[zoeadh]

Hello all! I'm new to this forum and hope some one can help. Sorry this posting is so long but there is a lot to say.
First, a bit of my chicken history. Bought three birds about 20 months ago. They free ranged in our garden until a fox took two in May of this year. Our remaining bird was then locked in a run (unless we were in the garden) which she hated. Eventually we got 25m electric fencing and 2 new birds and all seemed fine. However, where there was grass there is now mud and it is difficult to keep clean.
Now our existing bird (Wanda) is ill. There have been lots of different things but I now wonder if they are related. Sometimes she lays wrinkled eggs often with thin shells. She has lost feathers from her neck and is almost bald around her vent. At first I thought she was moulting. Then I saw some lice and treated them all for that but no improvement. She almost seemed to encourage one of the other birds to peck her neck feathers. Anyway they haven't grown back. On Friday she seemed very poorly. Standing hunched up not eating much. Her faeces was very runny and watery and she was sometimes gurgling. However we kept her in the conservatory in the warm overnight and she seemed a bit better. She had laid an egg which was large, slightly wrinkled and looked a bit powdery. But she had also laid another egg, part of the very soft shell of which was stuck to her bottom feathers (the few she has left!) She also had very messy bottom feathers which had to be washed off. She generally seemed a little better though. No egg since then. However today she has regressed somewhat. This time, when she poos, she sort of squeals, like it hurts. Also the faeces are small and almost in water. I also noticed a very small amount of blood in the water of two. She is eating but not with her normal gusto and drinking. I am worried that she has coccidiosis. Could I be right?
I'm worried the now muddy area may have caused this? Should I put down woodchips? And if I did, how do you keep these clean?
Sorry this is so long. Please help if you can.

[Lindeggs]

Hello zoeadh, welcome to the forums.  I'm sorry you seem to be having such a difficult time with your Wanda.  Unfortunately I can't offer any advice as I don't have the experience (yet) but I just want to assure you that you have come to the right place, and I'm sure someone will be along soon with some suggestions.

[zoeadh]

Thanks for your support. Poor Wanda came out last from the hen house today. Drunk loads of water and ate nothing. I have put her in the conversatory again and cooked up all her favourites- potatoes, cabbage, apple, garlic and mixed it in with some layers mash. I added a tiny bit of honey, propolis (bees are never wrong) and cider vinegar. . She ate some! Apples went down really well. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing but I guess at the moment any food is better than none. She is currenltly sitting in front of the fire. Fingers crossed!

[bantam novice]

Good Luck Zoeadh

[helens-hens]

Hi Zoeadh. I totally agree that it is better to be having some food than none, it is important to keep things moving inside, not to lose too much weight and for her to have energy in this cold weather. Mud becomes a real issue this time of the year and a lot of people do put down a good layer of woodchips (not the bark type as apparently this can contain mold which could be harmful and also I think they should be untreated - I think some forum members have mentioned the type you can get from B&Q for childrens play areas). I actually put down some cheap paving slabs as evenly as I could (i.e. I didn't lay them permanently with cement) and cover that with easibed or a similar horse bedding. This is easier to 'poo pick' and I can regularly & easily remove the bedding & scrub the slabs with disinfectent. It depends on personal choice & how big your run is.

I'm not sure about the coccidiosis - I am sure more experienced people will be along to advise on that v.soon Really hope she gets better soon - I know how worrying it is!

[helens-hens]

Me again. Just thought as well, is your run covered or can you perhaps partially cover it , this will help & combined with woodchips or similar should make a difference.

At the moment in this really cold weather it may not be such a problem but when things get milder & damp then a muddy run along with their droppings could create quite an unsanitary environment for the hens which could lead to problems....

[Jeanette]

I get my wood bark from B&Q the last time i bought some (last month) it was £5.98 a bag if you bought 3 bags you got another one free.

I would take Wanda to a vet as soon as possible. Has she got a temperture if you feel under her wing and then feel under another girls wing if she feels hot in comparison she is running a temperture. She may just need a course of antibiotics.

[zoeadh]

Thanks everyone for your replies and suggestions. Wanda has been eating and drinking some but is staying in the conservatory tonight. You all probably think I'm mad! I'll try and find a vet round here that deals with chickens.  She took a swipe at Ruby this afternoon which was encouraging I thought.

With regard to the run, it is the area enclosed by the electric fencing so it's quite a large area. The hen house is small with one of those tiny runs attached. They only use it if it rains and then not always. Dopey birds! So paving or woodchip it seems.

I would hate to add up how much my flock of three have cost me. All worth it though (I think).

[CluckyChicken]

  hope she is getting better.  How are her poohs now?  any different from yesterday?  I do think you are doing the right thing by keeping her in though  hope she feels even better soon x

[evie2]

Hello zoeadh, welcome to the forum

We were using play ground bark until 2 weeks ago when in an emergency we emptied hempcore in the poots run, it's been fine and the bantams enjoyed having dirt(?) bath's in it  

[ShoeGirl]

Hi Zoeadh,
                 i don't think you're mad for keeping her indoors as i've had a poorly Silkie for the past week and have kept her indoors. Mainly to keep her away from the others and to keep an eye on her but also just incase the cold was a contribution to her illness. 

I hope she makes a speedy recovery        

[zoeadh]

Poos are nearly all water now. She seems to have dandruff. From what I've read it is to do with moulting. She is missing loads of feathers. Poor Wanda. As I type she's asleep standing up by the patio door. 4.40 tomorrow we're down the vets. Fingers crossed.

[zoeadh]

Hempcore. I shall investigate on line. Thanks.

[zoeadh]

Just checking - hempcore is fine outside?

[helens-hens]

I use something similar (the agricultural store I go to doesn't stock hemcore), easibed, in my small run but it is covered. It is actually called hemcore, here is a link to the relevent page on the manufacturers website:
http://www.hemcore.co.uk/bedding.php

Hope she gets better soon, it almost sounds as though she is starting to go through the moult (which I understand takes it out of them) & possible has picked something else up as well.... At least she is still eating. Have you tried her with a little sweetcorn (or raw corn on the cob, which happens to be the current #1  on my hens treat list at the moment) and it may give her a couple of different nutrients to that which the apple offers. I assume she won't touch pellets or layers mash?