[andreadon]

Okay, we all know that Sandra gets bullied and as a result has become very timid.
I'm not sure whether this has anything to do with her, though.
it's a little strange: when i got home from work last night it was still light-ish, and i went in to clean the poo from the run floor and i spotted a spot of what looked like blood on the soil - it was only about 1/4 inch diameter and still wet. but i checked all of the hens and noone was bleeding. it was the only spot of blood i could see anywhere.
then this morning, before i even let them out there was another spot on the table.  i'm not sure where it cam from, but the hens were still out for about half an hour after i left them last night, so it could have been one of them, but i thought i would have noticed it when i went to close the pop-hole later on.

also, Sandra laid a shell-less egg and this morning had really gross goo around her vent - it kind of looked between a mix of mixed egg (pre-cooking) and poo, so i'm hoping that that's okay and it's just the residue from the egg she laid (although, again, i didn't see it last night and the poo in the coop looked similar - it definitely wasn't egg) - i'll quickly look at the poo page, but it's the blood question i'm worried about.

ps, we also have mice that we're trying to capture - could it be them who are dropping the blood?

[shiatsusu]

Can't help much andrea but might it be from elsewhere eg feet?

[andreadon]

i've looked at the poo pictures and it looks like a cloacal one (although normally their cloacal ones look different from this morning's), but it's in the spectrum, so i think it's okay.
i hope.

Can't help much andrea but might it be from elsewhere eg feet?

that's what i wondered, too.  it was only the one spot, though so i expected there to be more if it was from the feet.... (like, walking it around)

it'll be fun getting home tongith - the run might look like the texas chainsaw massacre!

[cathangirl]

The blood could be all that is left of a mouse.  Your hens would cheerfully despatch and polish it off!
Not sure about Sandra's egg/poo though.
cathangirl

[andreadon]

The blood could be all that is left of a mouse.  Your hens would cheerfully despatch and polish it off!

good idea - wouldn't put it past my lot (erica has done it before!)

[shiatsusu]

Let us know how they are tonight andrea 

[andreadon]

i will: i'm a bit worried, though, that this should happen to me the week Adam's in holland (he usually comes home from work at lunchtime and checks on them) - it means that anything could be happening all day.....

[shiatsusu]

That's known as s*d's law!! Finger's crossed for you...

[shiatsusu]

ps- if I was nearer I'd pop over and check them for you, but it's a bit of a drive from the new forest to kent!!

[Rubellite]

I am sure it's nothing to worry about, especially if you checked them over. It can't be much! I had blooming footprints for a day or so before and kept picking them up and looking at their feet, their bums, their beaks....everything. Never did find out what it was.

[shiatsusu]

Too much wine at lunch time... 

[andreadon]

i thnk the blood thing is sorted- it does all point to despatched mouses....

The thing is, Sandra is getting more and more mopey.
yesterday most of the poo in the bit where she had slept was just yellow liquid (kind of looked like poster paint) and she wouldn't go near any food this morning, even when i held a piece of corned beef beneath her nose - she just looked at it and looked away.
(didn't walk away, just looked away).
when i came to them when i left for work, she was just sitting.
she walks really slowly when she walks and i've not seen her eat anything (whereas the others are just mugging me for food!!)
she did drink, I saw her take some out of the watering can.
oh, and this morning she did a poo in front of me that just dropped out (swish) and again, it was yellow poster paint - no lumps or solid matter at all.

ps: her tail is up as it should be and not drooped at all.

[shiatsusu]

Could it be worms?

[andreadon]

wouldn't they be in the poo, though? there's nothing at all in the poo, just liquid.
and they get wormed monthly with verm-ex.
i wouldn't want to do it again in case it's an overdose.
 

[shiatsusu]

No sounds like that's covered. Hmmm- I'm not experienced enough to know what else it could be other than general stuff like I wonder whether it's a digestive thing? Could she have eaten something nasty? Have you checked how warm she feels- if hot it usually indicates an infection and bacterial infection would give her runny poos. Could a vet trip be a good idea now?