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[house-elf]

Hi, I'm hoping someone can help/advise me ?

One of my hens has been broody for a few weeks. I had tried initially to block of the nest, but she managed continually to knock down and it, so I gave up and let her get on with. Only today I noticed that her comb looks quite pale, her wattles don't look as bad, and she has lost weight. Her poos are normal and when I turf her out the nest, she seems quite normal, wings flapping, creating a fuss etc. I have checked her over for fleas, mites etc but can't see any but I can feel an egg just under her rib cage.

Now she is also on medication, the medication is actually for my other hen, who may have e coli, but as it goes in the water, she drinks it too. Can't remember off hand what it is.

 

Should I be worrying about my hen with the pale comb or should I get her checked out ? Any ideas what it could be ?

 

I lost one hen last year, Matilda I nearly lost a few months back, and due to poor immunity, she has had coccidosis twice, now possible e coli, and now I'm worrying about florrie - they are only about a year old ! These months if worrying is starting to put me off having anymore

 

thank you in advance

[brambles]

I believe that their combs go pale when they're not in lay. It may possibly be worms, lice or red mite though as they're more prone to 'visitors' when they're broody. Have you wormed lately with flubenvet? Check some of the other threads re visitors.

 

Make sure you turf her off once a day to eat and drink. Have you tried putting her up in a broody cage? I use a wire cat box and raise it up on bricks to let the cool air circulate underneath. I leave it safely in the run overnight, with feeders clipped inside. After about 24 hours it seems to snap them out of it.

[Jools]

Sitting hens will lose condition, which may account for the pale comb. If you don't want her to hatch for you, it really is kinder to break her broodiness, for her own good.

 

The other thing to be aware of is that broody hens are an absolute magnet for red mite as they are there 24/7, quite literally a sitting target. It's not unknown for them to become so anaemic through blood loss that they actually die on the nest.

 

So, my advice would be to sin bin her and to check and check again for signs of the blood sucking little mites!

Edited May 22, 2010 by Guest

[Egluntyne]

Broody hens are magnets for redmite, especially in this hot weather, and mites will cause anaemia, so I'd treat her for mites even if you haven't seen any, to be on the safe side.