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

[Jenny Smedley]

Hi ,

More problems! Three weeks ago , one of my hens had a broken egg inside her, but managed to survive that OK- no idea where the bits went though?

 

Last week I went into the run to find a dead hen in the corner of the Eglu Cube - she had died overnight & there were no obvious signs of anything & was fine the previous day , so I assumed it was "just her time".

 

However a week later , today , | have noticed that my Black Rock hen is acting odd - she is walking slowly/waddling as if in pain. Her "undercarriage" seems to be almost touching the ground - at the moment she looks like one of those upright Indian Runner ducks. On checking her out , her crop feels fine but her lower abdomen looks bloated /swollen. When you feel it though, it is soft & floppy. There is nothing obviously wrong around the vent area.

 

Anyone any ideas ? I have a horrible feeling that I am going to spend the next 8 weeks losing one hen a week till they are all gone & I hate the idea of not knowing what it is & not being able to help them.

 

All help appreciated , Regards Jenny

[Leicester_H]

Hi

If she was my hen, I'd be booking a vets appointment ASAP.

H

[Beantree]

Our four Blackrocks went the same way Jenny in a short space of time. The green poos that went with the bloating indicated an abdominal infection or severe internal stress. One managed to fight it off herself several times, but in the end she was so bloated and in obvious discomfort she was pts. She never laid again after the first time. I don't think it was peritonitis, or water belly. I have heard this many times from Blackrock keepers. It seems to be a characteristic of this breed meant to live only 18 months anyway. No other birds in the coop were affected, so it wasn't a virus. Sorry I haven't given you better news. You could try antibiotics but I think it is a lost cause.

[Dolly]

Sorry to say this Jenny but it sounds like a case of peritonitis from your description and from what I've experienced. She needs to see a vet ASAP but I'm afraid the kindest thing for her will probably be to put her to sleep, there's usually only a small chance of improvement and then its only prolonging the inevitable. When my hen had it the vet was in no doubt saying goodbye was in her best interests and said there was nothing I couldn't have done to prevent it happening, it's just one of those things.

I hope it works out for both of you, good luck and let us know how you get on.

[Jenny Smedley]

Hi ,

Thanks for the replies , it's kind of what I thought . Rang vet & have an appointment tomorrow but tbh the vet isn't very chicken helpful. I suspect it will be pts, but will update you.

 

Thanks everyone , Jenny