Just don’t know what’s up with my hen

[HippieAtHeart]

She is a 3 year old (egger? Idk TS didn’t know when I got her) and for about a week or 2 she hasn’t been herself.

She has been hunched down away from the other hens for a few parts of the day and then kind of with the flock the rest of the time.When I first thought something was wrong I checked her and her crop was kind of empty with fibrous feeing stuff in it. thinking it might have been eating something she shouldn’t have I gave some coconut oil and massaged crop. Did this for a few days along with deworming my flock and she wasn’t better still. I gave in and did some antibiotics for 4 days. She improved and was back to what I would say is normal.

Then probably 4 days passed and now she is back to looking hunched down. No mites, don’t feel an egg, just dewormed, her crop is normal now though.

Any ideas of what is causing her to be like this? Is it possible she is just being picked on and feels lonely? Just can’t figure it out

 

[Eggcessive]

Terramycin is oxytetracycline and can be given for 7 days. She may be suffering from some reproductive disorder which are very common in hens over 2. Let us know how she gets along. She looks like a production red hen or Isa brown which is basically the same thing—good laying hens who lay very well.

 

[Eggcessive]

If she improved with it, I would do a 7 day treatment.

 

[HippieAtHeart]

Just to update for in the future if anyone references this thread - Clementine ended up passing today. I was doing antibiotics but she stopped making an effort to eat yesterday afternoon, I knew it wouldn’t be long. At least she passed on a nice sunny day. Buried with the rest of my flock that’s gone to buggier pastures.

&

 

[SmiYa0126]

I'm sorry

 

[Eggcessive]

Is the crop completely empty in the early morning, and is she eating to partially fill the crop by evening? Does she lay eggs, and have you seen any soft or abnormal eggs? What antibiotic did you give, and why did you not continue it? What do her poops look like?

 

[HippieAtHeart]

Is the crop completely empty in the early morning, and is she eating to partially fill the crop by evening? Does she lay eggs, and have you seen any soft or abnormal eggs? What antibiotic did you give, and why did you not continue it? What do her poops look like?

I’ve checked her crop to make sure it empties and it does - she was eating some dried mealworms just 2 days ago and now today wouldn’t touch them again.

I’m curious about her eggs because I have a few that lay green ones and I think after collecting she has only laid one in the past 3/4 days, which for her would be abnormal since she usually lays a lot. The egg also seemed to have a good bit of calcium deposits on it. I have not seen abnormal eggs.

I gave her the full 4 days of treatment of terramycin 1/4 pill in the morning and another 1/4 in the afternoon

 

[HippieAtHeart]

Terramycin is oxytetracycline and can be given for 7 days. She may be suffering from some reproductive disorder which are very common in hens over 2. Let us know how she gets along. She looks like a production red hen or Isa brown which is basically the same thing—good laying hens who lay very well.

Do you think I should do another treatment dosing then for 7 days this time then just see how she makes out from there?

I was wondering if it might just be a reproductive issue from being a high producer

 

[HippieAtHeart]

I'm sorry

Thank you - the longer I have chickens the less I am saddened by a passing…not to say it doesn’t effect me, but I’m more at peace with it. I just know better than to get super high producing hens from now on because while I love the eggs, I don’t like only having 3/4 years with my hens

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

Just to update for in the future if anyone references this thread - Clementine ended up passing today. I was doing antibiotics but she stopped making an effort to eat yesterday afternoon, I knew it wouldn’t be long. At least she passed on a nice sunny day. Buried with the rest of my flock that’s gone to buggier pastures.

&

Sorry for your loss. I feel the exact same way about production breeds. I started with the sweetest 2 little ISA Browns from TSC. One lasted 18 months and the other barely over 2. I mostly just do Heritage breeds now.