In order to successfully treat chicken diarrhea, it is helpful to first identify the cause. Now you better understand the potential causes of chicken diarrhea: poor flock management, viruses or bacteria, and parasites.
Chicken diarrhea caused by poor flock management will require changes to how you are managing your flock.
Similarly, providing more space, shade, or access to the outdoors for your hens might resolve the issue relatively quickly, if the diarrhea was caused by heat stress. Or, you can stand her in cold water, aim a fan at her, and mix her food with cold water to help her cool down faster.
Check your feed and replace all of it if there are any signs of mold or contamination. Replace damp bedding with a fresh and dry substrate to remove concerns of mycotoxins. Reminder: Always ensure your flock has ample access to fresh, clean water, especially on warm or hot days. Birds are especially susceptible to the effects of heat and require you to provide them with the proper environment to remain cool.
Consult with your veterinarian to determine if it is a bacterial or viral infection. Bacterial infections can be treated with the appropriate antibiotics; antibiotics may also cause diarrhea, so give your bird probiotics as well. Antibiotics do not treat viral infections; if your hen is suspected of having a virus, provide palliative care.
In cases of bacterial or viral infections, isolate your infected chicken s from the rest of the flock to minimize the likelihood of transmission. If your hen is experiencing gut damage and diarrhea due to intestinal parasites, or worms, you will need to treat your entire flock for worms.
You can procure the appropriate deworming medication from your local vet or agricultural supply store. Follow the instructions exactly and make sure not to eat or sell eggs from the treated hens for the specified length of time. Parasites like Coccidiosis usually only affect young chicks under 10 weeks of age.
Chicks with Coccidiosis need to be treated promptly with a coccidiostat, probiotics, and electrolytes or they may die. Ensure all hens with diarrhea have plentiful access to proper food, clean water, shade, and fresh bedding. Until or unless you have been able to determine the cause of the chicken diarrhea, isolate your infected bird s from the remainder of your flock. Because some chicken illnesses can be transmitted to humans, it is important to take extra precautions when handling sick chickens.
It is safest to keep your hens contained outside and to not cuddle or kiss your feathered friends. Wash your hands immediately after touching your hens, their enclosure or coop, or their eggs. As stated earlier, if a hen is being treated for a parasitic infection, refrain from eating her eggs until the indicated amount of days has passed. Many of these precautions should be taken whether or not your hen has diarrhea, as even healthy chickens can make people sick.
These measures will help protect you and your family from becoming ill from your hens. Prevention is Key: Once your feathered friends are feeling fine, consider implementing additional measures to prevent future cases of chicken diarrhea. Well-managed flocks should have ample space to roam, roost, and nest indoors and outdoors.
They have constant access to clean water and high-quality, nutritious feed. Their coops and runs are regularly disinfected and clean, fresh bedding and substrate are routinely added. If your hens have chicken diarrhea, determine the likely culprit and take action quickly. Monitor your flock daily to identify any signs of infection early on. By removing ill, or potentially ill, birds from the flock early, you will be more likely to contain the spread of any contagious infections.
Your chicken's diet can also play a role in its bout with diarrhea. Be sure you are not providing your chickens the wrong foods. Chocolate, large servings of meat, raw potato skins, citrus fruits, bones, avocado skins and pits, spoiled meat and long-cut grass can all cause digestive problems in chickens.
Mother Earth News recommends giving your chicken a potassium permanganate solution to drink. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of the chemical in 1 quart of warm water. Feed each chicken 1 tablespoon of the concentrated solution diluted in 1 cup of warm water. In a case of severe diarrhea you may need a stronger solution, one that is potent enough to turn your finger slightly brown when you dip it in the liquid. Be sure to not keep the potassium permanganate mixture in a metal container.
A very large broody poop that is perfectly normal - Credit: Archant. Chickens that are under stress produce more liquid than usual as stress increases blood pressure. So, if you chase a hen or pick her up without warning, she may release a runny poo! An unpleasant and vile smelling broody poop - Credit: Archant. Black droppings could be the result of eating dark purple foods such as blackberries or elderberries. Scraping the droppings boards down daily allows the hen keeper to observe anything abnormal - Credit: Archant.
Cecal poo can be anything from mustard to dark brown in colour and are expelled every eight to 10 droppings. They have a particularly foul smell — from personal observation, the darker the poo the more obscene the smell! As unpleasant as it may be, cecal poo is a good indication that the digestive tract is working properly. You may find a dropping with small amounts of red tissue. It looks alarming but is perfectly normal and is just your hen shedding intestinal lining that constantly regenerates.
Large amounts of blood are not normal and should be investigated further. A broody hen will sit tight on her nest in the hope of hatching eggs. Not wishing to foul her nest, she retains her droppings throughout the day instead of the usual frequent deposits.
When she does leave the nest to eat, drink and relieve herself, she leaves behind a very large green or brown unpleasant looking and vile smelling poo. Freshly mowed grass exposes dormant worms to UV rays which will kill the parasites. Diarrhoea generally has a runny and greasy consistency and is often yellow or mustard in colour.
0コメント