Chicken Help

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I have a hen that is standing around with her feathers fluffed up and head kinda pulled in, but I can't find anything wrong with her. The other chickens do pick on her because she looks different (has a pea comb, I think she isn't a pure Barred Rock like the others), she is a little over 1 year old. Seems it started around the time the weather got cooler and damp. No one else looks ill. I've ready my "Raising Chickens For Dummies" book, and she doesn't have any of the signs of the illnesses they mention. We brought her into the laundry room last night, thinking maybe she was just cold (we had snow yesterday, weather took a turn to the freezing on Friday). I fed her scrambled eggs before we put her out later in this morning when it had warmed up a little. I also have the poultry nutri-drench that I've been force feeding her every other day or so. I have never dewormed the chickens because they've always looked healthy, they free range and get pelleted layer feed free choice, have fresh water and no sign of mites or lice that I can see.

Any suggestions on what to look for or do for her? I've nursed lots of other sick animals (mammals), but poultry/birds are new to me.

 

[candycar]

I had a little rooster do this also. Turned out he was constipated! Got ahold of a stringy long peice of hay or something. I put him in a cage by himself(in the house LOL) so I could monitor him and so the others would't pick him to death. I went on the www.backyardchickens,com forum and did a search, then asked questions.

Does her croup seem hard or stinky? (impacted croup)

Is she constipated?

Egg bound?

For constipation, they told me to feed him bread soaked in oil(I used olive oil). It took a couple of days, but he pulled through

Try isolating her first then you will have a better idea of what is bothering her.

Good Luck

 

[AnnaC]

It is so long since I had chickens I really cant remember much about possible illnesses, but I do know that when a chicken stands hunched as you are describing, then something is wrong!

Also, I would keep her away from the other birds, as chickens are/can be nasty little beasts and will often attack, without warning, a member of their flock who is looking a bit under the weather.

Hope you can find out what is wrong with your little one.

 

[jayne]

The main thing for sick birds, including chickens, is to keep them warm. When I have one like this, I put her in a big dog crate lined with hay or straw, with food and water containers zip tied to the door in a room where it is warm. I even have a little space heater just for this purpose. Then I offer treats like you did, such as scrambled eggs, yogurt, cooked oatmeal, etc. I kind of judge how they're doing by how well they eat and if they start trying to escape and are cranky about the confinement. If I were you, I'd don a surgical glove, lube up a finger and see if she's got an egg stuck in there. If so, you'll need to make her sit in a warm bath until it passes. I've also squirted olive oil up there with a needleless syringe. Don't worry about hurting her...her eggs are at least three times the diameter of your finger! I have actually had one case where the egg was HUGE and after a day I felt it just wasn't going to pass, so I broke it carefully inside of her and removed the pieces. Recovery was quick after that.

I don't routinely deworm either, and watch their poops carefully, but once in a while if someone seems sick, I'll dose their water. Wazine/piperazine is a very safe dewormer and effective.

I hope your girls is feeling better soon. I've had good success with separating them and keeping them warm for a few days to perk them back up, or at least get them alone and unpicked-on until you can figure out what's wrong and deal with it.

Jayne

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

Thanks for your suggestions, I will give them a try. I don't think she's constipated, pooped just fine when I put her on the floor in the morning to see if she was still fluffed up.

 

[cretahillsgal]

What does it mean when a hen just suddenly stops laying? I have a bantam hen who was laying every other day, but for some reason just stopped and hasn't laid in over 2 weeks.

 

[Sterling]

Kim how is your little biddy doing today? It can be a guessing game puzzler with some of the symptoms our chickens get. Hope you've found the culprit. I used to have a little bantam wheaten hen that would constantly get egg bound. I'd use vaseline or KY jelly to lube her duct and with sterile gloves I'd bring the egg out. She would stand around with eyes closed and totally off. Not saying this is what your little one has as there can be so many things from fungus (internal) to ulcers... to ...etc...etc...

On a side note...could your little hen be a Dominique? They look very similar to the Barred Rocks only with the pea combs.

Julie...hens go thru cycles, especially the young banty ones. I believe you are in OK? Banties are not prolific egg layers especially in colder weather. She may be going into a molt as well. I have brown egg layers and even tho they are suppose to be excellent egg layers, they go thru periods when they cycle and stop laying for a week or two.

 

[jayne]

I have had several banty hens and not one laid eggs throughout the winter. They just weren't bred for regular egg production. I just enjoyed them for their color and their wacky little personalities and the tiny eggs were a bonus. I bake a lot and frequently needed to make a little egg wash and these banty eggs were perfect for that.

Oh, I just thought of this...one year when my chickens had more free range time before winter set in, I thought my banty hen had stopped laying. About mid-winter I was bringing down some hay bales and found a nest of her eggs with over 20 in there!! Too bad they all had to go into the trash. Sneaky little banty hen!

Jayne

 

[Sterling]

Jayne I agree! I love those little banties basically for their company and the tiny little eggs. I was just in your blog spot looking at your photos and reading some of it. Loved it!

 

[jayne]

Thank you! I have taken a break from updating it, but I think I'll get started again. I haven't felt like I had anything new or different to say, but friends and family are asking for updates.

Jayne

 

[Tab]

Egg bound?

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

Wednesday Morning update. I checked and she isn't egg bound. I've been bringing her into the laundry room at night and back out during the day when it warms up. She isn't worse, so I'm going to keep doing it and see if it turns her around. She seems more animated when handling her, so I think that's a good sign! My sister said she fussed a lot when she got her off the roost yesterday evening.

I don't think she's a Dominique, her comb is more muted color/smaller than the photos I googled. And her feathers have an iridescent (sp?) green to some of them on the darker part. Kind of like my black Easter Eggers. I'll try to remember to post a photo of her tonight when I get home.

 

[A.Ebert]

If you haven't already, you could try posting about her on the BYC Board (http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/) Quite a few knowledgeable chicken people there

Amie in Oak Run,CA

 

[Mickey & Mouse]

Kim,

I have a hen that has been doing the same thing for a few months. She did molt as well but when I asked on another forum they said that she is being "broodie" (sp) and will eventually lay an egg again.

I also looked on your web site, can you tell me what type of breed your black hens are. They look just like mine.

Cheers

Tammy

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I have a hen that has been doing the same thing for a few months. She did molt as well but when I asked on another forum they said that she is being "broodie" (sp) and will eventually lay an egg again.

My hen isn't broody, definitely something else going on. I have one that is broody right now, she gets the seasons mixed up.

She is a Cochin cross which are excellent brooders, but it is a bit annoying this time of year! She has taken over a nest box and means she will be molting again when it's freezing cold, but she does this every year so I've given up trying to change her ways.

I also looked on your web site, can you tell me what type of breed your black hens are. They look just like mine. Cheers Tammy

They are Easter Eggers, they lay the blue/green eggs. Great layers, but also go broody a lot. Good thing my rooster is a bantam or I'd have flock that triples in size every year!

 

[Mickey & Mouse]

Kim,

I did a little experiment with my hen who hasn't laid since August. I kept the light on 24-7 in her hen house for a little over a week and she has now started laying again. Whoo hoo, yummy eggs for breakfast. Has yours laid any eggs yet?