[AmandaH]

Hey everyone.  I've had my four ex-batts just coming up two weeks now.  First day out of the run today and free ranging around the garden.  Cat traumatised but girls very happy - scratching about, exploring and having a good old flap about.  Good to see!

However... one looks very yellow, just around her head, not her legs.  Can chickens get jaundice?  If so, what's causing it?  Should I take her to the vet?  She is quieter than the others but all of them are still a bit cautious and nervous so it's hard to tell if she is more quiet than usual.

Any advice gratefully received.

[poultrygeist]

Hi amandaH.

I think it is quite possible for chickens to get kidney/liver problems, but I don't know if it would make them appear jaundiced or not.

Obviously ex-batts have had a hard working life and can have a limited retirement. 

Rob

[Aunt Sally]

What do you mean by "around her head" ?

[Foxy]

Does she look a bit overweight, also has she laid at all?

[AmandaH]

I mean only her head looks yellow, not her legs...

[AmandaH]

And no Foxy, she doesn't look at all overweight.  They are all scrawny things.  She hasn't laid today, but she might have yesterday.  We put leg rings on them so we can distinguish between them but I am not watching them all the time and so I don't always spot who's disappeared into the nest box to do egg stuff.  

She was eating ok today and mooching around the garden with the others.  It was only when I was sitting out there this evening with my evening glass of wine that I noticed that her head looked really yellow compared to the others (and I'd only had one glass so it wasn't me having had one too many).

They all put themselves to bed now but I'll see how she is in the morning.

[Aunt Sally]

Can you take a picture Amanda ?

[AmandaH]

OK Auntie, I will do tomorrow.  Thanks x

[AmandaH]

Here she is, my poor yellow-faced ex-batt.  She is eating and drinking ok but is a bit quiet.  She is also hopping along on one leg, but whether that is relevant or not, I don't know. 

Any thoughts, anyone?  Her colouring looks all wrong but I am just having a "New Mum" panic?

Thanks, Amanda x

[Rubellite]

Is it because she has no feathers around her face?
Trying to remember mine................off to look up pictures 

[AmandaH]

Thanks Rubellite.  She is definitely more yellow than the others.  She is still quiet this morning and has also got a good pecking from our "top bird" Queenie.  She is now hiding round the back of the hen house, under the nest box.  Really feel for her but I think that bothering her will just cause her more stress...

If anyone has any ideas, I'd be grateful.

[poultrygeist]

Apparently, it can be caused by mites http://www.henkeeping.co.uk/ailments.html

Red mite, lice and fleas all like the nest boxes so it's best to change the bedding frequently. They're more active in the warmer months so keep an eye on your hens. If they appear to preen themselves a lot or if they go off lay, these little pests may be the cause. Your hen may also look jaundiced due to the loss of blood taken by the parasites.

Have you checked the coop for possible red mite or feather mite, etc on the birds ?

ROb

[AmandaH]

Feather mite?  What's that?  I knew about red mite but now there's yet another one to worry about!?  

I've been cleaning the house very day (a poo pick-up) and then, every other day, replacing the newspaper and Cozy Coop with fresh.  Last weekend I gave the house a good clean (I have Poultry Shield and Barrier V1) and Diatom'd it.  Is there anything else I should be doing?

I haven't handled the girls too much - they are so twitchy and nervous that I wanted to give them a bit of space before trying to cuddle them    Where's the best place to look on chickens for mites?  I mean, on the cat if I was looking for fleas, I'd check under her chin and around her tail - are their "favourite" places on hens for things to lurk?

I know I have got to get used to handling them and they are hardly going to have my arm off but I do worry about hurting them...

[poultrygeist]

Sorry for panicking you Amanda 

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=5250.0   tells you all you need to know.

Sound like your coop is probably not at fault but worth a good check. Considering the life they've led, they can easily develop liver or kidney problems, which may be to blame, or she's just a bit anaemic maybe.

For handling, try a small amount of corn in your hand and sprinkle it around your feet as they watch. After a couple of goes, they'll see you as a food fountain and will be less skittish if you try to touch them. Get them eating from your hand and you should be able to approach one with both hands and sort of scoop her up with your thumbs on top and your fnigers under and around the legs, pinning the wings gently by her side, and just old her to your side.
If the wings get loose and flap, let her go and try again later. They soon get used to it but run a mile if they spot a spray bottle 

Rob

[too many girls]

they will have your arm off if you give them meal worms...............