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Could our hen have been poisoned?

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  • Could our hen have been poisoned?

    One of our hens, Custard, died a couple of days ago. She'd been fading for a couple of weeks, though still getting up and scratching about outside. We have - had - just two hens latterly, and neither of them had seemed quite right for the last fortnight or so, just not their usual selves, though Custard was more obviously finding things a struggle.

    Custard died tucked into a corner of the hen house, rather than in the nest box, but afterwards we saw in the nest box (a cardboard box filled with sawdust, which Rhubarb & Custard slept in together) a strange green stuff. Essentially it's poo, but not the usual chicken blobs, and there's a really unnatural shade of green coming off it onto the sawdust. I won't post a photo as it's not delightful, but I wonder if it sounded familiar to anyone?

    We live in a very rural area, and though our hens tend to confine themselves to our garden and the field over the hedge, they're free to go anywhere and, in theory, pick up anything that anyone might have left out. I'm wondering if they both were exposed to something two or three weeks ago which has subdued them both, but Custard took it harder and couldn't survive it? There's just been this one instance of bright green poo though, at least there's none other in the hen house and I've seen none anywhere in the garden.

    I doubt it's relevant but house martins are nesting in the rafters of the hen house (it's a big old outhouse once used for sheepdogs, in which all our various hens have been perfectly happy for a few years) and are now raising a second brood.
    Last edited by MrsCordial; 31-08-2013, 04:33 PM. Reason: typo
    Is there anything that isn't made better by half an hour pottering in the veg patch?

  • #2
    I have read that bright green poo is caused by bile being passed out.

    The cause for that I really haven't got a clue.

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    • #3
      How long have you had your gals Mrs C????

      Please feel free to post you 'yukkie piccie'- just post a warning !
      Last edited by Nicos; 31-08-2013, 05:59 PM.
      "Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple

      Location....Normandy France

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      • #4
        Doing a search most seem to think it is to do with slug pellets or rat poison. I will ask my cousin, her family have had chickens for a long time, but I am sure someone will come along with help soon.

        Edit: No idea I'm afraid. Sorry. Hope someone will be along soon to help.
        Last edited by KittyColdNose; 31-08-2013, 06:49 PM.
        When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it.
        If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

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        • #5
          We've had them about 2 years 4 months - I know that as we got them instead of Easter eggs so I can date them fairly accurately. I think they would have been 18 weeks old at the time.

          I'll try to post a photo later - just going out now. DH's instant reaction was that it was probably bile.
          Is there anything that isn't made better by half an hour pottering in the veg patch?

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          • #6
            http://www.practicalpoultry.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl
            .
            have a look on the above link (hope links are allowed) i have housemartins under my eaves and i dont think there will be a link to them and your chucks death

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            • #7
              Thanks hollychap. I don't think the house martins are to blame either, I just thought I should mention it!
              Is there anything that isn't made better by half an hour pottering in the veg patch?

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