Sick Rhode Island Reds

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by Alicia
(Adelaide Austraia)

Question:

Sick Rhode Island Reds: I have 5 backyard Rhode Island Red hens. They are not quite a year old and all very tame.

They eat all sorts of table scraps and layers pellets. I noticed 3 days ago that 3 of the hens had a bit of white poop stuck to their feathers suggesting diarrhea.

Today one of the hens has separated herself from the others and is droopy. When I put her on my lap she snuggles in and just wants to sleep. She doesn't eat, but she is drinking.

The egg she laid yesterday was completely covered in runny white poop. I've contacted our local pet store and they suggested it may be an internal parasite, yet another suggested it could be something she has eaten.

They recommended giving her sulphur 3 as that is all they are allowed to sell. Any ideas on what could be wrong with her?

Answer:
This sounds like an upset digestive system. I would recommend layer crumbles soaked in 1/2 water, 1/2 Gatorade.

You can make a mush and feed some with a dropper or syringe. Gatorade will help restore electrolytes and energy that diarrhea can drain from them.

It's more important to get her alert and active and eating than to fix the droppings. Wish I knew what caused this but you will need to keep her warm and separate and offer her food and liquid often.

Live culture yogurt can help also, to restore good digestive bacteria and better her digestion. 25mg/pound of Aspirin per day can help a chicken feel better.

If diarrhea continues you could give a few drops of Kaopectate or Pepto for a few days. Something your chickens ate, or an unusual quantity, seems to have thrown their digestion off. Hope this helps.

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