[flea]

about 3m ago, went to check on my chooks, and found one of them dead.  there was a bit of blood spotted around the run, and one enormous blood covered egg, so just assumed the strain was too much

then about 1m ago, a similar thing happened.  however, i think the other chooks had gotten to this one, as it basically looked like her insides had fallen out the back end, and were trailing from where they had pecked (although no big egg this time, just a normal one, covered in blood)

today, i have found a blood smeared egg (but no dead chook yet).  have checked her backend, and it seems she is bleeding from a wound just above the vent.  have put her in isolation just to stop the other hens pecking her for now, but dont know what to do next.  the vent doesnt look blooming, just the sore bit above.  also think this is her second egg laid today, as i collected as usual this morning, and then there was the extra blooming egg this afternoon

why have my hens started to lay blood covered eggs, and then die?

tia Fle

[Aunt Sally]

Tell us a bit more about your hens:

Age

Breeds

Number

Medical History

When wormed last and with what

Anything else that I've forgotten.

[flea]

4 lomans, just over 2 years old - 2 welsummers 3yrs old - so far only had lomans die

no medical problems.  wormed 2m ago flubenvet

kept in run on bare soil, topped with shingle and bark, not allowed to free roam

F

[hillfooter]

Your chx are suffering from a severe prolapse of the oviduct but the exact cause isn't obvious from your description of the symptoms.  It could be as a result of an infection or some sort, or just possibly you could have a chx who is a vent pecker.   How are your nestboxes arraged is it possible for a hen to pech another while sitting or are your perches such that a hen can peck another from below while it it roosting.  f the later remodel the house interior and roosts such that chx can't get below the perches.

Hope this helps.
HF

[flea]

perches are all on the same level

cant get the hens to use their proper nestboxes, they prefer the floor of the coop or on the ground

they are showing no other symptoms prior to death.  running around and feeding as normal the day before, then blood covered egg and dead chicken found in run in morning

laying as normal too.  the welsummers dont lay, and the lomans all lay one egg per day without fail

F

[bantam novice]

Sounds horrible for you    I hope that things start settling down again.  Just wanted to wish you luck and keep us posted. 

You may need to find a local chicken-friendly vet.  Not all vets are