[leddenton]

2 days ago there was some fresh blood noted on one of the eggs but i could find nothing wrong with either girls.However today Speckle has fresh blood from her vent and the surrounding area is bare of feathers.She has not laid for 2 days but on feeling there is no swelling to indicate she is egg bound.she is walking around normally although easier to catch than normal. I have already lost one of the girls to peritonitis which was different to this.I don't know what i am doing wrong as they have all that is advised. To make it worse we are away for the weekend relying on others to feed/let them out. Any advise/help much appreciated.

[joyfull]

don't let the others see the blood as they will start to peck at her and either kill her or make a mess. As her feathers are missing as well it sounds like this may already be the case. Clean her up and put a little bit of germolene on her to soothe the area. She may have had an egg burst so this could be why the pecking started so sorry but a trip to the vets again would be in order.

[leddenton]

Thanks for advise.Just back from vets,she laid an egg whilst there so that not problem. Vet not sure what cause of prob but given antibiotics twice daily. Forgot to ask,do i have to throw away eggs? Have put sudocrem on sore areas. She does seem to be bald on her chest to.am worried re seperation as have nowhere to put both as have only one coop. I havn't seen any bullying/chasing both girls have always got on well.

[Alby]

Hi, my Amber legbars are b***ers for pecking and it is always chest and bottom  I use an anti peck spray which works great for me, just the of the shelf stuff from Farmways .

As for what you are doing wrong ??  Just the same as te rest of us ....... kepng chooks and worrying a lot   Ive lost a few and saved a few , al part of the fun i think 
   Alb

[hillfooter]

I'd go away and enjoy your w/e.  As she's laid and hadn't previously it sounds like she could have been egg bound and this may have been the problem.  If you suspect feather pecking and you have only one other hen as it sounds you could fit a beak bit for a temporary period and see if there's any diference.

Longer term you need to have a way to isolate a bird if only in a temporary run.  You can easily make one from batons and weld mesh which you can tie or wire together in tent like structures.  Covering one end with a tarp or polythene sheet makes a dry sheltered 'house'.  This makes a cheap temporary coop which is easy to store away flat when not in use.

As joy has said and this applies to many other posts on the site you need to provide much more information if you want to get good advice.  I don't necessarily think Joy's list is complete or the best info to provide in a general case but it would be a good start if someone with some experience could refine it and put together an info list for keepers to complete.  I've got some stuff I've used in the past based on what vets use to diagnose which if I get a spare minute I'll spruce up a bit.  If I posted it maybe we could refine it as a sticky.  What do people think??

HF
HF

[joyfull]

sounds good to me HF  , There are so many things to check so we do need to take time to come up with a checklist so that people with a potential problem can work through it and let us know what the results are, then perhaps a better diagnosis could be given (even if it is just - take them to a vet  ).
Joyfull

[hillfooter]

sounds good to me HF  , There are so many things to check so we do need to take time to come up with a checklist so that people with a potential problem can work through it and let us know what the results are, then perhaps a better diagnosis could be given (even if it is just - take them to a vet  ).
Joyfull

I probably didn't make myself clear but I was thinking more about a check list of how to describe the problem and what peripheral info to provide to describe the case rather than a check list of things to check for to come to a tentative diagnosis. 

It's extremely difficult to advise people (and I'd steer away from making a diagnosis remotely) when the symptoms are so skimpy and the background info is missing such as age, laying history, method of husbandry, nutrition, age, flock history etc.  All of which a vet might use as well as seeing the bird first hand analysing samples, seeing the response to medication, post mortem findings etc. I think we have to be very cautious in all but the plainest cases as obviously some symptoms people describe could be caused by very simple things which will right themselves or could equally indicate major problems needing a vet.  It's just impossible to tell from some descriptions how serious it is.  The safest course is to advise "see a vet" and I wonder whether that shouldn't be the stock advice unless the symptoms are very clear and a pretty obvious set of problems to check for can be given.   

Although we could devise a list of information to provide which would also be useful when visiting a vet, I'd be a little wary about having diagnostic lists as with the best will in the world we aren't professionally qualified to devise such a list.  I wouldn't like to cause delay in sick birds getting treatment by encouraging people to try things which are not going to work.  If in doubt see a vet should be the guiding principle, (having said that I've only ever personally done so once in 12 years but that results from with a good deal of experience and knowing the background and being able to examine the bird first hand.)

Regards
HF

[mmuk]

don't want to worry you leddenten, but I had 3 girls like this - 1 died yesterday, 1 this morning, and I suspect the third by the time I get home. Vet (not a specialist poultry vet) couldn't advise - sold us some antibiotics but too late I guess.

Hoping the others don't start too!!

[leddenton]

Good news.Took Speckle to vet unsure what it was but gave antibiotics.Bleeding stopped,laying normally,bright and perky. Finished antibiotics yesterday does anyone know when it is safe to eat the eggs.seems such a waste to be throwing her eggs away especially as have 2 girls so don't know whose are whose hence destroy both.Thanks for any advise.

[joyfull]

what antibiotics was she on?
So pleased she is now ok 

[hillfooter]

You can always feed them back to the hens.
Glad all's well now.
HF

[Beano]

Glad she's better. When one of ours was on antibiotics I boiled her eggs and fed them back to her.

[leddenton]

Following my post re "bleeding vent" have thrown away bottle unsure name of AB's but have heard them mentioned on here alot.Any advise.Thanks

[joyfull]

Aureomycin comes in tubs of bright blue powder so it won't have been that, there is also tylan and baytril (and probably more) but having not used them I don't know what the containers look like. If you ring your vets they should be able to let you know what they dispensed to you as it will be on their records.

[leddenton]

Thanks Joyfull it was Baytril. Do you know when I can eat her eggs also when wormed how long do you leave it before eating the eggs?