Hen with her tail down

[ladyblu16]

Hey everyone!
So I noticed yesterday one of my hens walking around with her tail down! She's eating and drinking normal. Haven't been able to catch what her poo looks like. But I have not noticed anything out of the ordinary laying around. I am pretty sure she's been laying, I'm getting the right amount of eggs. She may have laid a GIANT egg yesterday. Someone has been laying whoppers every few days and I suspect it's her or one of her fellow breed (we have a few kind). Any ideas as to what might be going on? I appreciate any responses.

 

[azygous]

There's no way to tell for sure, but the tail held low often signals a hen is in pain. Couple that with the suspiciously large eggs, and you might suspect she's laving problems passing overly large eggs.

I have a couple of hens who have this problem, but I haven't found a solution. Sometimes placing a heating pad under the nesting material when she's in the nest box helps to relax her and make it easier to get the egg out.

 

[ladyblu16]

...

There's no way to tell for sure, but the tail held low often signals a hen is in pain. Couple that with the suspiciously large eggs, and you might suspect she's laving problems passing overly large eggs.

I have a couple of hens who have this problem, but I haven't found a solution. Sometimes placing a heating pad under the nesting material when she's in the nest box helps to relax her and make it easier to get the egg out.




Thank you. I will have to keep an eye on her. And try the heating when I see her in there.

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC....sorry you're having troubles.

Definitely get a hold of her, off the roost after dark is the easiest time to 'catch' them, and take a look at her vent and belly.
Maybe even put her in a crate overnight to get a look at her poops and inspect her crop in the morning before feeding.


ETA: I use a medium, fold-able wire dog crate approx 24"L x 18"W x 21"H.
Add 1x2 wire to the bottom and put tray underneath crate to observe poops and keep feet cleaner. If 1x2 wire is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate if needed. I have several of these, got them cheap(~$15-20) at flea markets, and they are a great tool for many situations.