Omlet Smart Autodoor - New in box

[corriob86]

Hi all - this is my first post which is sad because I lived on this site before and when I first got my three girls! Jst wondering if anyone can help as I seem to have a poorly girl and I am really worried because I love her and my other two girls so much. Bit of background - I got my three girls in feb and they are ex-batt. I watched them and freaked out at every little thing whilst they were on the road to recovery - one chicken scared me particularly (not the one in question! that one is a fiesty thing now!) but they seemed to make a full recovery. Babs, the now poorly girl never really laid eggs, she laid one and another with no shell but nothing other than that but I didnt care and the other two now lay fab - as long as Babs was healthy and happy. Which she seemed and was also the boss of the three. One thing that concerned me was that unlike the others, her poo never firmed up. It wasnt really like runny poo, more like expulsions of water from her vent with bits of poop in it and some of them were solid (sorry!!) as well. She also seems to drink more than the others. Other than that she was chirpy. She is bigger than the others (maybe cos she doesnt lay..?) and seemed healthy - dust bathing, chasing me for sweetcorn, lording over the others

 

I read loadsa things on here and other sites and worm them with worm-x and have since I got them in feb once a month. I got the idea from reading that as long as she was perky and eating and drinking it might just be whats normal for her. Anyways I have never had chickens before so would randomly check their feathers as they ran around, rub diatom into their coop and sprinkle it over them when they dustbathe. Treat the coop once a month with poultry shield. Put apple cider in their water and poultry spice in their food.

 

First thing was Babs didnt go to bed last night. I went out and saw her in the corner of the run sleeping. My chicks have never used their bars and sleep in the nexting boxes. Anyways this has happened with two of the chickens once before - that they havent gone to bed so didnt think anything of it and picked her up all sleepy and put her in the hourse. Anyway Babs has always had a slightly dirtier bum than the others due to her "expulsions" but today it was really messy with yellowish gunk. She was also really slow walking round the garden when I let them out. Not really pecking the grass as much and sometimes just stopping. Not really hunching (altho she did when i first got her a bit actually - when she was weak) just slow. I put some sugar in her water and gave her a drink which she drank. Also gave her some yoghurt which she ate. Cut her dirty bum feathers out and gave her a thorough check through every feather. Saw a couple of lice!!! YUKYUKYUK! I had checked her before but not as much as I did today. Rubbed every inch of her with diatom powder. She was so lethargic she seemed so content with me rubbing the powder through her feathers and closed her eyes contentedly for most of it. I let go of my grip and stroked her back but she just stayed on my lap for a while and i stroked her back which she enjoyed. Im so scared ive done something wrong and caused this and im so worried about her! I rubbed the other two with diatom (a much more difficult feat!!!) and re-powdered the henhouse. Didnt see anything at all on the other two so maybe they hadnt caught them yet.

 

Anyway she went to bed tonight on her own. Another thing I noticed was that after she drank a load of water she kinda dribbled some of it out of her beak a few minutes later which concerned me. Also one of her runny poos today had a greenish tinge. I feel so overwhelmed by the forums and websites at the millions of awful things it could be. I live in Manchester if anyone knows any vets who see chickens....? Do chickens just get off days? Im so scared its some horrible digestive disorder or sumthing. I dont kno whether to see how she goes or take her to the vet straight away....please help!! So sorry for the mammothness of this post. I wanted to give the full story!! Any replies would be most appreciated.

 

Thankyou

A Very Worried Mother Hen x

[Heidi-Hi]

I don't know really... I would bring her in though, to keep a better eye on her for a bit. Maybe there is something up with her laying tackle? Hope you get better advice soon! Good luck x

[squiffs]

Re. the puking water thing - I know mine and other peoples' on the forum do this when they've had a drink and then go to peck at something too quickly, the water goes back the way gravity intended it to...

 

 

Mine seem to do runnier poos when they've had something more rich to eat (i.e. not layers pellets) - what are you feeding them other than layers pellets? I would suspect the yoghurt of causing runny poo - have you been treating her more than usual because you're worried about whether she's feeling okay?

 

Grapes and corn cause my chickens poops to be runnier or yellower than normal - so think about their diet as well when considering why she may be a bit off colour. If she's drinking more than the others her poop will probably be runnier because it'll be more wee than poop, and there will be less poop in it because you said she's eaten less (when hens are in lay they eat more, anyway).

 

Also try treating them with flubenvet - that kills worm infestations and prevents, and has produced results in lab testing, whereas verm-x is heavily marketed as being 'all natural' with no clinical results to back it up. I personally am staying away from 'natural herbal' things in favour of licenced, tested things. She may have had worms when she came to you, and the verm-x will not 'cure' an existing case.

 

 

But yes, if you really can't think of any adjustments that have caused her to be this way, you should take her to a vet.

[corriob86]

Thanks so much for the responses! No nothing abnormal I really just feed them their pellets and vitamin powder with a very small hundful of fresh corn a day along with their grit and a small amount of poultry mixed corn mixed in their feed. I dont want to upset their diet because their feed is most balanced I guess? The other two do "normal" poos with white urates on top. I thought chickens didnt wee and pass urine as that white stuff on top of the poop? Do some wee is that normal? Im not sure! Its so hard to know whats normal. I tried the yoghurt today because I had read its a good source of probiotics and I was worried it could be digestive. Im starting to think it may be a laying prob as you said first hun because she does waddle slightly and is so much fluffier and bigger than the others due to not laying...could be egg bound? or worse that peri egg thing..! oh the worry!! my eyes are square from reading so much!

 

hmmm yeah i may try flubenvet instead as well as ive read some mixed reviews about vermex. Thanks for the help guys. Fingers crossed I think if she hasnt improved I will bring her in tommorrow and take her to the vet monday x

[squiffs]

Thanks so much for the responses! No nothing abnormal I really just feed them their pellets and vitamin powder with a very small hundful of fresh corn a day along with their grit and a small amount of poultry mixed corn mixed in their feed. I dont want to upset their diet because their feed is most balanced I guess? The other two do "normal" poos with white urates on top. I thought chickens didnt wee and pass urine as that white stuff on top of the poop? Do some wee is that normal? Im not sure! Its so hard to know whats normal. I tried the yoghurt today because I had read its a good source of probiotics and I was worried it could be digestive. Im starting to think it may be a laying prob as you said first hun because she does waddle slightly and is so much fluffier and bigger than the others due to not laying...could be egg bound? or worse that peri egg thing..! oh the worry!! my eyes are square from reading so much!

 

hmmm yeah i may try flubenvet instead as well as ive read some mixed reviews about vermex. Thanks for the help guys. Fingers crossed I think if she hasnt improved I will bring her in tommorrow and take her to the vet monday x

 

Chickens don't 'wee' per se, but I know if mine are eating fluidy squishy things like slugs or grapes they get diarrohoea-like poops. My first port of call would definitely be flubenvet though, you don't know what's going on in there and it may have affected her egg production (small egg and then a softie). Have you felt under her abdomen? Is there swelling or fluid-like feeling?

[Chucky Mama]

Your hens will need worming with Flubenvet but I certainly would't rush to do that at the moment as very much doubt that your hen's problems are worm related. My concern would be that she has peritonitis. Have a gentle feel of her abdomen. If she has peritonitis (or a tumour) it will feel tight, swollen or fluid filled. If she has, her outlook is not good I am afraid. She could also have a degree of kidney damage. I visit to the vets is most definitely in order. If she has peritonitis they feel really ill and so I would advise that you seek help as soon as is practically possible. If she is comfortable today it would not to unreasonable to get an appointment on Monday to avoid Sunday vets fees. If she is struggling though, I would seek help today.

[corriob86]

Hi thanks for the replies - I suspect it may be perontitis indeed - just hope its the sterile kind... She was first to the feeder today. Let her and the others out and she did a watery poo with bits of light yellow in confirming my suspicion further. She mostly sat down in the soil while the other 2 dustbathed watching them, apart from her inactivity theres not much else I can see from her behaviour to think she is ill. She is eating and drinking. Gave them a small bit of sweetcorn and she came over hurriedly with the others for a few niblets which was good - will be def taking her to the vet tommorrow. Yeah, her abdomen does feel large and swollen compared to the other 2, read its due to overlaying and weakening in battery farms...GRRR just going to keep checking in on her today - thanks for all the help

[sandyhas3chucks]

i would send a sample off for testing...

bacterial infections present same way too, and infection can creep up on them, one day a bit sad off looking, and 3 days later really ill.

A test will be positive, clinical diagnosis with a treatment specifically for which/what ever bacteria ails.

OR eliminates ANY infection.. just as important in my opinion and experience.

ex bats immune systems are weak and hey often succumb in early days to things "normal " chooks don't.

£30 well spent