OMG whats going on?

[Anonymous]

Argh what a day! Got up this morning, let the girls out, everything A-OK, did the school run, went food shopping, and came home to find only 3 girls running round, went to investigate and one was in the coop, very jittery, not really with it and oh god the blood was awful! I had my hands full with my little girl so shut the coop door to stop the others pecking at the blood, put my little girl up for her nap and went back out. The hen by this point was still very jittery, and her breathing was very laboured and croaky, then to the source of the blood-her back end, she had a prolapse of some sort, not really clear because there was so much blood, got a friend with a broad experience of chickens to have a look over her but she was going downhill and very very fast so she was put out of her pain

As I was cleaning down and disinfecting everything I noticed another hen with some blood on her back end, she had laid an egg and it had blood on it, the egg wasn't any bigger than normal so.....what was it? I isolated her, the bleeding stopped and she escaped and got back with the others :roll: I've separated her a couple times since but she just keeps going back....will it be ok now there is no blood? I've cleaned her up.

THEN....a 3rd hen laid her egg for today and there was a spot of blood on that but she seems perfectly fine....I guess that it's nothing to be worried about if there are no signs of tears or trauma of any kind?!?

Who thought keeping chickens would be so stressful, I'm like a panic stricken mum! (and I've experienced that first hand)

 

[Davidd]

Hello, if there is any blood- or wounds you must separate the hen- the others will keep pecking it and kill it. As for your other hen- sometimes there is a little blood on the eggs - this is normal.
regards, David

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks David, I shall keep trying to seperate her, she's a determined little thing but I will win!

Good to know about the blood on eggs being normal, after the bloodbath up there earlier I panicked I think

 

[Anonymous]

The second hen with the issue with her back end has spent the night by my rayburn. Whatever it is that appeared normal last night doesn't look normal this morning. She has pooped in the box, there is also some clear liquid and a small spot of watery blood, when I pick her up and have a look, her little bottom appears to be swollen and looks as though it is pushing out but she doesn't seem that bothered by it :? It's a little mucky so I'm cleaning it up with water.

Any ideas?

Also, I've been told to make it as dark as possible to try and prevent her laying and causing further trauma(not from my experienced friend, not managed to get hold of him today), is this right?

 

[Davidd]

Hello. is she straining at all? i.e. trying to lay?
She may be egg bound- if she is you will need the vet- especially if you haven't had much experience
Keep us informed
regards, David

 

[Anonymous]

Ok so she isn't egg bound, I peeked in the box and there was todays egg.

I now have another hen with the same thing which is leading me to maybe coccidiosis...anything I can do until I can get to a vet?

Symptoms are:

bloody poo
white substance covering feathers at the back end
no real interest in food/water but still pretty active