Hello hen experts,
We got our ex commercial layers through BHWT in April and they’ve been a pleasure. They were free range hens, so weren’t in the state that ex-bats would’ve been in, thankfully.
One of them, Nesta, isn’t looking so good now. She keeps stopping doing what she’s doing and closing her eyes, sometimes today putting her head under her wing. She looks exhausted. I can pick her up and put her on my knee and she just sits down and closes her eyes.
I’ve never been sure if she has actually laid at all since we got her in april. We’ve only ever had 3 eggs max per day, but am not sure about exactly who lays when.
I’ve given her an Epsom salt bath today and have fed her some bees ssoaked in olive oil, which I read was good. She is eating and drinking fine, has always been - great one for her food and this doesn’t appear to have changed.
She was first to bed last night, when she is normally last one to bed. When I checked on them all later she was standing up in the coop, whereas all others were sat down.
She has always had the worst poos since we got them, often mustardy and smelly.
All have been wormed since I got them with flubenvet, plus all get Vermx once a month. All fed on free range layers pellets. I did worm count a couple of weeks ago which came back clear - reason for doing it was worms in one of the hen’s poos (not Nesta’s) - we figured it was probably tapeworm, but read that if hens seemed fine, given it was very difficult to treat, to pretty much leave it.
I clean them every week, disinfect coop, fresh pine scented bedding, then sprinkle DE throughout. Have also been spraying house with red mite spray too just as precautionary measure these last three times.
I have seen a louse on one of them a few wks ago and hey weee all dusted with DE. I dusted Nesta again today after her bath. Couldn’t see any signs of lice. I did see on one patch a small of skin near vent, a cluster of tiny orange (I mean orange, like when you see rust on a plant) specs, there were two small dots of these clusters. Unfortunately as I am inexperienced and my assistant is 5 years old I wasn’t able to remove these to identify what they were. I amhavent been able to find any reference on internet.
Thanks for reading this far! Just wanted to give most info up front to see what you make of it. I am eagerly awaiting any advice at all!many thanks, Charlotte