made a hideous mistake?

 

Have put Priscilla in dog crate, syringed some water into her, she just sat there, eyes shut. She's settled down and is sleeping.

 

I hope and hope and hope I am not some plague on innocent chickens.

[Plum]

Don't be so hard on yourself, you know ex bats are very vulnerable after the rotten life they have had and you are doing your best. Hugs & Chin up

[Budgies]

Peaches, I do feel so sorry for you going through all this!

 

As Plum says, please don't be so hard on yourself - you're doing your best for your ladies and giving them a chance at a "normal" chickeny existence - I'm sure your girls would all thank you for that!

 

I can fully sympathise with not wanting to put ex-batts through more misery after all they've endured. However, as you're now experiencing these problems, I would be inclined to treat them for parasites.

 

Red mite are notoriously hard to detect. They only move around at night, when they come out of their hiding places to feed on the birds. They don't live on the chicken so a daytime check of your girls won't reveal anything. They will drastically affect their condition though, so it's definitely worth treating them.

 

I hope that Priscilla is feeling a bit better by morning, got everything crossed for her here.

[Peaches]

Good morning, guys

 

Priscilla is okay, not smelly, but she just seems to want to stand there with her eyes closed. She was sleeping last night with her head tucked in, and she's doing it now standing around the garden.

 

I shall go and get some red mite powder this morning. Do red mites make hens feel sleepy eg by draining their energy or something??

 

Thank you for your support. It really helps.

[abwsco]

Good morning, guys

 

Priscilla is okay, not smelly, but she just seems to want to stand there with her eyes closed. She was sleeping last night with her head tucked in, and she's doing it now standing around the garden.

 

I shall go and get some red mite powder this morning. Do red mites make hens feel sleepy eg by draining their energy or something??

 

Thank you for your support. It really helps.

 

Red mites can make chickens very anaemic and exceedingly bad cases will kill. Have you got some poultry shield? If not, I'd get some and do the house. Not sure if you've an eglu or a coop. Also, get rid of all bedding. If there are any signs of red mite you will need to do Poultry Shield for 3 days on the trot, clear out all bedding each time as well and also change and wash all your clothing, shower and also use Poultry Shield on the things you use to clean out with.

 

However, one of our exbatts was very similar to Priscilla a few weeks after we got her and we fed her live natural yoghurt, syringed very watery mash porridge into her and also wormed her with flubenvet. She's still with us now and is the largest of the two remaining exbatts.

 

Fingers crossed that Priscilla will be ok.

[Peaches]

I don't have Poultry Shield, but have Virkon - is that the same sort of thing?

 

I've just dusted all 3 girls with DE (bought from Omlet) and I've separated Priscilla out and put her back into the crate as she's still keeping her eyes shut and seems sleepy and is not feeding much.

 

Thanks.

[Budgies]

Peaches, Virkon is a DEFRA approved disinfectant so I'm sure it will be fine to use instead of Poultry Shield.

 

It still sounds possible that she's being bothered by either external or internal parasites.

 

You'll need to dust them again soon to ensure that it does the trick.

 

Did you manage to get hold of some Flubenvet too? This seems to be the best wormer on the market and if she does have any worms, will help improve things quite quickly.

 

Good luck

[Egluntyne]

I would worm her as a metter of urgency.

 

PM me your address and I'll send you some Flubenvet if you like.

[Peaches]

Hello, Budgies

 

I haven't had any luck with Flubenvet, but have pm'd Jo who is offering some. I could nearly say Flub is as hard to find as hens' teeth

 

I have put VermX in her water and syringed it to her - she is disinclined to eat or drink - apart from grapes. I have doused them all in DE, and I am going to clear out the coop (not Eglu, I'm afraid ) with Virkron.

 

Priscilla has been quietly and happily sitting on my husband's knee, she likes to be stroked, and now she's back in the dog crate with the Birdsong station on my digital radio as she seems to like it.

 

Internal parasites seems the most obvious reason, I agree - probably worms, I'm thinking. She's sleepy and listless, so it seems the most obvious. I shall take her to the vet tomorrow. She does not seem in distress and her comb is still upright.

 

Please all keep your fingers crossed for me.

 

Thanks - Fi

[Peaches]

Egluntine - I have pm'd you. Thank you.

[Egluntyne]

Have pm'd you back.