listless and not eating

[beverley7]

Hello,
I have a 9 month old hen who has stopped all normal activity. I found her alone tonight, outside, away from the other 4 hens who were inside the coop and chatty as usual. She has started laying - could she be egg bound? How long can she survive without food? I did see her take some water today. If you have any suggestions to get her out of this slump please advise. Many thanks in advance.

 

[looptloop]

Not claiming to know anything here, but this is what I would do:

Put on some latex gloves and just check her all over. If she lets you hold her, you can feel her abdomen and look up under her tail. I'd feel all around her vent to see if you feel an egg somewhere in there. I've also heard that they love a warm bath - maybe she is eggbound and needs to relax!

I'd look in her feathers too, look way down to skin, should be no black specks or anything moving. If you see anything, dust her!

Otherwise, i'd fix her a treat you know she'll eat, and keep a close eye on her to report back her behavior!

 

[fiberart57]

Check her as advised but also you need to get her some nutritional supplements. Is she getting layer feed? Does she have oyster shell or some other form of calcium available? What does her poop look like?

If you can, it might be wise to bring her inside for the night if you are in a cold climate and keep her warm. Scrambled eggs are wonderful nutrition for sick birds or you can wet down her regular feed and see if she'll eat that. It's important that she drink as well, chickens need a lot of water.

You can get baby vitamins, Poly-vi-sol, at the grocery store, without iron, and see if she'll take some in water. Also, some electrolytes in the water this time of year can't hurt. Please check the dosage if you get them from feed stores because some are in concentrations meant for cattle and horse waterers.

Good luck, Mary

 

[kimb]

I have 2 hens acting similar - they would get better after a few days of sulmet ... but a few weeks later would be back to acting the same lethargic, uninterested chicken. . . They didn't make it

...

I was told it could be internal parasites - I did deworm with wazine, but it didn't change anything

I hope she gets better for you.

 

[BeccaB00]

Do the recommended checking all over. If she's egg bound you should be able to feel a lump

(the egg) around the vent erea. This winter I've had one hen act like this. She's recovering

in our garage. You should bring her somwhere warm & quiet. If you can, feed her scrambled

eggs. feed her treats, & get her interested. Keep her seperated from the others. Don't want

them catching anything, if it is contagious. Feel her crop tomarrow morning before she eats.

Make sure it isn't impacted. Our chick that had an impacted crop last year acted like you explain

your hen to be. Good luck with your girl.

-Becca