Chicken won’t lay down

[BabeMj]

Hi all,

My 6-7 year old speckled Sussex won’t lay down for bed. She usually is always Laying down and we brought her in the house today where she always loves laying on my lap but only would stand today. She was still eating normal and has good energy but she won’t lay down. I notice she seems a bit bloated but does anyone know why she won’t lay down? Please help and God bless

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I was just about to ask if she was bloated. It sounds like she might have water belly.

 

[SpeckySussex]

She might be egg bound.I really don't know because she is acting fine. My speckled Sussex have gotten egg bound more that any other bird we've had, but the act droopy, don't eat much, and often you can catch them visibly trying to pass the egg. She might have hurt a joint in her leg and bending it hurts but she's masking it....
Sorry, but are you totally sure it's a problem? You know your bird better than someone else but sometimes you can mistake a problem for something natural.

 

[BabeMj]

I was just about to ask if she was bloated. It sounds like she might have water belly.

What is that and is there a way to help?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

What is that and is there a way to help?

Water belly (also known as Ascites) is when the abdomen fills with liquid (for the cases I've dealt with, it looked like egg yolk). Some people have drained it, but it will come back.

 

[BabeMj]

She might be egg bound.I really don't know because she is acting fine. My speckled Sussex have gotten egg bound more that any other bird we've had, but the act droopy, don't eat much, and often you can catch them visibly trying to pass the egg. She might have hurt a joint in her leg and bending it hurts but she's masking it....
Sorry, but are you totally sure it's a problem? You know your bird better than someone else but sometimes you can mistake a problem for something natural.

She usually always lay to sleep. I thought she may be egg bound but she doesn’t seem like it to me. Also her belly isn’t swollen more her chest area I think she may have eaten too much recently. It may be natural I just tend to worry she is the only original hen left in the pack I have now. We love her very much

 

[BabeMj]

Water belly (also known as Ascites) is when the abdomen fills with liquid (for the cases I've dealt with, it looked like egg yolk). Some people have drained it, but it will come back.

Her abdomen doesn’t seem swollen it’s more her chest area seems bloated from eating?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Her abdomen doesn’t seem swollen it’s more her chest area seems bloated from eating?

Oh. Do you know if she's emptying her crop at night? Can you feel it to see if it is her crop? If it is, is it hard? Squishy? If it is not her crop, can you check around it for any possible injuries?

 

[SpeckySussex]

Oh. Do you know if she's emptying her crop at night? Can you feel it to see if it is her crop? If it is, is it hard? Squishy? If it is not her crop, can you check around it for any possible injuries?

×2 I would definitely check her crop.

 

[BabeMj]

×2 I would definitely check her crop.

She is finally laying down so not going to check her tonight. What would I be looking for in the crop? What does soft/hard mean about her? Sorry I’m not too informed on it