Lethargic Hen

[RubyRed1]

My ex-battery hen has not been herself since Saturday. She had not been eating and would take herself in a corner and hunch up. I brought her in on Sunday. I managed to coax her to eat mashed pellets and started her (and the rest of the flock) on worming in case it’s that. Took her to the vets on Monday, who prescribed her a course of antibiotics for a week. Yesterday she seemed more chirpy and even dug around for a bit. She has great colouring still. Just wondering if anyone has any further thoughts on things I can give her? She’s been having ACV in her water, garlic, yoghurt. Would it be a good idea to also treat her with DE? In case of mites? Thanks in advance.

 

[dawg53]

You'll need to closely inspect your hen for lice or mites, especially around the vent area where it's warm or moist. The vet shouldve inspected her.
Lice are white or off white in color. Mites are black or red in color. Lice eggs can be seen attached to feather shafts.
Mites suck blood, cause anemia, then death. Lice are more of an irritant. Permethin dust or liquid concentrate will kill both, with retreatment in 10-14 days. Eggs attached to feather shafts can be removed with coconut oil.
DE is a waste of money, dont use it. Stop the garlic and yogurt. Use Valbazen or Safeguard liquid goat wormer for worming your birds. Then give her plain boiled white rice mixed with buttermilk in her feed for a couple of days after worming.
Buttermilk coats intestinal lining and the boiled rice settles the innards. Yogurt goes out the rear end.

 

[Loving my girls]

You say that you have added acv to her water, check she is drinking it. All my girls refused to drink it despite introducing it really slowly. They found puddles and drank from them.
Admittedly my girls are right little prima donnas.

 

[RubyRed1]

You'll need to closely inspect your hen for lice or mites, especially around the vent area where it's warm or moist. The vet shouldve inspected her.
Lice are white or off white in color. Mites are black or red in color. Lice eggs can be seen attached to feather shafts.
Mites suck blood, cause anemia, then death. Lice are more of an irritant. Permethin dust or liquid concentrate will kill both, with retreatment in 10-14 days. Eggs attached to feather shafts can be removed with coconut oil.
DE is a waste of money, dont use it. Stop the garlic and yogurt. Use Valbazen or Safeguard liquid goat wormer for worming your birds. Then give her plain boiled white rice mixed with buttermilk in her feed for a couple of days after worming.
Buttermilk coats intestinal lining and the boiled rice settles the innards. Yogurt goes out the rear end.

You'll need to closely inspect your hen for lice or mites, especially around the vent area where it's warm or moist. The vet shouldve inspected her.
Lice are white or off white in color. Mites are black or red in color. Lice eggs can be seen attached to feather shafts.
Mites suck blood, cause anemia, then death. Lice are more of an irritant. Permethin dust or liquid concentrate will kill both, with retreatment in 10-14 days. Eggs attached to feather shafts can be removed with coconut oil.
DE is a waste of money, dont use it. Stop the garlic and yogurt. Use Valbazen or Safeguard liquid goat wormer for worming your birds. Then give her plain boiled white rice mixed with buttermilk in her feed for a couple of days after worming.
Buttermilk coats intestinal lining and the boiled rice settles the innards. Yogurt goes out the rear end.

Thank you!

 

[RubyRed1]

You say that you have added acv to her water, check she is drinking it. All my girls refused to drink it despite introducing it really slowly. They found puddles and drank from them.
Admittedly my girls are right little prima donnas.

Hi, yes she is drinking it luckily so I’m happy about that!

 

[LaFleche]

ACV should not be given for more than three consecutive days as it can interfere with the calcium uptake.