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We have 5 Silkie Bantams now 19 weeks old. They have been with us for almost 2 weeks now.

For the last 24 hours at least one of them, don’t know which has had diarrhea or at least rather runny poo. It is also lighter coloured then normal poo.

They all seem perky and interested in food/water. Their feathers are clean, one did have a slightly weepy eye the other day, but I washed it with salty water and that’s fine now.

My instinct is that it may have been because of the last couple of cooler wet days we have had after the very warm previous week or so. Is this possible? They did get wet yesterday when it rained as they just sat in the run and looked bedraggled and wet.

Is there anything I should be doing, is a visit to our local vet necessary (not a farm vet more a cats and dog vet)?

Any advice comments would be great

the more you keep chooks, the more you'll get used to how they look when healthy - don't worry too much about some strange coloured poo, but keep an eye on them! Best signs of a poorly bird are a slumped, dejected appearance - they look unhappy, a nice red comb is what you're looking for - a very good indicator of health!
Vet? - if you're into short-term mortgages!
ps, at 19 weeks , they could be revving up to lay!

One of my chooks often gets a dirty bum/diarrhoea but otherwise seems perfectly healthy. I don't worry about it. I reckon if there was a problem she wouldn't still be around!

Good morning ..

If they are allowed to free range .. they could be able to find garlic and any other kind of natural wormers ... wich would lead to that kind of poo ...

No need to worry as long as the chick looks healthy ... and if in doubt .. give them a bit of garlic in the drinking water. . that will worm them in a preventive or curative way ..

Camile

Great thanks, we have got wild Garlic growing around the garden.

Do you !

well I believe that's you sorted then ... your birds are going to be the healthiest birds !

Camile

Caroline...

I'm insanely jealous of your wild garlic.... I've acquired a small clump which I'm hoping will grow - and will collect seeds once they are ready to collect in the hope of establishing a reasonable amount of this wonderful stuff.

on the subject of garlic and chooks........When we had the big flocks, once in a while, in hot weather, the preen gland at the base of the tail can become inflamed - other birds see the flash of red, and peck at it - you can end up with birds with a hole right through into the body cavity. Faced with this, I had to find a safe natural solution - garlic powder! You can buy it loose in some of those "bulk goods" shops - we bunged it into a sugar shaker, and found it very effective - haul the affected bird out - cover the wound with the garlic powder, and give them a separate pen for a few days, and repeat the garlic once a day - a rock solid "scab" forms, which heals well

So Garlic is really good then, but do they like it.

Garlic is very good for them indeed .. thanks to Boots !

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... php?t=1911

And since then I bought this book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/057116 ... e&n=283155

I think it was Wombat that mentionned it somewhere .. it's brilliant ..

You can use every thing from the wild garlic ... roots, leaves, bulbs .. and indeed the animals love it in a way that they use it as a preventive cure .. they would eat it when they feel they need it ..

Camile

and whilst we're rhapsodising about the stuff - it has antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties.....
During the Crimean war, there were a great many shrapnel wounds - they used dried sphagnum moss, which they rehydrated with fresh garlic juice, and "packed" the wounds with it - to great effect!