Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: animal mad on September 28, 2009, 18:39
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Hi, i have 5 hybrid chickens the two maran types always seem to have dirty bottoms. one of the chickens has diarrhoea today no blood just very runny and not nice smelling and i asume it is one of them. the other 3 coloumbian black tail and light sussex are fine, no problem at all. Does anyone have any ideas they are in a closed run, are 15 weeks old.
could worms be a problem
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Hi Am
Have you had a look through the poo pics?
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=17568.0
Does it resemble any ???
Sarah :D
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thanks i have checked them all it i just liquid dark brown, no texture or anything.
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Have they eaten anything different or have you added anything to their feed or water in the last 24 hours ?
Sarah :)
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no, although i have just put down new bark from a tree surgeon. everything else is the same. do youthink i should worm them.
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Hi AM.
I would try worming them unless you can think of another reason for the runny poo. You could also try a bit of live yoghurt to see if that helps to settle them.
Other things to check are colour of combs (although they're a bit young I notice), tail up or down, if any of them feel extra warm under the wings.
Rob 8)
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What might 'warm under the wings' signify?
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If any feel warmer than the rest, it can indicate a high temperature, caused by an infection. You would then need to see a vet for anti-biotics.
The palce to check is where the wing meets the body, in the 'armpit' :)
A tail pointing down is often a good indicator of a poorly hen.
Rob 8)
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Ohh, there's so much to know. Thank you.
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:D Far more than I know, or ever will, which is why the forum works so well with different views from many experienced keepers. :)
Rob 8)
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i have been out and checked them the tails are up and they dont feel hot, so i will get some wormer tomorrow, any brand better than others.
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Flubenvet is the way to go AM in my opinion :)
Tells you about the different types here :
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=4348.0
Sarah :)
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brilliant thanks
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Hi,
I've had my chickens for about 3 months and everything has been great until the weekend, when i noticed one with a dirty bottom - this is when i saw your query!
My book said take her to the vet so I did. Everything seems to be fine, and she doesn't seem ill, but I've noticed she is laying shellless eggs - not regularly, at odd times - like the middle of the night. What can i do about this, as it seems these chickens go downhill very quickly - any help would be really appreciated. Thanks.
Should I be worming the chicks every now and then as routine? Thanks
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If she is laying shell-less eggs she may be low on calcium. Try boosting it.
Laying hens should be fed on layers pellets/mash ad lib and have crushed oyster shell available to them at all times.
Bio yogurt is a good quick supply of calcium and phosphorus, cod liver oil (just a drop) will supply the vit D3 needed for calcium uptake by the gut. If the shell-less eggs continue a dessert spoon full of limestone flower added to a kilo of pellets for a week will help, but don't give it all the time.
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how to you give cod liver oil to a chicken
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Just put a drop on a small piece of bread and watch it dissapear :lol:
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Hi and thanks for all your helpful suggestions, she has laid another shell less egg in the night - do you mean just ordinary bio yoghurt, the type we would eat? and do you think as someone else suggested worming them? Her poos seem normal now, not runny at all (at least i haven't seen any) The other hens are fine, as they all eat the same how can one become low on calcium?
I'm sorry for all these questions - i'm very new to all this!
thanks
jane
oh and where do you get crushed oyster shell - just the pet shop? lots of thanks
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i have just given the chickens some wholemeal bread with bio yoghurt and they were really excited by it, even the shy one was really keen to hand feed. can i give this to them as a treat every day to hand tame them. i gave them about half a slice of bread between 5.
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was this just ordinary bio yogurt that we would eat? Has the diarrhoea stopped?
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the diarrhoea hasnt stopped, what about apple vinegar will that help. the two chickens look really well, eat great. they have always really had dirty bottoms since they were chicks, i have been watching them and it is only 1 poo in about 4 which is runny. they are in with 3 other chickens all grown up together and they dont have a problem at all. any other ideas.
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One of my hens had a real dirty bottom for weeks!! She was 18 weeks old when I got her - I rang the Poultry place I had her from and he laughed at me and told me she was only young and it would pass and it did!!
As for soft eggs - I had a problem with those in the early days - I baked and crushed egg shells and put them in with their food - worked a real treat and very quickly too!!!
It's not good for them to keep laying soft eggs as they loose muscle form as they can't hold onto them and they come out at any time....best nipped in the bud ASAP if poss!!
Hope all is good soon x