Medical advice
Once your hens are home...
I hope that you will not have any problems, but if you do please email littlehenrescue@aol.com or Jo on 07540 541686 for advice
Also you can call the BHWT careline on 01362 822 904
Whether this is a behavioral or medical problem please do not hesitate to contact us, please be aware that I am the only person.
We may be able to help treat minor injuries or illnesses if you are unable to contact please please approach a vet.
We also were possible offer a hospital stay for those needing intense and regular treatment and supervision if we have space in our hospital wing.
If possible always try to contact us first, we will often be able to diagnose and tell you the best treatment or what you should do next.
In an emergency please take hen to your local vet, if you need help finding a vet that will see chickens please view our 'Chicken friendly vets' page.
Common behavioural problems
of a farmed hen
Fighting/bullying
Farmed hens are likely to be more fighty than other hens, this is due to their lives in the farms. Normally they settle within 3 weeks or so.
Things to try..
- Distracting hens with different foods maybe cabbage leaves hung up
- Let them free range your garden, this will allow a bullied hen to get away whilst distracting the bully hen
- Remove the bully hen, placing her into a run or pen near by, but only if bullying is bad. This gives a nervous hen time to build bonds with the less aggressive hens, therefore giving her the confidence to face the bully next time
- If blood is seen please spray with an anti-septic purple/violet spray which can be bought from some pet shops, all equestrian shops and at Little Hen Rescue on collection days and/or Scarper to stop them smelling fear and has a lasting fowl taste bought from Wells poultry (online). This is a very good deterent, if left untreated, the other hens will peck a hole into the injured hen causing serious harm or even death. If you can't get any please contact us and bring your hen to be sprayed at LHR
- Cockerels are very good at stabilising a flock of feisty girls, once a cock bird has asserted himself amongst the flock he will take charge. He will not allow fighting, and will challenge those who rebel. If you are interested in a cockerel then please contact LHR and we will find one to suit your family.
If at any time you are worried about a hen being badly bullied please do not hesitate to contact us, we will always take back a serious bully or a very nervous hen and pair them up with a suitable hen or cockerel for a permanent foster home in which we will be able to offer continuous support.
Feather plucking
Farmed hens can come out partially or completely bald due to stress. Once out they will grow new feathers which start out as feather spikes.
Hens often pick at these spikes themselves as they aggravate their skin, which may cause a little blood. The others hens might try to peck each others spikes. Please remove any signs of blood to stop a hen being picked on.
Some hens feathers take longer to grow than others, they will grow back eventually so try not to worry. They will also adjust to the cold very quickly. Soon you will have fluffy healthy hens.
Things to try..
- Distract hens by adding new things to run/pen or let them free range
- Remove any signs of blood, either wipe it away or if bad spray with anti-septic purple/violet spray or Scarper. This can be bought from some pet shops, LHR collection days and all equestrian shops. If you need some quickly or can't find any please contact us and we'll have you bring hen in to be sprayed at LHR
Off lay
After being transported from farm and the shock of the outside world some hens will go off lay for up to 6 wks.
They also go off lay when going through a moult (losing some old feathers and growing new ones).
Please be patient they will lay again, as long as they are on Layers mash or layers pellets.
Please remember free ranging hens may have found a nicer place to lay their eggs under a bush so check around before presuming they are off lay.
If egg production does not pick up there may be an underlying problem such as Coccidiosis or Brachyspira. These can be treated and needs to be dealt with quickly. Scroll down to 'Medical problems' to find out more.
Egg without shells or soft eggs
Hens become quite stressed when moved from farm to rescue, this shows in their egg quality. You may find very soft shelled eggs or even eggs without a shell at all. They can also lay these when they are moulting. Don't be panicked, this is ok. This shouldn't be a problem for long, let them settle and try them on a vitamin supplement in their water.
If it continues it may mean there is an infection brewing a vet should give you a general antibiotic or perhaps lack of calcium in the hen's diet, or it is not absorbed.. Eggshells can be baked in the oven, cooled, crushed and mixed with the food. Apple cider vinegar is also thought to increase calcium absorption. Vets can also give a calcium injection, presumably if the above don't work.
Egg breaking or egg eating
Hens are clumsy when first out of farms, some have never seen their eggs before let alone laid them in straw nest boxes!
They may stand on them and break them accidently, if this happens they will eat them. Try not to worry they will learn not to stand on them.
If later on, they purposely eat eggs, again its for the same reasons as above.
Things to try..
- Remove the eggs quickly in morning to break the cycle and never leave eggs lying around
- Add mustard to the eggs to put them off eating them again
- Distract hens
It is also a sign of hen lacking in protein, feed them something high in protein like sardines, tuna, meal worms, cheese or cat biscuits soaked in water until soft.
If ever this becomes a such a problem that you wish to remove a hen, please return her to us. We will keep her as a resident hen. Thank you.
Medical problems in farmed and domestic hens
Prolapse
Symptoms
Internal tissue protruding from hens vent
Blood
Faeces dripping from vent
Messy vent and feathers at back end
Quiet hen
Reasons
Treatment
Make sure you have isolated hen from others, chickens will pull at prolapse and cause serious damage or death.
Massage firstly from the back of legs up towards vent, also massage from behind vent, towards vent. This is to check there isn't an egg stuck.
Secondly, place hen between legs and push the prolapse back in. Hold vent shut for about 5 minutes to stop it coming out again.
Thirdly, apply hemroid cream just inside vent and around entrance to vent. This works very well numbing area and shrinking the flared tissue.
Keep hen isolated for a day or two and feed only mixed corn to slow laying.
If the prolapse stays in, she'll need a course of antibiotics to stop any infection brewing.
Baytril or amoxicillin such as Noroclav 250 mg (amoxicillin for dogs, tablet broken in quarters)
If the prolapse re-occurs continuously, continue to push back in regularly through the day, and evening time use the below treatment.
You will need
- Flexiguard bandage (equestrian product), or any bandage that sticks to itself and has elastic material.
- A dressing pad
- Hemorroid cream
The idea of the bandage is to stop the prolapse popping out, but allowing hen to poo still. This gives the tissue time to settle and the hemroid cream time to work.
BANDAGING
Have someone to help you.
Bandage firstly around the middle of hen, and under her wings.
Pop her prolapse in and add hemorroid cream to the dressing pad and place on hens vent keeping pressure on vent.
Bring bandage up and through her legs firmly to hold in prolapse. Continue this a few times to secure bandage.
The end result should look like this below.
Please keep your hen in a small safe container over night. They tend to bang around and lose their balance completely in the 'chicken nappy'. They hate them, and some screech about having them. Please leave them on over night, because the following day they will hopefully be completely cured of their prolapse.
Take bandage off as early as you can in morning because your hen may need to lay an egg. Its rare they prolapse again after but if they do continue process again, but only bandage at night.
If you feel unable to do the above, I will happily do it for you if you call and arrange a time.
Please do not leave any deep water dishes in with hen as they lose their balance and could drown. Its best they don't have one whilst wearing the nappy.
Limps - (farmed hens)
Farmed hens sometimes have stiff/sprained/deformed limbs, unless a condition is getting worse please try not to worry as they should either recover or live quite happily with a wonky walk.
Cold weather can make a limp worse, as joints are stiffer.
Treatment
Cod liver oil is very good for joints, by capsules and break into their food to keep joints supple
Your hen will have lacked in calcium, so a calcium supplement with Vitimin D will help her to strengthen her bones. With plenty of sunshine to help her absorb it.
If particularly bad, then a treatment of Metacam painkiller & anti inflammatory available only from vets.
Worms
All animals are prone to picking up worms, there are many different types, such as hair worms or thread worms, round worms, gape worms, tape worms.
People have to believe that these are major killers of hens, who are always scraping around in the earth. All it takes is a regular worming to keep them clear, because sometimes the damage cannot be rectified.
All farmed hens are wormed whilst in farms, but are not wormed 6 months before leaving. Therefore worming them within 2 weeks of getting them is very important. Freerange hens and barn hens are more likely to have worms than battery hens.
Symptoms of thread/hair worms, round worms, & tape worms.
- Failure to thrive
- Dull feathers
- Green diarrhoea
- Messy bottoms
- Extreme appetite (at start of infestation)
- Loss of appetite (infestation)
- Quiet and hunched
- Thin
Symptoms of Gape worm
- Gaping
- Opening mouth
- Coughing
- Squeaking
- Loss of appetite
- Unable or difficultie to swallow
- Stretching neck up
Prevention
Regular worming with fluben-vet (very important)
Give regular Apple Cider Vinegar
Add powdered garlic to food
Treatment
Use a wormer called Fluben - Vet, this has been tested and gives good results. Worm regularly and follow guidelines of wormer.
Available to buy at the best price from many online shops.
Egg Yolk Peritonitis
Symptoms
- Quiet & sleepy hen
- Dirty around vent
- Swollen under vent and/or between legs
- Sometimes redness on swollen areas
- Odd stance (penguin look)
- Waddling or wobbly
Reason
Peritonitis affects laying hens more than your usual everyday chicken because they lay a lot of eggs. Their reproductive system malfunctions. As the diagram shows below, their oviduct isn't actually attached to their ovary, but reaches up when a yolk is ready and transports the yolk, covering it in 2 membranes and eventually the shell, then exiting the vent.
This can go wrong for a many reasons
If the oviduct doesn't come up to collect the yolk due to malfunction or infection
If the egg isn't formed properly i.e. soft egg will travel up oviduct and hen is unable to push it out and it travels back
Egg breaks inside oviduct and yolk/white runs back into body
When the yolk enters the abdomen their body reacts instantly with fluid to counteract the protein. This means the hens body balloons and their bowels are squashed flat (causing them to drip faeces), diaphram is pushed up causing pressure on organs and air sacks.
Treatment
Initially the treatment of antibiotics, normally amoxicillin to stop the infection progressing. If peritonitis causes minor swelling, often the antibiotics and a few days on metacam pain killer/anti-inflamatory is enough, along with a mixed corn diet and treats (no laying formulas like mash or pellets) for at least 8 weeks, preferably the rest of their life.
In the large swelling cases which is the most commonly noticed. They will need the fluid drained off their abdomen along with antibiotic treatment. This isn't an overly expensive proceedure, and will secure a happy future for your hen giving her back her quality of life.
When it can't be fixed
- If peritonitis is caused by another source of infection such as perferated bowel usually due to eating sharp object. Often black fluid is withdrawn from abdomen. Causes death very quickly.
- If yolk binds the bowel hen will be very ill and die within 3 days roughly.
We are happy to view your hen if you are unsure. Please don't hestitate to contact.
Impacted Crop
Symptoms -
Swollen hard crop that does not go down over night, noticable in morning before feed.
Hen will lose weight and feel unhappy.
Cause -
Eating thick foods like porridge or bread. Eating large leaves or large pieces of food. Loosening of their muscles around crop, the muscles fail to push food through to gizzard properly leaving small amounts of food that harden and cause obstruction.
We have tried all remedies for this and found one amazing cure..
Treatment
- Feed your hen white fishing maggots, she should happily tuck into them! By morning crop will be empty and your hen will have also digested the maggots. This might
- Massage the crop, syringe a little olive oil into mouth to help break it down.
Please do not be fooled by another condition like Sour crop, these symptoms will be similar, but hens crop will be full of fluid and not hard impacted.
Sour crop
Symptoms -
Quiet, sleepy and sometimes hunched hen.
Large crop full of fluid, that does not disappear overnight.
Sometimes diarrheoa
Lack of appetite
Thin if it goes unnoticed
Cause -
Dead bacteria built up in crop, causing crop full of sour fluid. This can happen after a treatment of oral antibiotics, drinking foul water, illness, or a small impactation of sour food that sits in crop.
Treatment -
This will not get better on its own, your hen will need turning upside down and keep her neck straight. She'll need to be sick. The fluid should come down automatically to start with, then you will need to gently massage and squeeze crop to push fluid out. Please view photos below if you are unsure.
Once crop is empty, feed your hen live yogurt to give back good bacteria or buy probiotic powder to add to their water. Syringing is a good way to get them to get yogurt, remember to syringe slowly so she is allowed to swallow it herself.
You may need to repeat proceedure a few times until the crop stays clear.
If caused by a small impactation, use above procedure and then follow with treatment for impacted crop.
Complications
If your hen is very unwell, or was ill and then had sour crop as a secondary infection. She will need a course of anti-biotics, and it will need to be injectable as oral antibiotics will kill the good bacteria again! A vet should be able to give a slow release injection that last 48-72 hours, this should get your hen well again.
Contact us if you need more help.
Coccidiosis
Symptoms
Slow or no egg production
skin and comb may turn pale
runny off-colour droppings, sometimes tinged with blood
weak and lethargic
thin
There are many species of Coccidia that can infect chickens
After an outbreak of specific coccidiosis, the flock will develop a resistance to the exposed species of coccidia but remain none resistant to others.
Chickens are susceptable to nine coccidia species, turkeys to seven and game birds to four.
Coccidiosis is transmitted by direct and indirect contact with the droppings of infected birds. The organisms invade the lining of the intestinal tract and damage tissue. Within one week of infection the Coccidia shed immature descendants through the bird droppings and mature in the birds litter. If the litter is warm and damp it takes three days to develop and when eaten by other birds while they feed, go on to infect the flock.
Coccidiosis is seldom seen in birds under three weeks old or in birds older than three years.
*New-house coccidiosis syndrome* The first case of outbreak in a new chicken coop is usually the worst. The reason is that the first birds raised on new ground have little exposure to infective oocysts. When they eventually become exposed, they have little or no immunity and the outbreak is particularly serious
The signs of an outbreak include birds that are pale, droopy, tend to huddle as if cold, consume less food and water than usual. They have diarrhea and often become emaciated and dehydrated. Laying hens with Coccidiosis will drop egg production.
Treatment and prevention
Prevention - Apple Cider Vinegar. A total Natural Organic, anti-bacterial, anti-coccidial anthelmintic and tonic beneficial effects for all livestock and poultry. Increases egg supply and improves feathering.
Treatment - Baycox is the best, available only from the vets or Coxiod used mostly for pigeons but can be used for poultry. Water soluble treatment for Coccidiosis added to drinking water for 7-14 days available on the internet no need for presciption.
A good website to buy from - Coccidiosis treatment and prevention | ACV | Coxoid | Bi-oo-Cyst
Spirochaetosis (Brachyspira)
Spirochaetosis is a condition caused by a group of bacteria known as Brachyspira, a type of spirochaete.
Symptoms
The symptoms associated with spirochaetosis can include the following:
- failure to gain body weight
- egg production drops
- decreased body weight
- mild to moderate diarrhoea often yellow frothy
- pasting of vents
- increased numbers of dirty eggs
- feed consumption can decrease
- more common on multi-age sites.
Diagnosis
Crowshall Veterinary Services (01953 455454) offers advice on the diagnosis and control of a disease . Faeces sample will be needed.
Treatment
The condition can be treated using antimicrobial therapy.
Treatments are limited to drinking water medications; licensed products include Tiamulin and Aureomycin (containing tiamulin and chlortetracycline, respectively), both of which do have a nil egg withdrawal period, during and after treatment.
Prevention
- Keep good hygiene.
- Fresh drinking water
- Optimmising litter quality and fly control are also important measures.
- Apple cider vinegar
Mycoplasmosis
A common disease in chickens.
Symptoms
Sometimes swollen eyes, cheeks, face
Rattling chest
Wheezing
Lethargic birds
Hunched appearance after the 2 day
Mycoplasmosis encompasses any disease caused by mycoplasma bacteria, the smallest living organisms capable of free existence.
It causes air-sac disease in young birds and chronic respiratory disease in growing and mature birds.
At one time, all chickens carried Myco and became infectious in response to stress. Today myco-free strains are available among the commercial breeds.
Treatment
You'll need to tell vet what you suspect as not all vets are aware of poultry diseases.
They need a specialised anti-biotic called Tiamulin in their water for 5 days or a one off injection of Tialand.
Your hen will always be a carrier but remain unaffected once well.
Gape/gasping hens
A hen that keeps opening her mouth, squeaky cough, struggling to swallow, off food may have Gape worm, a common worm found in soil that attaches to a hens throat and would if left untreated, suffocate or starve a hen. This is easily treated with a wormer, Panacur (Flubenvet) is our first choice, available from a vet or farm stockist (if you have trouble getting this wormer please contact us we may be able to give your hen a dose at LHR).
Best to worm regularly to stop Gape taking hold.
Shock from trauma or stress
Symptoms
gasping for breath
eyes closed
shudders
collapsed
cold
Shock like in humans can be caused by many things, as is a real killer. Dog attacks, fox attacks, fear, and fright can bring on shock.
Treatment
keep hen warm by radiator, heat lamp, hot water bottle or airing cupboard
syringe a strong sugar or glucose solution slowly into beak, this will bring up sugar levels (scroll down for how to make sugar solutions)
keep hen quiet and in dark box or covered with towel
If they survive the night then the shock has passed. The heck hen for injuries, as some can be hidden under feathers, and monitor hen and her movements for the next 48 hours if shock was from trauma or attack.
Sugar solution
Please dissolve 2 large spoons of sugar into roughly 100mls of boiling water, leave it cool and syringe around 10mls slowly bit by bit into hens mouth remembering to allow hen to swallow after each drop.
Worming
Please make sure you worm your hens every 4-6 months. Worms can run a hen down and cause numerous problems.
Use Fluben-vet poultry wormer, its strong enough to kill any internal parasites but you are still able to eat their eggs.
Please check hen for louse and mites under wings, around vent and at the bottom of feathers. They come in different shapes and sizes, but you will see them if you study skin carefully.
These can make a hen very anemic and lower their resistance to illnesses sometimes causing death. Hen's rehomed from us are usually clear as we randomly check hens as the come out of farm, and will treat any that show them.
If hen does not pick up there may be an underlying problem such as Coccidiosis or Brachyspira. These can be treated and needs to be dealt with quickly. Scroll up to 'Medical problems' to find out more about treatment.
If she is still unwell or getting worse she will need a vet's examination, or bring her back to us and we will examine her. We may be able to help, otherwise veterinary care will be needed.
What we would do..
Search for any possible signs of what may be wrong, and treat accordingly.
Please do not hesitate to contact us, we welcome you bringing your hen back to us to see if we can help.
Please contact us first to arrange a time we will be there, or we may be able to advise over phone.
We will always take a hen back, whatever her problem if you can no longer look after her.