Smart Feeder - Light sensor values

[Jofitch31]

I would be really grateful for your help with diagnosing my poorly hen Nigella . The internet is great for trying to find info but I've come up with so many possible solutions I don't know what to do!!

For the last 2 days, Nigella has had very watery poo, but has been eating and drinking and acting normally. All 3 of my hens have just started their first moult, and the weather has finally got a lot hotter, and I thought that maybe a combination of those factors had made her feel a bit off. She has a mucky rear end because of this. She has laid an egg every day this week, but I don't think she has today.

However, yesterday, I noticed that her comb was a little pale at the back end, and this morning it has also flopped over slightly. Then this evening, when all 3 were free ranging, she spent most of the time standing on the spot not doing anything and her tail was drooping right down.

She has eaten dried mealworms this evening, and had a good sized drink (didn't seem too much, but normal) but spent most of the evening just standing staring. She's gone into the next box to bed now.

Any ideas? She's been wormed monthly with Verm-X and I wondered what else it could be. Would a vets appointment be wise?

Thanks in advance,

Jo. (fingers crossed for poor Nigella!)

[Olly]

It's hard to diagnose from those symptoms, but if she is not joining in with the others i.e. pecking, running for treats etc then something is not right, and well done for spotting it.

 

It could be that she is laying a soft egg, that can make them a little off colour. I would recommend worming with Flubenvet - the general opinion on here is that Verm-X is a preventative rather than a fully effective wormer. It's good that she is eating and drinking, but do keep an eye on her because hens can go downhill quickly - if she looks any worse tomorrow then a vet appointment might be a good idea.

 

Does her crop feel full at night and empty again in the morning? That is worth checking. Also how old is she?

[Jofitch31]

Thanks Olly. She's just turned one. I felt her crop this morning when I got them up and it seemed soft. She's not got to her food this morning, but she's still pecking grit and the ground, and drinking.

Think I will ring the vets when it opens...

[chickencam]

It might be worth giving her abdomen a feel too, if it feels swollen then she may have peritonitis, which can only be treated by the vet.

[Jofitch31]

Brief update... I returned from work fully expecting to find poor Nigella on her last legs, but she came to greet me AND had laid an egg ! She still had terribly watery poo though, so I kept the vets appointment I had booked and the vet has prescribed some antibiotics. Vet was brilliant with her and feels that it isn't serious, but an infection (likely caused by some sort of parasite) so I will try to coax tablets into Nigella for the next six days , and see how things go... At the moment feeling cautiously optimistic...!

Jo.

[Tweety]

That is good news. I hope she recovers quickly and, once she is back to full health, I would worm your hens with Flubenvet as Olly mentioned.

[Jofitch31]

Still no improvement... Nigella is still standing in the run staring, with her tail down. She's finished her course of antibiotics, and I've tried using nutri drops too, but still no appetite, except for the odd treat. I'll try taking her back to the vet on Monday (they're closed now) but does anyone have any idea what it could be??

[Jofitch31]

Meant to add, she hasn't given me an egg since Tuesday either, when she normally lays every single day without fail...

[merlina]

another vote for a course of flubenvet

(for all the hens)

 

Verm X helps keeps worms at bay, but how effective it is, is hotly debated.

[sadietoo]

Has there been any blood in the poo? It might indicate some sort of Coccidosis (sp!) infection which would need treating with Coxoid?

 

My vet also injects Baytril and has shown me how to do it rather than giving it to my girls through their food

 

You could send off a poo sample to Retfords too (probably cheaper than asking the vet to do it)...

 

To encourage my poorly girl to eat a kind forum member suggested soaking corn in water with a tonic in it (lifeguard or similar) and she did used to have a peck at that for a while...

 

chickens are such odd little critters....a bit like sheep they seem to be either on their feet or on their backs I hope you see an improvement soon.

[Jofitch31]

Thanks a lot for the reply. There's definitely no blood in the poo (and after a very thorough bath this morning to clean her rear end I'm sure I would have noticed!!!). She's keen on pecking at the grass this pm which she hasn't done the last few days and I've managed to get some live yoghurt into her as I wondered about sour crop (when I picked her up the other day she 'vomited' clear liquid which she's never done before).

She's walking around the garden now pecking and scratching and socialising with my other two hens a little, but she's just generally quite slow and not running like a lunatic as usual! Her tail is mostly up today instead of down, which I hope signifies that she's in less pain, but I'm scared to get too optimistic from reading other forum posts... I'm keeping everything crossed at the moment!!

[Egghead68]

I second sending a sample to Retfords.

She may well have developed sour crop following the antibiotics. You need to treat this urgently. The vet can prescribe Nystan. You can also buy thrush tablets (fluconazole - not licensed for poultry in the UK) dilute them and give around a fifteenth twice a day. Avoid sugary foods such as grapes. Good luck.