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

[Hester Hen]

Hi. i have just found this site and joined. it looks really good.

I have a hen, Daphne, who is about 2 years old and is not well. She has a very mucky bottom. I have tried to clean it, but can't get lumps of stuff off. Can I cut the feathers round her vent. She has very watery poo, sometimes white and sometimes brown. She alternates between being really listless, head hanging down and just standing and being quite active and wandering round the garden. She has a good appetite. I wormed them at the beginning of the week. She has not laid for ages as far as I know. Any ideas? All help would be really useful. My other 3 are fine, but last year one of the others did something quite similar and then got over it.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Hello and welcome to the forum . Sorry to hear about your poorly girl . I'm not much good at diagnosing things but wondered if you could try bokashi bran in her feed? It helps digestion and firms poos up a treat.

 

Re the mucky bum, I usually do mine (or my girls' ) in the shower. Constant warm water and rubber gloves usually manage to tease off the hardened bits. Snipping feathers off if you just can't clean them, is fine though .

 

You say she's been wormed but have you checked her over for mites/lice etc?

[gongladosh]

Hello!

 

It might also be worth checking for a sore crop or stomach and when you touch her, does she feel hotter than usual?

(ie a temperature)

 

If she's looking sorry for herself, I'd be tempted to take her to the vet just in case.

[lovebugette]

Does she have a swollen abdomen? Feels quite hard compared to her pals? If so, think it sounds like peritonitis. Definitely recommed looking at posts on this forum for advice. The runny bottom and swollen tummy are the earlier stages so if you can nip it in the bud with a vet visit then I would. My post "Peritonitis/swollen crop - how I saved my hen" on the previous page tells my story and I hope it helps.

 

Good luck, afraid this is so very common and hope you have a fab vet who will be able to help. My hen has got over a bout (along with losing so much weight she only weighed 600g!) but 7 weeks on she has recurring symptoms so off to have a hormone implant. it works xx