[Littley]

Hi

I'm hoping someone can give me some advice.  A couple of weeks ago, I bought 4 chickens, all supposedly point of lay.  They have settled in very well and are friendly.  This morning I opened the pop hole and only 3 chickens emerged... where was Daffodil?
I opened the house door and she was huddled on the perch up against the wall of the house.  I stroked her and she jumped down from the perch and went outside.  However, she just stood there in the run.  I put a few bits of maize in the run and she pecked them but only within reaching distance.  Her head is a bit droopy and she keeps shutting her eyes.  I haven't seen her drinking this morning.  
Has anyone else experienced this behaviour?  I thought she might be about to lay her first egg or something!!  All the other chickens are fine, apart from one of them has had diarrhoea, which I spoke to the vet about, (she told me to leave it for a week and come back if it was still happening).
I hope someone can help me, I am worried sick!  
Thanks
Sue

[mdueal]

I don't know anything about daffodil's behaviour - does sound like she is under the weather.
Runny poo is quite common in our chickens - i think it is just whatever they have eaten when they have been scratching around in the garden. I would have thought if you've only had them a few weeks their digestive systems are still adjusting?

[Foxy]

Hello Littley and a big welcome to the forum!  

I am sory Daffodil is under the weather. You say you got them 2 weeks ago? It could be a number of things including stress from moving to a new home or worms etc
Some more info might help. If the combs are pale and small they will be a little way off point of lay. Red combs indicate a hen in lay.
What does the poo look like -watery or foamy and colour. Aunt Sally is the chicken poo expert here
What might be an idea is pop some poultry vits in their drinking water to give them a boost and apple cider vinegar is another good additve. There are loads of people here to help, good luck and please keep us posted!

[Littley]

Thanks for your reply.  We just checked and found Daffodil in the hen house, standing huddled in the corner.  Her poos look jelly-like, normal size and shape, whitish with a red streak, which I assume is blood.  Earlier, she was doing small white poos (runny).  Is it time to call in the vet?  :cry:
Daffodil is a Heritage Skyline.  Could it be that she is weaker as she is a hybrid breed?  
I have also found yello foamy poo in the run, which I thought had come from Dorothy. This was pretty much a few days after I got them.
 :cherry:
I hope someone can advise, I am worried about the poor thing.  What's worse, she belongs to my daughter who is a week off her 6th birthday.  It would be awful if something nasty happened to her
Thanks in advance
Sue x

[Foxy]

This is sounding more like coccidiosis -especially with the evidence of blood in droppings. This is a fairly common illness which affects young birds and chicks as a general rule and is a nasty little protozoa spread through the ground.Symptoms are huddled and fluffed up feathers, change in droppings watery, or blooming diarhoea.They younger the bird it seems the more acute the symptoms.
You can treat with "coxoid" just added to the water and available via internet or through a local feed or sometimes a large pet outlet mught stock as this is designed for pigeons. You would need to treat all the birds.It may be they had little immunuty to this particular strain found in your ground?
Hope this helps and fingers crossed!

[Aunt Sally]

Foxy's advice is excellent.  I would treat for coccidia and for worms as you may not know if they have been treated before.  If they don't improve then I personally would consult a vet.  

The choice is always with the hen keeper, treat or dispatch but never allow to suffer  :!:

Skylines have about a 70% chance of laying blue eggs  

[Littley]

Thanks for the reply Foxy.  After poring over the internet all afternoon I had suspected coccidiosis or blackhead.  The coccidiosis "fits" with all the wet weather we have had in the week.

I spent a fair bit of time with Daffodil today and only saw two blooming poos.  The last poo I saw was a watery white with a bit of brown, although I have read that every third poo is a watery one anyway.  She was acting a bit strange, in that she was not interested in food but she kept pecking at the wooden walls of the house.  She pretty much stayed in one corner, alert, head up, but tail down.  Her feathers were not ruffled up though.  Also when I got her out of the house and put her on top of it, she wandered about exploring a bit.  When I put her back into the run, she had a wander, but soon went back into the house.  I did manage to feed her some water.

The other thing I thought of was that maybe her crop might have been bunged up. I read in my chicken book that this sometimes happens and that you can clear it by pouring vegetable oil down the throat and massaging the crop to break down the food.  I had noticed that just below her neck, where I think her crop should be, seemed to stick out a bit this morning.

I think I will call the vet tomorrow and see what happens.  

Thanks again for the advice.

Sue x

[babe]

big hugs for daffodil x

[Littley]

Hi again,

I have just spotted Aunt Sally's reply - thanks

I see that you are in Maidstone, which is not very far from me.  Do you know where I can get the treatments I need on a Sunday?!?!?

I don't want Daffodil to suffer any longer!

Sue x

[babe]

dont all vets still work sundays, i know mine does. you pay extra for it.

the hardest part is finding a vet that knows anything about chickens. one that deals with equines, bovines, ovines etc will be your best chance, rather than a hamster and bunny vet

[Aunt Sally]

You could get coxoid from garden centre which has a pet section I would think.  I buy flubenvet on line and I think petmeds is a cheapish supplier.

Click on John's link :  http://www.poultry.allotment-garden.org/

[Foxy]

check her crop first thing before she is out of the henhouse, and if you can have a whiff of her breath would help identify any crop probs.
Countrywide a farming store are based all around UK and there is one or two in Kent. They sell Coxoid if that helps.

[Littley]

Hello

I thought I would give you an update on today's events.  

I phoned the vets first thing this morning (before looking at the replies on the forum.)  The vet I spoke to rang the large animal vet and they put their heads together.  It was decided that coccidiosis was unlikely as I only have 4 chickens.  They prescribed Baytril 0.2ml in 0.8ml water, once a day for 5 days.  I was a bit unsure about Baytril as I read it has been banned in the U.S.  However, I have given it to her.  

Also, I went to my local garden centre and spoke to a girl in the pet department, who has chickens.  She said there is a cold going around with chickens at the moment and she has just had to despatch one of hers.   She suggested that if I thought Daffodil was egg bound I should try giving her a teaspoon of olive oil.  So when I got home I gave Daffodil her antibiotics and then the olive oil.  She in uninterested in food, even meal worms.  She is more interested in pecking at the wall of the hen house.

The last time I checked on her, she was sitting in the nesting box, which I had just furnished with my daughter's rubber chicken egg, so I left her undisturbed!  Fingers crossed that something I have done has worked!

In the meantime, I have put garlic and cider vinegar in the water dispenser to pep up the other girls.  

I have seen Dorothy coughing today.  Is this serious?  Should I get her checked out as well?  In every other way, she is fine, alert and active.

Thanks for reading this far, I can go on a bit!!  

Best wishes to all,

Sue

[Foxy]

Dont worry about Baytril -its a tried and tested antibiotic.
I hope she gets better soon. Watch out for any other symptoms - particulary trouble with breathing- if she has cough-for example can you hear any wheezing or gurgling?This could also be linked to her slightly blooming droppings. Anyway the Baytril will sort that out pretty soon!
Good luck with your hen

[Littley]

Hi and thanks again Foxy for replying,

I'd just like to let you know that Daffodil is much better today.  I'm carrying on with the Baytril.  However, I am taking two of my other girls Dorothy and Dave (yes, she's a girl) to the vet's tomorrow as they have both been coughing.  Bluebell remains unaffected!
Also someone appears to be doing the most disgusting poos ever seen!
Will let you know how I get on.

Thanks and best wishes!
Sue