Is My Hen Ill or is this normal?

[Dbearden]

Nest has two hatchlings and 3 eggs that I don't think are going to hatch. They are about a week going on two weeks old. Parents feeding and attending well.
The aviary does get rain through the screen mesh but nest is inside a nesting box and I have put a tarp over where the box is when I noticed it was getting wet. I checked the babies and they are fine.
I noticed the hen has been in and out of the nest and comes out looking drenched but cock isn't leaving the nest all wet. She is yellow with lavender breast, but her breast look dark brown and her skin underneath does as well. She currently is sitting under the lamp with eyes closed.
The cock ran her off from eating which is unusual. Another male was also trying to "flirt" and she fussed at him. I also noticed a few different droppings seemed to be "long and slimy" when falling.
Not sure if I should leave them alone, or bring the family into a cage-- or just mom and babies. I really don't want to lose these babies. Help!

One more thing, was already wet but then went in bird bath

[lovezebs]

Dbearden

That is not a happy looking bird, although it's hard to tell from that picture.

If poops are not good, then she is probably sick, and probably very cold being left outdoors in the rain.

I would put her in a hospital cage inside the house, with a warm light on her. Let her dry out and warm up, then you might be able to figure out what's wrong with her.

As to the chicks, hopefully the Father will feed them. If not, you'll have to handfeed or loose them.

Your aviary needs a roof!

[cindy]

Check the humidity in the box since you covered it... is the box ventilated besides the opening.... in damp humid, hot weather we see more cocci, protozoa issues in some of the fbk group members, especially the birds outside. Mold fungal issues are a concern in damp weather especially if the aviary gets wet.... takes very little ingestion of fungal/moldy/bacteria contaminated food to make birds ill.


Any undigested seed.... splats of droppings... also if the hen is ill and feeding the babies the babies may become ill.

there is also a disease called sweating disease... typically secondary to atoxoplasmosis, coccidiosis, psittacosis in birds

http://www.oropharma.nl/gauss/Pages/EN/ ... illose.htm

You need a vet/treatment... the entire cage should be treated... it the aviary floor is soil your birds should be treated preventatively. If possible do not let the have access to the bottom of the aviary wire it off.... if they do not have shelter cover an area they can go to to get away from the elements and provide the nesting areas under the shelter only... pictures of your set up might help us advise further.

[cindy]

suggest you clean her off and not let the debris sit and dry in her feathers... get her right under a heat lamp..... when checking the chicks over look for swollen bellies, large areas of white and yellow patches (yeast, infection) if the intestines look puffy, loopy you need to seek help or you will loose them...

until you can remedy the rain issue suggest you move your family of birds to a drier area.

[Fraza]

You need a roof the nests cannot get rain to them about your hens poos if she's the only one sitting on the eggs for long periods of time her poos will be big and slimy but I really think you need a roof even if that's only over the nests

[Dbearden]

Okay, I moved the family inside to a cage with lamp. Dad started nipping at mom and started jumping on her like wanting to breed. I took him out. Now mom by herself with nest box in the cage. She is eating but haven't seen her go into nest box. Time frame is about 3 hrs since they were moved.
Should I put dad back? Worried babies will be abandoned.

[lovezebs]

Dbearden

If Mom won't feed, maybe Dad will.
Put Dad in with chicks, take Mom out.

If both won't feed, then your only option is to handfeed the chicks.

[cindy]

Mom is ill and should not/most likely will not feed the young... you need to get her well...put dad back in with the chicks... mom should not have big slimy poo, slimy poo is a sign of illness..... she should not have large droppings if the chicks are older and she is not incubating.

You need to check the babies they can not go long without being fed.... I suggest you supplement the babies, add dad back in, move mom to a hospital cage. If dad does not feed you need to hand feed.... At two weeks they do not need to be fed at night... supplement them before going to bed.

At two weeks mom is spending more time out of the nest...

the article I posted the link to should explain what is going on if she continues to look wet.... if the droppings are like a large splat, not formed, undigested seed in the droppings the hen is ill... as mentioned preventative/treatment needs to be done.

http://www.oropharma.nl/gauss/Pages/EN/ ... illose.htm

[cindy]

When you caught the hen was she thin, keel sharp ( center bone in the chest prominent like a v or was her chest full, meaty. The lower belly was it full, swollen or sunken? If you look at the lower belly are the intestines loopy, puffy....liver ( on the right just under the chest ) is it enlarged dark?

[Dbearden]

After bring mom and babies into a cage, mom would not go into nest box. However, she was dry and not puffed up and eating and drinking. Was worrying that they would not survive so Decided to put them back in the aviary and covered the nest area with a tarp. Immediately both parent went into nest box and have been eating and feeding babies!!! Mom was apparently just wet and is not appearing ill -- and all seems good.
I have started the whole flock on Cocci Care due to the humidity and wet conditions of the aviary. The flooring is concrete and not dirt, and will be disinfecting everything once rain has stopped.