[michael85]

Hi all

One of our chickens isnt very well at the moment. I'll describe whats wrong as best I can and then Id be grateful if anyone can recommend any kind of treatment

The hen is a Rhode Island Red, nearley two years old, lives with 5 other hens of mixed breeds. This one is particularly blaud around her rear and legs. Most of them have some small patches but nothing like the Rhode Island.

Without wishing to get to vulgar, when she poohs a lot of it sticks to her backside and I have noticed today for the first time that its running down and sticking to her vent. If we remove the pooh,it reveals a very red backside possibley even bleeding at times.

She has also lost quite a bit of weight in the last couple of weeks, shes been in a seperate pen for about a week and a half and hasnt layed in that time, hard to say if shes layed recently before that as she was in with the others.

Before being seperated she was very lathargic and last to the feeding bowl in the morning, now shes alone shes a lot more active and keen to feed.

[splash101]

Have they been wormed recently, and if so with what.

It's probably for the best that she is seperated because the others may peck at the blood on her backside, making it worse.

Have you checked thoroughly for bugs and lice. They are very difficult to see.

You can bath her backside in warm water to help remove the poop but if it is running down you maybe back at square one fairly soon.

Someone more knowledgeable with be along soon to help but that is where i would start.

[michael85]

Hi Splash

There wormed with Herbal Gut Conditioner, its a liquid thats added to the drink for a few days about once every three monhs, there next due in about 3 weeks. Might well be worth checking again for lice, especially now shes on her own it would be more obvious to spot!

Thanks for the advice.

[ANHBUC]

Hi Michael,  Herbal treatments are not proven to work.  Most of the members on here use flubenvet either added to the layers pellets or you can get some that is already added. 

As splash says you can bath your hen to clean off the poo which she would enjoy.  Make sure she is dry before she is put back outside.  Lightly towel dry and follow on with a cool setting of a hairdryer.  You can use a little vaseline around the vent to help prevent the poo sticking until you find the cause.

It is hard to tell if they have lost weight as laying hens are skinnier than meat birds.  If you have another hen same breed and size you could weigh them both to make a comparison.

There are some poo pictures on HERE for you to compare and see if there may be another cause.

[michael85]

Hi.Thanks for that, can you recommend any flubenvet products?

[ANHBUC]

You can get the flubenvet powder so you mix it with your layers pellets.  You can also get premixed pellets, Marriage layers with flubenvet and some poultry feed suppliers now have licenses to produce their own brands.  Best to check your local supplier or have a browse online.

The cheapest one I have found online for 10kg is HERE

[michael85]

My lot seem tostop laying for a bit when I change therefood so some sort of adative is probabley best for me.Not the most cost effective solution but is this stuff any good?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003L6HRRO/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&psc=1&s=pet-supplies

Thanks

[ANHBUC]

Herbal remedies are not proven to work, you are better using Flubenvet.

A list of suppliers and prices are  HERE

[michael85]

nice one,thanks for that, Id seen the Verm X stuff before but had a feeling it wasnt really qyite the right stuff!