Author Topic: coughing hen, help needed! (Read 3908 times)

zeeteecee · « **on:** July 09, 2011, 10:11:33 pm »

I have only had these 20 rangers about a month &they have been perfectly healthy until now.
I have them in a converted garden shed attached to a run giving plenty of space. They were kept on straw for the first 2weeks but then I got some shavings. I clean out the droppings every two days and the shed gets a proper clean every 2weeks. I also spray with Barrier poultry mite concentrate each time i clean out.

The outside run is partially slabbed and partially bare earth. The plan is to totally slab it all but an area for digging and dustbathing etc. But as the hens have only been on it a month I wouldn't have thought their health problems arose from bad ground! But of course, i may be wrong!

A few days ago I noticed a hen coughing very occasionally. At first i thought she had just drunk or had something in her nostril etc but it has continued. I have also noticed some loose yellowy poop in the run, and it may be from the same hen, hard to tell when there's 20!

The ground they are kept on used to be where my compost bins were and so I'm wondering if it may be gapeworm picked up from snails/worms in the ground. But I am hoping that whtever it is its not going to be infectious or need antibiotics as their eggs are a source of income for us!
Any ideas what it could be or how to go about treating and preventing would be fantastic
Thankyou
Z

little blue · « **Reply #1 on:** July 09, 2011, 10:31:40 pm »

Isolate her (you can give her a friend too, if you dont want her lonely!) so you can identify if she is pooping yellow, treat her more easily, and hopefully stop anything spreading further.
sounds like she will need some kind of medicaiton though, ABs and/or wormer. your vet will prob advise you treat the lot, which will result in egg withdrawal I'm afraid...

doganjo · « **Reply #2 on:** July 09, 2011, 10:41:17 pm »

Soft yellow poop is worms. I've just treated mien with Flubenvet for that reason. The coughing is quite possibly linked.

zeeteecee · « **Reply #3 on:** July 09, 2011, 11:04:54 pm »

Yes, tomorrow I will put her in isolation so i can see the poop etc. I will try flubenvet (i think i have some) and also chat to the vet on Monday.
Just one thing after another hen-wise. Had a red mite infestation in another shed/run which so far hasn't spread to the new girls so I have kept that one at bay at least!
If it was going to be infectious how quickly would it pass to the others?

Z

zeeteecee · « **Reply #4 on:** July 10, 2011, 07:30:27 am »

i have just looked at where the hens r roaming,they r on ground that my other flock used to have. i had2worm that flock a coupl o months back as we had a mucky-bum problem.
Would they have become a problem within my new hens as quickly as 4weeks?

Deffo flubenvetting as soon as i can get some more.

Still thinking that the cough may be related but will keep an eye for any developments!