Buff Sussex passing blood - what could it be?

[69chick]

Hi, as the title says, my Buff Sussex (POL - approx 30weeks) has passed blood, has lost condition (thinner than she was and getting thinner/pale comb) and is not as forward going as she was.

Has anyone got any ideas? I think it could be serious

I'm really concerned.

Thanks.

Lisa

PS: I lost a Wernlas olive - POL same age - with no other symptoms than suddenly went thin and uninterested in life. Took her back, and the breeder had no idea either! She died the following day.

[Lydia]

Some of my hens have passed a small amount of blood,prior to actually laying.The ones that did pass a small amount of blood all layed their first egg within a week of passing the blood.Not all my hens have done this though.Also,they didn't have any other symptoms.
I would suggest you take her to see a vet.

[ncotb]

Had one of mine pass a bit of blood just before she started laying too. It could well be as Lydia said she will start laying very soon. Give her some protein food ie mashed up boiled egg with poultry spice in it & some crushed garlic & ACV in her water as a pick me up. However, I would still consult a vet just in case it is something serious.

[Chicken Vet]

Hello Lisa,

There are a few possible causes for the passing of blood. It is also not promising to hear that your chicken has lost weight and has a pale comb. Can we ask have you checked your birds for red mite, if you have an infestation you can see blood appear on the eggs. Check under the hen’s wings and around their vent for evidence of mites. The best time to check the house is at night time, go into the house with a torch and check around the perches and in any cracks and crevices. Red mite can cause your birds to be quite unwell as they suck the hen’s blood, this can lead to anaemia and even death. We would also check with you if your hen has been wormed recently? We always advise that chickens are wormed at least twice a year. Flubenvet is a licensed wormer which has a zero egg withdrawal period (this means that you can consume eggs during treatment.)

Does your hen appear to have a swollen stomach or has she layed any soft shelled eggs recently? This can be a normal occurrence when a hen comes in or goes out of lay but it can also be a sign that she is suffering a slightly more serious blip in her laying system. It is possible that she has developed Egg peritonitis, a common disease in chickens that would need veterinary attention and antibiotics. Finally it would also be worth checking her vent for a stuck egg, do this by inserting a lubricated finger gently into her vent to feel for the presence of an egg.

We are sorry this all sounds so complicated, check out this website for further help on all of the problems we have mentioned. If you continue to be worried about your hen then please do take her to your local vet.

Chicken Vet

[Tim]

If she is passing blood in her faeces (assuming this is what you mean?) I would suspect Coccidiosis. This is a disease caused by the coccidial protozoan organism, an internal parasite called Eimeria. These live inside the cells that line the birds intestine. As they reproduce, they cause bleeding and swelling in the intestines. Birds loose a lot of liquid and cannot absorb nutrients from their food and become weak and will soon die if left untreated. Bloody droppings are a classic sign.

There's some good information on the Chickenvet website here that gives the following symptoms:

* Droppings containing signs of blood, orange/red mucous or diarrhoea.
* Ruffled, hunched posture.
* Weight loss, loss of appetite and interest in water.
* Anaemia, shown by pale sunken face or wattles.
* Slow and possible uneven growth.
* Weak, listless birds.
* Huddling and discontentment.

There is also some information on Coxoid here....

Let us know how you get on. Good Luck.

[E3lx]

I dont think this means she is coming into lay , it does not sound good that she is losing weight, it sounds to me as though she has coccidiosis . If the blood is being passed out in her faeces, then this is a bad sign. When my chickens suffered from coccidiosis i medicated with Coxoid and they recovered well . you can find out more about coxoid on the internet, to find out more about coccidiosis look at this; <Link Removed - please see our forum rules>

[69chick]

Hi all
thanks for your replies
Sadly, Bertha died. She was wormed regularly, was from the Wernlas Collection, so treated for coccidiosis (apparently) and I'm fanatical about red mite. The death of the other hen, (from the same place) was identical. (I still have my dear Orpy Buff and my noisy Welbar from there though).
I'm so concerned its something I've done/not done. All the other hens seem so happy etc.

The only thing I find very difficult, is dusting for lice. I always think 'am I doing this correctly?'
Can hens die from lice infestation?

I even bought the book Diseases of Free Range Poultry by Victoria Roberts, which is so recommended.

When I took the Wernlas Olive back to Wernlas (as suggested by themselves) he openly admitted he had'nt got a clue what the problem was (and did offer to replace, which I turned down, as I wanted to give her a chance), so feel my 2 hens have died rather mysteriously.
If there is a next time, I think I will pay for a post mortem.

Thanks all

chick x

[Tim]

So sorry you lost her. It's never easy

Sometimes chickens do die for no obvious reasons. They often mask illness until they are suddenly very poorly aswell.

I'm sure it won't be anything you are doing. There is some really good advice in Victoria Roberts book too.

Lice are irritating but aren't life threatening - they feed off dead skin.