First off I am a chicken novice. I read this forum all the time and have spent many hours here this weekend searching for advice.what a great resource. We just started raising chickens this year and got our first eggs a couple of weeks ago. The one that is sick is a golden sexlink and she started laying under two weeks ago. She is around 20 weeks old.
By the time I realized she was not feeling well, i did a lot of reading that night and checked her crop. It was definitely swollen like a large water balloon. She usually won't let me touch her but was lethargic enough that I could pick her up to check her and just the pressure had her expelling fluid from her crop out her mouth.
I helped her empty her crop, it's smaller now. She is no longer cocking her head like she's trying to clear it.
I have her isolated inside.
She didn't eat or drink yesterday that I saw. I kept hard food away from her yesterday, but put some back in her box for today. Small mash soaked in a little bit of olive oil. She ate that up this morning.
I am worried over everything because I am not sure if I am doing it right, and not stressing her out. She didn't let me hold her before so I can't imagine me handling her now will make her happy.
I do feel an egg at her vent but assume she's too weak to lay. I hope that doesn't turn into an issue as well.
She seems better today than yesterday but still Isn't moving much, but able to stand more.
So I guess my main worry right now is her egg. Is it normal for a chicken to not lay while ill but clearly have one near the vent? ( 3 days now) If she has a sour crop and is egg bound, that girl has some bad luck!
Thanks. This forum is the best.
By the time I realized she was not feeling well, i did a lot of reading that night and checked her crop. It was definitely swollen like a large water balloon. She usually won't let me touch her but was lethargic enough that I could pick her up to check her and just the pressure had her expelling fluid from her crop out her mouth.
I helped her empty her crop, it's smaller now. She is no longer cocking her head like she's trying to clear it.
I have her isolated inside.
She didn't eat or drink yesterday that I saw. I kept hard food away from her yesterday, but put some back in her box for today. Small mash soaked in a little bit of olive oil. She ate that up this morning.
I am worried over everything because I am not sure if I am doing it right, and not stressing her out. She didn't let me hold her before so I can't imagine me handling her now will make her happy.
I do feel an egg at her vent but assume she's too weak to lay. I hope that doesn't turn into an issue as well.
She seems better today than yesterday but still Isn't moving much, but able to stand more.
So I guess my main worry right now is her egg. Is it normal for a chicken to not lay while ill but clearly have one near the vent? ( 3 days now) If she has a sour crop and is egg bound, that girl has some bad luck!
Thanks. This forum is the best.