[Wyandottie]

I am concerned about my Cuckoo Maran, Attila,  who doesn't seem completely well.  I have been watching her for a few days, having noticed that she shakes her head quite often.  Sometimes when she does this she also makes a noise.  I am not sure if it is a sneeze, but sounds a bit like blowing the nose.  Her eyes have no discharge, but sometimes she sits fluffed out with her head pulled in close to her body and her eyes half closed.  From time to time she opens and closes her beak very slightly, but is definitely not gaping.  In the next moment she will be up and trotting around nosing around the ground.  I have just watched her eating corn and several times she shook her head sideways, almost as if  she had choked on the corn.  She is drinking water (which has ACV and a clove of garlic in it).  I have also noticed some brown runny poo in the run - but haven't seen who is producing it.  The other five chooks are lively and showing no symptoms.  I have been feeding them a lot of dandelion leaves because they don't free range over the garden.  They have layers pellets and corn, and cooked peelings - this morning some cooked potato and carrot.  The run is covered with children's play bark - which I hope is safe for them.  I have had them since March 7th and they have not been wormed by me.
Any help would be appreciated.

[karlooben]

hi there , seems to me that she may be suffering from mycoplasma or have the start of it , may be best to get her to a vet monday an ask to have her put on antiboitics just in case it is that .

how long as she been like this for , but also the weather has been pretty pants one min its cold an wet the next its sunny an quite warm she may of got a chill .

some one with more experience will be along shortly 

[Wyandottie]

Have checked the poo site and it looks very much like the poo I saw earlier was a Caecal dropping - very much like the photograph.  Don't know if this makes a difference.  I guess it could be a chill - their run was really wet yesterday - puddles where they had been digging.  We are going to cover the roof completely with corrugated pvc once the ground has dried out a little.  Their coop is quite cosy and dry.  What is mycoplama?  What sort of symptoms would I see?  Thanks for your reply Karlooben.

[Wyandottie]

Sorry, should also have mentioned that Attila is laying really well.

[SnooziSuzi]

I would check her for lice too Wyandotte;  the shaking of the head could indicate that she's being bothered by the critters running around under her feathers and they are enough to make a hen depressed and out of sorts.

[nnbreeder]

Two more things to have the vet check for is Gape Worm, which looks like red strings in the hen's throat. And also Canker which is whitish sores/growths on the inside of the mouth and in the throat.. But are easy to cure.

[karlooben]

if u start to see her eyes bubbling an discharge coming from the nostrils then she could have mycoplasma u really would be better of just taking her  to the vet  they will more then likley give u baytril which u can place in the water or syringe it into the mouth  which aint always easy .

theres one thing i am learning an that is that  hens are a very complainted bird so much can go wrong with them .

[Wyandottie]

Thanks everyone!  She seems quite happy this morning and fell onto breakfast with great relish.  I gave them a bowl of porridge into which I added a small crushed clove of garlic, some dried oregano and some bio yoghurt!  It was heads down and lots of contented murmuring.  Will try this again.  She is still shaking her head, but it reminds me more of someone with a nervous twitch, so the 'lice' idea might be logical.  The thought had crossed my mind too.  I will get some louse powder tomorrow and try that first.  Do I have to grab her and apply it?   She will be mega unhappy as she won't usually let me get near her.  Is it sufficient to spread it around the nest boxes and floor of the coop?

[smiler43]

Hi Wyandottie, hope your girl is ok.  With the mite powder make sure it's one that will kill the blighters, diatom will kill them I'm sure.  Usually better if 2 of you do it, one to hold and one to apply.  Dust in particular under the wings in the arm pits and under her tail but try to not get any on her vent.  You can also sprinkle in the coop and in the dustbaths too.  Also you can dust them when they have gone in to roost.  Hope this helps and hope she's ok