[300AJC]

I have six ex battery hens which have just been wormed and gone through a course of Baytril as two had a cough. However, one last become very listless and docile, as did a couple of mine some months ago and I am afraid they died. I have restocked over the year a couple at a time. You never really know how healthy or old they are when you get them do you?

She seems to be passing yellowish poo. Could an egg have broken inside her? Is she passing this? Shortly before she became I'll we had one soft egg. I have no idea which hen laid it though. Is this a coincidence or a link? I don't want to loose her of course as these are family pets really.

Thanks again in advance of your advice,

Andrew

[Casey76]

Hi Andrew, how yellow is yellow?

Caecal poos can range from treacle-like to mustard-like, so that would be my first guess.

Secondly, if she has layed a soft shelled egg, that could account for her being under the weather and depressed looking, as it takes a lot of energy and can make a chicken feel unwell laying a soft shelled egg.

Normally I'd explain it being like bad menstrual cramps... but you wouldn't have first hand experience of theat lol!

[300AJC]

Bonjour!

Thanks for your reply. Quite mustard like in colour and liquid rather than solid. I don't know if she is the one that laid the soft egg though.

She's just sitting on her perch all day, not moving much at all.

They all have plenty of food and water available so I'll just have to keep an eye one her and hope she bucks up.

Andrew

[300AJC]

I am afraid she died this afternoon.

[SusieB]

I'm sorry, that's so sad.  I hope somebody experienced comes along, so you can make sure the others are ok. 

[300AJC]

The other five see, fine. She was one of our original four we got las year. We have just one of them left now. She went downhill really fast, was fine at the weekend and then about 48 hours later this. They were all wormed a few weeks ago and all had a course of anti biotics as I said.

Does your average vet know much about chickens?  It's hard to know or diagnose what it could be?

[jhub]

I think hens suffering egg peritonitis can pass yolk yellow poo.
http://www.avianweb.com/eggyolkperitonitis.html
So sorry she died.