I am very new to keeping chickens( just one week) and have followed the books to the letter – so much so I clean them out every day, fresh food and water etc. I have 2 Light Sussex and 1 Rhode Island Red. Today the Light Sussex are off colour and not as bright as usual. One is making a strange croaking sound and has a discharge from it’s rear end. They are both listless and keep sitting in a huddle. These birds are not laying yet ( 18 weeks old) I don’t know what to do or is it because I’ve done something wrong and am harming them? I’ve looked at all the bird symptoms but none seem to apply. The little Rhode Island is fine.
The symptoms are that of ‘sick chickens’ I would ensure they are wormed with Flubenvet (although there is a shortage at the moment so Ivermectin is usually the next best thing but technically requires your vet to prescribe as it isn’t licensed for chickens).
Hello, thanks for your wonderful website. I have been an avid reader since receiving 3 POL hens a Light Sussex, Black Rock and a Barred Rock a month ago. The Black Rock started laying 5 days ago and both she and the Sussex have bright red combs, the Barred Rock is still a bit pink around the face. All three seem very healthy, they have the run of our large garden and layers pellets, grit and occasionally mixed corn. About 2 weeks ago a noticed the occasional loose poo (not caecal) with pinkish “bits” in. Not sure which one it’s from. To be on the safe side they had a double dose of Verm- X for 3 days and ACV in the water for a week. Seemed to do the trick, but have noticed another pink bitty loose stool this morning. They do like eating earthworms and the bits look a bit like undigested worm. Or could be blood, possibley. Do you think they’ve got coccidosis? If they appear healthy should I do anything else, or just let them “fight”it off seeing as they’re big and healthy in all other respects. It might only be one of them I think.
It is right to be watchful, however I would not worry just yet. Sometimes there are odd poos that are hard to explain so it’s worth looking at the bigger picture of overall health and keeping an eye but if you notice anything unusual then to look further.
I would ensure you worm with Flubenvet to be on the safe side, at least every 6 months (although there is a shortage of this at the moment and it’s not due back in stock until the end of October). You may find Flubenvet 2.5% 240g tubs available somewhere Coccidiosis is rare in older birds, it’s normally young chicks that get this, especially on wet litter. Older birds build up immunity.
Just a quick update, they’re all fine. No more blood or worm bits! All are laying now. I haven’t been able to get any Flubenvet, I keep looking, but perhaps I’ll wait till spring now. thanks:)
I have 11 x-battery hens but recently one seems to be being attacked. I am fairly sure which one is attacking the chicken. Before she had good feathers but there are now bald patches and clumps of feathers have been torn out. She is also more nervous than before. It was not a problem until recently. What do you suggest I do?
You do get bullies sometimes who will pick on a hen that is lower in the pecking order. Other than giving them more space to stay away from one another and providing lots of greens / things to do in the run, multiple feeding / watering points, it is hard to know what else to suggest. A real bully should be removed for a while but it sounds as if the flock are used to one another. There are bumper bits that you can get to fit to the beak to stop pecking but I tend to use these as a last resort…. another alternative is removing / rehoming the hen. Let me know how you get on.
Hi , I have got 3 chickens, we have had them for about 6 months.
This morning I let them out into their run, and one of them is limping very badly. She didn’t even go in to the coop to lay, she just laid it in the run.
Do you know what could be wrong with it?.
It just seemed to happen when she was locked in last night.
P.S. great site you have created.
There are a number of potential problems. You should examine her feet and legs, a common problem is bumble foot where a cut on the pad on the bottom of the foot gets infected. Another problem is Mycoplasma Synovia where the hock joints get swollen and feel hot to touch. Both could need antibiotics so really you should be thinking about getting her examined and treated by a vet.
My three girls (Black Rock) are six months old. They look really healthy and have just come into lay. Should I start worming them now, or would it be better to wait until spring?
I would leave it now until the Spring – Worm eggs are inactive below 10 degrees C. So unless you have kept them on well used ground, I would think there won’t be a huge problem.
I am very new to keeping chickens( just one week) and have followed the books to the letter – so much so I clean them out every day, fresh food and water etc. I have 2 Light Sussex and 1 Rhode Island Red. Today the Light Sussex are off colour and not as bright as usual. One is making a strange croaking sound and has a discharge from it’s rear end. They are both listless and keep sitting in a huddle. These birds are not laying yet ( 18 weeks old) I don’t know what to do or is it because I’ve done something wrong and am harming them? I’ve looked at all the bird symptoms but none seem to apply. The little Rhode Island is fine.
The symptoms are that of ‘sick chickens’ I would ensure they are wormed with Flubenvet (although there is a shortage at the moment so Ivermectin is usually the next best thing but technically requires your vet to prescribe as it isn’t licensed for chickens).
Hello, thanks for your wonderful website. I have been an avid reader since receiving 3 POL hens a Light Sussex, Black Rock and a Barred Rock a month ago. The Black Rock started laying 5 days ago and both she and the Sussex have bright red combs, the Barred Rock is still a bit pink around the face. All three seem very healthy, they have the run of our large garden and layers pellets, grit and occasionally mixed corn. About 2 weeks ago a noticed the occasional loose poo (not caecal) with pinkish “bits” in. Not sure which one it’s from. To be on the safe side they had a double dose of Verm- X for 3 days and ACV in the water for a week. Seemed to do the trick, but have noticed another pink bitty loose stool this morning. They do like eating earthworms and the bits look a bit like undigested worm. Or could be blood, possibley. Do you think they’ve got coccidosis? If they appear healthy should I do anything else, or just let them “fight”it off seeing as they’re big and healthy in all other respects. It might only be one of them I think.
It is right to be watchful, however I would not worry just yet. Sometimes there are odd poos that are hard to explain so it’s worth looking at the bigger picture of overall health and keeping an eye but if you notice anything unusual then to look further.
I would ensure you worm with Flubenvet to be on the safe side, at least every 6 months (although there is a shortage of this at the moment and it’s not due back in stock until the end of October). You may find Flubenvet 2.5% 240g tubs available somewhere Coccidiosis is rare in older birds, it’s normally young chicks that get this, especially on wet litter. Older birds build up immunity.
Just a quick update, they’re all fine. No more blood or worm bits! All are laying now. I haven’t been able to get any Flubenvet, I keep looking, but perhaps I’ll wait till spring now. thanks:)
I have 11 x-battery hens but recently one seems to be being attacked. I am fairly sure which one is attacking the chicken. Before she had good feathers but there are now bald patches and clumps of feathers have been torn out. She is also more nervous than before. It was not a problem until recently. What do you suggest I do?
You do get bullies sometimes who will pick on a hen that is lower in the pecking order. Other than giving them more space to stay away from one another and providing lots of greens / things to do in the run, multiple feeding / watering points, it is hard to know what else to suggest. A real bully should be removed for a while but it sounds as if the flock are used to one another. There are bumper bits that you can get to fit to the beak to stop pecking but I tend to use these as a last resort…. another alternative is removing / rehoming the hen. Let me know how you get on.
Hi , I have got 3 chickens, we have had them for about 6 months.
This morning I let them out into their run, and one of them is limping very badly. She didn’t even go in to the coop to lay, she just laid it in the run.
Do you know what could be wrong with it?.
It just seemed to happen when she was locked in last night.
P.S. great site you have created.
There are a number of potential problems. You should examine her feet and legs, a common problem is bumble foot where a cut on the pad on the bottom of the foot gets infected. Another problem is Mycoplasma Synovia where the hock joints get swollen and feel hot to touch. Both could need antibiotics so really you should be thinking about getting her examined and treated by a vet.
My three girls (Black Rock) are six months old. They look really healthy and have just come into lay. Should I start worming them now, or would it be better to wait until spring?
I would leave it now until the Spring – Worm eggs are inactive below 10 degrees C. So unless you have kept them on well used ground, I would think there won’t be a huge problem.