Are my chickens ok?? Please help!

[BigBlueHen53]

Well... they sorta do. Usually if you look at a chicken's dropping on the ground, it'll be a brown blob with a white cap. The brown is poop, the white is urates, or the equivalent of urine. Everything, including the egg, comes out of the same opening.

But if some starts getting stuck to the feathers, it can build up, and can eventually cause a blockage so the chicken can't poop. And if that happens ... yeah, the chicken can die. I don't know if that's what happened to your hen. But you do want to keep it from happening to this one if you can.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm needing to go to bed, but if you post a picture of your hen's bottom someone may be able to help you more than I can. After you post it, maybe one of our Educators can help. Let me tag @Eggcessive and @Wyorp Rock to see if they are available.

 

[Chickenbabysitter]

The frozen lump was not blocking the vent. I could clearly see her vent and it looked what I would think would be normal. When we had her warming by the fire she actually pooped again so I know it wasn’t blocking it. It was diarrhea. Also when we had her warming she drank lots of water. Then puked and died.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I don't know then. And this hen isn't blocked either?

 

[Chickenbabysitter]

No. Actually when I was out there tonight trying to get a good look at her bottom I also saw her have a runny poop. That one landed on the straw and did not get stuck.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Okay, well stand by for a bit and hopefully one of the Educators will show up shortly. Sorry I could not help.

 

[Chickenbabysitter]

I appreciate your help!!! We are hoping that the extra heat lamps and fresh straw down will help her out over night and she will thaw out. I’m just wondering why she has diarrhea. Hopefully in the morning she’s doing better.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Do you have any plain yogurt you can give her?

 

[Chickenbabysitter]

Not plain no. Just some flavoured yogurt and cottage cheese. I’ve also seen to put apple cider vinegar in the water? If I put plain yogurt it ACV in the water is it okay for all the other hens and roosters to have too?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm not convinced ACV does anything. I don't know if the sugar in the yogurt would harm her. I know plain is recommended, so I can't advise you. How does her comb look? Can you tell if it's pale, pink as opposed to a nice, healthy red?