[poultrygeist]

Checked on the hens about 1/2 hour ago and one is just standing, staring looking a bit vacant.
The others are still scratching around a bit and getting ready for bed but she's got no movement at all. I picked her up and put her down and she just stood exactly where I put her.

Not had any unusual food. Plenty of water and pellets. Just her like this.

Any thoughts before we shut them up together ?

Rob

[poultrygeist]

Almost forgot. There was a smelly, caramel poo by her when I found her.

[poultrygeist]

I've isolated her into a cardboard box with some straw for the time being until we can work out what to do.
I felt under her wing and no high or low temperature compared to the others.

I did try popping her into the coop before the others went in but she'd come out againa nd stood in teh same corner of the run that i found her in.

Don't think the others are bullying her. No sgn of pecking and they were cooing round her while I was in there.

Bit puzzled.

[Foxy]

Hi Rob,
Sorry about your hen - how old is she? and is she sort of fluffed up and miserable looking? Could be an intestinal problem (infection) or possibly a touch of cocci -both very treatable though. The smelly caramel poo sounds actually like a "caecal poo" which is quite normal. However if you see any that look very frothy with any blood in could indicate coccidiosis.

Have you any garlic? a couple of crushed cloves and a course of ACV will probably help. If it is cocci treatment is available from feed stores or via internet

Keep us posted on how she is tommorrow! Good luck Rob

[poultrygeist]

Thanks Foxy.

No froth. She looked very healthy other than like she'd been clumped over the head with a baseball bat !  :shock:

Her crop was full-ish.

We've got a crushed clove in the water.

She's one of Grannie's offspring (Amberlink) so only a few months old.

Rob

[Foxy]

Also has she laid recently? Have a look when you can to see what her vent looks like if you are not sure -I'm thinking eggbound if she is reluctant to move around and if this has come on quite quickly -she is still quite young. If her vent looks a bit swollen, red and "puckering"( :oops:  :oops: ) that could be the problem.

[poultrygeist]

We've had an egg from each of them

She was eating corn at 6.30m then an hour later I found her just stood under the 'board on bricks' at one end of the run.

Going to keep her in the shed in a box with straw for the night and see if she livens up.

Her vent seemed ok though we had a couple of soft eggs earlier in the week but we've had 6 normal for 2 days.

Strange

Rob

[GrannieAnnie]

Oh Rob, I hope she'll be okay!!!  I don't know what to say, I haven't heard that anyone else has a poorly Amberlink, but saying that, tonight, 2 of my older ones were still in the run at around 8.20pm and one was just standing by the old shed and let me pick her up very easily, but she's not from the same batch as yours, she's nearly a year old.

They must be about 32 weeks old now.  So in their prime!  I'll keep my fingers crossed she is okay in the morning!

[poultrygeist]

Thanks Annie. I checked on her about 8.30 and she was much as you'd expect after lights out but I'll do the unlock in the morning cos Julie's afraid of what she might find.

I'll report back once I know. I'm sure she'll be right as rain. She seemed as if she'd had a fright or something.

The others were fine.

I did worm them 2 or 3 weeks back so it shouldn't be that. Lots of wild birds around so you never know what could be brought in with them. Have to get the run covered completely asap.

Rob

[Foxy]

Oh I hope she is OK in the morning! :?

If shes up and about check her crop see if its empty, or squashy or still full. Cross fingers for her!

[Viv]

Any news yet?

[Viv]

Any news yet?

[poultrygeist]

Morning,

She's fine as far as I can tell.

She'd laid a soft egg. There was a thin-shelld egg in the coop and the reamins of a yoke, so it's looking like some oyster shell is needed.

We've got some oyster grit but it got wet and a bit smelly so I dried it out but I don't think they're too keen on it. Not sure where I'm going to get some on a Sunday but I'll shop around.

I'd forgotten they did have a fright yesterday when the dog charged over to the run (while I was in it) and they all took flight straight at me !
Could have been enough to put them off their stroke.

I'll check them again shortly and report back. They were all chirpy at unlock so I think it's just a temporary thing.
Thanks for the concern.

Rob

[GrannieAnnie]

If they are not used to the dog charging them, it could he been delayed shock perhaps Rob?  Perhaps that's why the soft shelled egg too?

Hope she's back to normal today!!!

[poultrygeist]

We had a couple of soft ones earlier in the week but they'd returned to 6 hard eggs the last couple of days after I put the oyster grit in.

Yesterday I hadn't put any in there because it was wet so I'm wondering if it is a deficiency. Might be a combination of things of course.

I'll see if I can get some oyster and maybe a bit of battles or similar.

Rob