170 Comments

  1. Hi. I took on a mixed flock from moving neighbours last autum. One of the cockerels who is about 2yrs old has been off colour of late. His comb is sometimes very purple and he has stopped coming out of the run with his group, he’s not crowing and is being picked on by another cockerel. I have been treating him for scaley leg for a while (they were very bad) and they are looking better although he is still limping. I took him to a vet in January because of his limp and he thought it was due to scaley leg. He did not improve after some intensive treatment with vaseline although they started to look better, so I took him back later and he prescribed antibiotics and anti inflamatory drops. His limp improved slightly but was as bad once treatment ended. When he became off colour I took him back and the vet could find nothing obvious and has suggested more antibiotics. I just don’t feel we’re getting anywhere.
    One of my hens is now looking unwell and I have seen what looks to be a dead tapeworm hanging out of her vent. I wormed them all with Flubenvet about 2 wks ago, a couple of months before their 6mthly dose because I thought a couple of them were gapeing. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I’m wondering if there is any connection???

    • It’s hard to say with examining them of course and it would be wrong of me to diagnose problems based on a description, however, I would get a worm sample taken (you can do this online via Chickenvet, there is a kit you can buy or ask your vet). If you are right, Tapeworm as you will see from the link isn’t normally killed with a standard dose of flubenvet so you will need your vet to prescribe a stronger dose and corresponding egg withdrawal period. Birds become re-infested in the environment, from eggs they pick up whilst foraging. The pre-patent period is the time it then takes for these to develop into adult worms of egg laying age and is around 3 weeks I think for Tape Worm so if your birds are on the same ground, you would need to repeat treatment to ensure these are killed before reaching egg laying age. You vet should be able to advise.

      The cock should not be getting picked on if he is ill. Remove the other cock or give him a space of his own.

      Staphylococcus Bacteria cause a condition commonly called Bumblefoot that can cause a swollen abscess on the underside of the foot. Worth checking, although lameness can also be a sign of worms.

      It takes a long time for the scales to grow back. Ivermectin usually takes care of scaly leg mites although is not licensed for poultry so would need your vet to prescribe.

  2. Hi

    Great website! I am a little worried about one of my Amber Links, I brought 4 of them in March of this year when they were approximately 16 weeks old. 3 out of the 4 are laying daily and all 4 seemed very happy running around the garden up until a couple of days ago. The one of my ladies who isn’t happy has (to my knowledge) not laid any eggs yet and isn’t her usual self. She seems very subdued and isn’t following me or the other chickens around the garden as she normally does.
    I have examined her today and her crop was empty (just before going to roost) and seem looked like she had a creamy white discharge from her rear. I could not feel any lumps so I don’t think she is egg bound but I may be wrong.
    Any ideas please?

  3. Hi can you help I got 5 chickens at the week end all speckeldy, bluebell, copper black ,columbine and a light sussex, about an hour ago the sussex started to open her month and is making a croaky barking noise, any ideas what it could be

    • She’s is trying to crow by the sound of things!

      Assuming it isn’t a ‘he’ then don’t panic, some hens get enough hormones to do this. They do it to try to establish themselves at the top of the pecking order to immitate a male bird. Sometimes they will continue to do this but often, once settled (or if you introduce a cock bird) they will stop doing it.

  4. my chicken was laying normally until 2 days ago, she will not feed or come out of coop, she also makes a high pitched squeal when she knows we are about.

    • Hard to say… Is she sat in the nest box fluffed up? (=Broody) or hunched in the corner looking sleepy (=Sick).

      • she only comes out to eat when bodily lifted and hand fed, my other chicken died two months ago do you think she is lonely. ?

        • She sounds ill… but make sure you have company for her. Chickens are flock animals and need to be kept in at least a small group.

  5. Hi my bluebelle is 6 months old and i have had her 5 weeks, she has started to cough,and sits by her self most of the time, I wormed them 4 weeks ago,all the other 4 are fine, is there anything i can do, for her

    • Take her to the vet? If she has been wormed, it sounds like a respiratory infection of some sort and antibiotics will clear this up if it is caught early.

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