Eglu Cube Coop and Accessories

[Minnie&Moose]

Dorcus is just over a year old and has been hale and hearty ever since we had her, laying 5+ eggs a week. Towards the end of last week she was producing watery droppings, but was still laying, looked fine, appeared to be eating and was usually first in the queue for everything. On Sunday she looked a bit miserable, nothing obvious, just not her usual self. Monday I found a soft-shelled egg I thought was hers (right colour) which might explain Sunday's behaviour, but she hasn't perked up. She's slower than usual, keeping herself to herself (she's no. 2 hen and usually in the thick of things). Her droppings are still watery and she's lost some weight. But, she'll come for corn, she ate pellet porridge this evening with the others and had no problems getting her fair share, her eyes are bright, there's no laboured breathing or wheezing, no obvious external parasites, she doesn't feel hot compared with the others, and she was wormed with Flubenvet about 6 weeks ago. Also, she didn't put herself to bed tonight but was settling down in the dustbath for the night (I've stuck her in the cube with the others) - she's never done this before.

 

I took her to the vet this afternoon - they examined her and couldn't find anything obvious, but suggested if she doesn't improve in a day or so, they'd like to send off a droppings sample to have it checked. She's definitely not herself but it's hard to say why I'm concerned about her other than she's just not right - could she be about to moult or have we missed something obvious?

Edited May 24, 2012 by Guest

[Egghead68]

I would get a dropping sample sent off. Retfords may be cheaper than your vets.

[Minnie&Moose]

Thanks for the suggestion - if she's still alive tomorrow I'll do that. Got home late this evening to find her asleep under the cube again. She was eating and perky this morning before I left for work but by all accounts was very slow and miserable this afternoon. I have a horrible feeling this isn't going to end well.

[Minnie&Moose]

Unfortunately Dorcus died last night Have disinfected run, house, food & water containers just in case. The others all look fine so far but I do wonder if I missed something obvious.

[Plum]

I would have done the same as you. Didn't sound a typical gut infections. Sorry you lost her

[Minnie&Moose]

Thanks Plum. Vet has agreed to send off droppings samples from the others just to check we haven't missed anything. The others look fine at the moment but the speed with which Dorcus deteriorated has me a bit alarmed. I'm concerned there may be something brewing in their area which although quite big (30 square metres) and regularly treated with Stalosan and garden lime, has been in continual use for a couple of years now.

[Plum]

Could have been from a wild bird?

[Egghead68]

I'm so sorry to hear that.

[mollyripkim]

I am so sorry to hear that, hope you get a good result from the samples and your other girls are ok.

[Minnie&Moose]

The results of the poo samples are in - our hens have Capillaria - hairworms! They also have campylobacter (fortunately I've trained my household well re handwashing, pet handling so none of us have succumbed so far). It's not clear whether either or both of these might have killed Dorcus - the vet said that some birds are affected badly by campylobacter, others carry it but are fine in themselves. Either way, because of the potential risk to us they begin antibiotic treatment tomorrow and once that's done they have another week of flubenvet (they were only wormed 6 weeks ago but the levels recorded in their droppings suggest they should be done again pronto!).

 

So - I've blitzed their old space with Stalosan, I'll reseed it with poultry ley at the weekend and the girls will be rotated round the lawn for the summer (they won't mind but we're not so happy!). I'm relieved it's not coccidiosis but I'm concerned that my worming regime (every 3 months with flubenvet mixed into pellets) and management of their space (regular use of Stalosan and resting part of the pen for 6 months) hasn't been enough to keep worm levels down. And I'm sad that perhaps this is what killed Dorcus.

Edited May 24, 2012 by Guest

[sparkysmum]

You need a ground sanitiser such as stalosan or bio dri. These might help kill off worm eggs but not guaranteed to catch them all. Flubenvet is only for administering to hens and wont work as a ground sanitiser.

[Minnie&Moose]

Hi Sparkysmum - thanks for pointing out my mistake - sprinkling 30 square metres with Flubenvet once a month would be a bit of a costly mistake I meant Stalosan

[Egghead68]

Well it's good you've got some answers and can treat the others.