Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

poohbear59

i haven't posted on here in a while but I am looking for advice again.

One of my hens has been bullied by the others and last week I noticed her eyes were swollen, then they became horrible and had a green discharge. I have kept her in and she then started breathing badly. I dare not put her with the other hens in case it is contagious and yesterday someone left the back door open and they were all in the porch together.

So Much for trying to prevent cross contamination. I am going to swill out the porch with strong disinfectant. Hen is about the same but her tail is no longer pointed down and she seems to be eating a bit. Any ideas on anything else I should do?

DH says he wants to 'dispatch' her.

Chickenopolis

poohbear59 wrote: »

i haven't posted on here in a while but I am looking for advice again.

One of my hens has been bullied by the others and last week I noticed her eyes were swollen, then they became horrible and had a green discharge. I have kept her in and she then started breathing badly. I dare not put her with the other hens in case it is contagious and yesterday someone left the back door open and they were all in the porch together.

So Much for trying to prevent cross contamination. I am going to swill out the porch with strong disinfectant. Hen is about the same but her tail is no longer pointed down and she seems to be eating a bit. Any ideas on anything else I should do?

DH says he wants to 'dispatch' her.

Hello poobear59 . I would like to offer some wise words of advice, but I would be taking the hen to the vet who would also advise if it was infectious . I am not sure if you had cleaned her eyes with cooled boiled water etc, or what else you have already tried. I thought my old hen was at deaths door with a nasty chest infection, but the vet gave her an injection and some Baytrill and she was fine. You just never know with hens x good luck !

poohbear59

Chickenopolis I will take her tomorrow. Just need to wait until DH is safely at work I have kept her in a warmer place then usual and fed and bathed her. She is perkier than on Saturday.

Chickenopolis

poohbear59 wrote: »

Chickenopolis I will take her tomorrow. Just need to wait until DH is safely at work I have kept her in a warmer place then usual and fed and bathed her. She is perkier than on Saturday.

Good luck, I hope all goes well poohbear59 .

sunflower76

Hope she perks up Poohbear59.

Mine have laid three eggs yesterday and today (so far) so it really would seem they were protesting about the frosts. Funny little ladies!

They all had their wings clipped yesterday after I caught Dafodil flapping up onto a four foot fence and peering up at the wall as if to jump to that one next. Naughty girls!

poohbear59

My poorly hen died last night. But I have disinfected the yard, porch and all the paving outside in case she was infectious. Just hoping none of the others get whatever it was. I can't disinfect the rest of the garden

All the others look really well but there is still one out there doing yellow poops. They have been wormed regularly but as they are free range they could easily pick up something else.

3v3

poohbear59 wrote: »

My poorly hen died last night. But I have disinfected the yard, porch and all the paving outside in case she was infectious. Just hoping none of the others get whatever it was. I can't disinfect the rest of the garden

All the others look really well but there is still one out there doing yellow poops. They have been wormed regularly but as they are free range they could easily pick up something else.

So sorry to read that

ionahenor2

Sorry to hear about your dear hen Poohbear.

Beccatje

How cold is too cold??

I've just become the proud mama of three hens..
They've been with us since Saturday and have given us 4 egss so far. Which considering the cold and the move, I find quite impressive.

But with temps plummeting at the moment, and expected to hit -13 at night time in the next few days we are a little worried about them. Can they handle that kind of temps?
They have coop that is high off the ground, and not draughty or anything as far as I can tell.
I've given them a good supply of hay, and they have water and food inside.

Will they be alright?
DH is wanting to put a warmth light in there to keep them cozy.

spirit

No don't put any artificial heating in there, they have their own built in feather duvets. they are better able to cope with the cold than the heat.

You could put some vaseline on their combs and wattles to stop frostbite if you want. Make sure their water doesn't get so iced up that they can't drink.

I have an old carpet (bathroom one so is rubber underneath) that i put over the Eglu Cube.

a handful of corn in the late afternoon will also help them keep warm at night.

Edit to add, they shouldn't have hay due to possible breathing difficulties. Straw is recommended instead.

In the mornings when it's cold I make them a warm mash with pellets and whatever I have around, like tinned sweetcorn/sultanas/mealworms/sardines.