5pm just went out to see the girls and this is what I found (see attached pictures). What is up with her? I plan to wash her off with some mild soap and warm water. But should I be doing or looking for something else? She seems fine (as I just found this a few minutes ago) and as far as I know she is eating and drinking fine. I will go out and observe her a little more closely now that I have found this. She has not roosted in the coop for a while now, but sleeps in one of the nesting boxes. I did not see anything wrong with that so it did not concern me. Should it? She has always been a little friendlier and calmer than the rest, and seems to be alone a lot more than the rest. But always eats, drinks, and sleeps with everyone. She is not like an outcast, just always by me when no one else wants to be lol so I notice her more I guess. Please send thoughts and suggestions. Has lots of fresh water and eats Manna Pro egg maker pellets.
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ooooh, thank you Dennis. This is really the first bit of info that I have received.
Heather- Thank you also. I do have a post on Backyard Chickens also. But no help there. Everyone just tells me to wash her butt she is fine. My girls have had poo on their butts before, but NOT like this. I really believe that something is causing this, and not just a lot of fluffy feathers around her vent as one person from the Backyard Chickens forum suggested. I suspected worms, but had no idea if this was the sign of worms or what the symptoms of worms were. We have been battling a worm infestation around here for some time. I wormed the girls in August of last year (I hate to over worm them, but I hate even more for them to have worms). We have goats, horses, dogs, potbellied pigs, Sulcata tortoises, ducks, and turkeys all in slight contact with each other. We have had evidence of worms in the past, but all of the animals are current on worming medicine. I am very worried about her. She is one of my favorite hens. Rachel- I do hope that it is nothing, that would be fantastic :) But would so hate to loose her because I did nothing when I should have :(
Hens were wormed last August. The animals are not in the same runs, but are next to one another. Either way they are close enough to pass unpleasant things on to one another. The only way to not have them in contact with one another would be to not have them at all :( I do not like to worm as a preventive medicine (and I hate vaccinations as well). But last year we had a litter of puppies and our doe kidded twins and both had issues with worms. The goat had worms in the placenta afterbirth, and the puppies at just barely 2 weeks old started pooping worms (their eyes were not even open and were only nursing mama and were in the house). So both of those animals were wormy before delivery :( The pig is not wormed (not sure what to give her). But the horses, dogs and goats are now dewormed every other month and we change type of worming paste every time. I used to do twice a year :( I always make sure one of the products kills tape worms. Chickens got Fenbendazole last August. I would LOVE for it to be the weather and have nothing wrong with her. She is a GREAT hen. One of those sweet passive cuddly ones that ask to be held and always come to see you. If not worms or heat, what else would cause this? She does not roost. Is that weird? She always sleeps in the nesting box and not up on one of the perches with the other girls.
P.S. I dont have The Chicken Health Handbook Gail Damerow. Will be sure to get that one. Have QUITE a few other books on chickens, but not that one :)
Sometimes this happens with nothing wrong. One reason it may happen right now is that with the weather warming up so suddenly, the birds are drinking more than usual and the change of weather/water can give them a little diarrhea that can lead to this. Not to dissuade you from keeping an eye on her, just a little reassurance that it could possibly be nothing.
Also just to comment on Dennis's reply above, decreased laying and dullness of combs and wattles along with weight loss (the first two happen seasonally with molting and winter) *are* symptoms of worms. Your images Kelly, are not. Valbazen isn't approved for use in chickens, though to my knowledge there is nothing approved for tapeworms in chickens, a definite downside to poultry keeping is that there aren't a lot of approved medicines. Often this is a function of economics rather than safety-- no one is paying for the studies to treat chickens. Just please be careful to not overdose your birds and also "regular worming schedules" are in general a very bad idea. It's a huge contributor to parasite resistance, same reason you don't take antibiotics a couple times a year "just in case" ;) (I know this last paragraph was a little off-topic and not requested, I apologize, just want to chime in for the benefit of others reading this that might be able to use the info)
I am just wondering how it all turned out?
Fingers crossed it went well!
Poor girl. It looks a lot like baby chicks "Poopybutt", (course in one picture it kinda looks like worms >.< but I hope its just the way the picture was taken.)
I am no long time chicken owner, but I have noticed my RIR hen seems to be having more trouble with the heat than the rest of my flock, I keep finding her napping in the big metal food pan, and at one point she a nice paste of food covering her legs from squatting on the ice block then hopping into the food bowl. Maybe yours is doing the same thing trying to keep cool?
Give her a good bath and if you can, check and make sure all that crud it only pasted food. There might be something worse hiding under there.
I would like to point you over to Backyard Chickens if you haven't been by there already. They have a huge wealth of knowledge, amazingly helpful people and lots of experience with everything chicken under the sun.
I hope it all ends up alright!