[zeeteecee]

I've got a flock of 20 rangers, about 6months old.  Had a few little worries over diarrhoea at the beginning, and some 'off colour' hens but nothing serious. 
I regularly worm them. in fact it was only 2weeks ago, and they are generally extremely healthy and happy.  No lice, and the red mites seem to be under control, only a few, and nowhere really for them to live in the shed.
Chicken bliss you'd imagine, but not tonight......!

I came home to find one alone at the end of the run, a little puffed up and very subdued.  Not eating, and nothing in the crop.  Very watery greenish droppings (I suppose she's not been eating for a little while), and no discharge from vent, nostrils or eyes.

Short of ringing the vet & possible antibiotics is there anything I can do to 'treat' her and improve her chances?  She looks decidedly dodgy right now.
She's in isolation and I'll be keeping a close eye on her and the others.
Any ideas/help/suggestions greatfully recieved.... 

Z

[little blue]

sounds like maybe Coccidiosis, what with the hunched-up-ness, diarrhoea, and age of them,
Keep her isolated, but you will have to treat the flock with a coxiod.   
It can survive in your ground, via slugs etc.

search-engine it, and/or speak to your vet (ASK THEM FIRST how much treatment will cost!! Yes, I speak form experience!)

hope you sort it

[zeeteecee]

hens were fully coccidiosis vaccinated when we got them.  Could it still be this?

[little blue]

hmmmm....
if its in your ground, its possible.
Do you know for sure they were vaccinated? (sorry, I'm very cynical! Again, from experience!)

could be BWD (bacterial white diarrhoea - can also be green!)

She's definitely the only hen that has any sign?
could be just something wrong with her digestive system, if you're sure theyre vaccinated

[zeeteecee]

Great to have your ideas and support ,
certain the others looked fine and dandy this evening.  The supplier is a friend of a friend and so believe him,and have the vaccination schedule.
The hens are not on any open ground, not any new to them since they arrived.  They have a small area of ground, whiich they don't ever dig in, and the rest is a manmade surface cleaned each day of all droppings.  Also the shed is kept clean of droppings (my first thing in the morning job), and cleaned out properly every fortnight.
As I said, I think it's a bit of a mystery..... and hope it's not contagious, whatever it is!

Should I forcefeed/rehydrate her and see what happens? 
May ring vet in the morning,
Z

[zeeteecee]

hhhm, hoping its not BWD-
!!

[zeeteecee]

sorted out the isolation pen, feed and water and hen installed but was concerned as there was no really cosy shelter in there so I though I'd bring her inside in the old dog cage for the night, as I thought she might very well pass away. 

Got dog cage, feed and water and cosy bed sorted in the quiet, and went to fetch her.... she put up a bit of a fight, and when we put her in the cage she began to peck at the feed..... there was a runny-ish poop but certainly better than before.  Fingers crossed!
 

[doganjo]

I wonder if she's being bullied and now that she's in a safe environment she feels able to eat.  Might have been going on for a while and only now showing symptoms.  Hope it's that and nothing more sinister.  Hope she's better in the morning.

[northfifeduckling]

so many time I have read posts that birds get unwell after having just been wormed - some of my own included - coincidence?
Hope she pulls through ztc!

[zeeteecee]

No bullying going on at all, all the girls in that flock are from the same hatch and I've had them since they were 12 weeks.  They are drippy, silly, greedy, exciteable and just plain old bonkers but not at all aggressive to one another.  She looks heaps better already, I'll put her in the isolation pen in the morning again, in view of the rest, and if she's OK tomorrow after work she can return....with a ring on so I can identify her and keep a special eye on her.

fingers, toes and feathers crossed!
Z

[zeeteecee]

doganjo-
Yes, I usually give them some probiotic and vits shortly after worming.  I haven't done that yet this time though, due to my son needing many early morning lifts and then a new moped finding!  I think I'd better give them the vits!

Z 

[doganjo]

Don 't know what it was then - hope she continues to improve - I'll cross everything here too - will doing a crossword in bed tonight help too?

[zeeteecee]

well I am officially stumped-the upturn in her condition lasted a while-but at 4am this morning, when I checked her, she was hunched up and standing in the corner again.  Does this mean she is in pain,as she wont lie/sit down.?
will ring my vet for some advice later,
Z

P.S.  It's 7an and she's chirpy again...!  Losing track...!

[zeeteecee]

Well, after a day and night in isolation she seemed totally fine! 
She was eating, clucking about and back to her twittery self.  I popped a legring on so I could keep an eye on her, and put her back with the others. 
Left them all day and this evening I had2search legs to find which one she was.....!
who knows!??!
Z

[SallyintNorth]

A wise (or was that just wisened) old Exmoor farmer told me, "Sheep's only got two hobbies.  What they can eat, and what they can die of."  Seems to me the same's true of choox!