1.5 Yr Old Hen - what’s wrong?

[AppleMomma65]

My Olive Egger - she’s 1.5 years old - stopped laying back in March. She’s kept up with the flock during the summer but today she seems really off. Her comb has been very pale since she stopped laying but again, she’s hung with the group mostly. They are all molting but she seems really slow and sluggish and very reserved, doesn’t even want treats. She hangs in the shaded grass while others are off snagging bugs and grass. I’ve checked her butt, her legs and feet and her crop - all look normal. Is her demeanor because of molting? I’m afraid she’s not going to make it through our hard winter here in N. WI.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Does her abdomen feel like a water balloon?

 

[MysteryChicken]

Pale comb, can be a symptom of Anaemia. Have you noticed any Red Mites?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would agree to look her skin over for mites or lice or the eggs. It seems very abnormal to have stopped laying 6 months ago at 1 year old. She may have some reproductive disorder or organ problem, hard to know exactly. If her lower belly between her legs is enlarged, it could be a sign of internal laying or ascites (water belly.) If her droppings are unusual take a picture. I would also feel of her crop in her right upper chest, to feel if it is empty, full, hard, or puffy. At the same time note if there is a sour or bad odor from the beak. If you can get Poultry NutriDrench or Poultry Cell tonic at your feed store, you could give 2 ml orally for the next few days. Try to see if she is eating and drinking. Offer some scrambled egg bits, wet chicken feed much, or some tuna to tempt her to eat. Water is most important, and if her crop does not empty by the next morning, you may need to treat a crop disorder.

 

[Kiki]

What exactly to you feed your flock?

 

[AppleMomma65]

I would agree to look her skin over for mites or lice or the eggs. It seems very abnormal to have stopped laying 6 months ago at 1 year old. She may have some reproductive disorder or organ problem, hard to know exactly. If her lower belly between her legs is enlarged, it could be a sign of internal laying or ascites (water belly.) If her droppings are unusual take a picture. I would also feel of her crop in her right upper chest, to feel if it is empty, full, hard, or puffy. At the same time note if there is a sour or bad odor from the beak. If you can get Poultry NutriDrench or Poultry Cell tonic at your feed store, you could give 2 ml orally for the next few days. Try to see if she is eating and drinking. Offer some scrambled egg bits, wet chicken feed much, or some tuna to tempt her to eat. Water is most important, and if her crop does not empty by the next morning, you may need to treat a crop disorder.

 

[AppleMomma65]

What exactly to you feed your flock?

They get Purina 16% Layer Feed pellets and free range most of the day. Cracked corn mix for snack or garden stuff as we clean out (but not an over abundance).
I just checked her belly and it’s fine. I feel her bones/normal. Crop feels normal and no funky smell. I did a quick scan for mites (it’s dark and I had a flashlight) but will check more tomorrow. I’ll search online for what I should be looking for. The others in the flock seem normal.

 

[AppleMomma65]

They get Purina 16% Layer Feed pellets and free range most of the day. Cracked corn mix for snack or garden stuff as we clean out (but not an over abundance).
I just checked her belly and it’s fine. I feel her bones/normal. Crop feels normal and no funky smell. I did a quick scan for mites (it’s dark and I had a flashlight) but will check more tomorrow. I’ll search online for what I should be looking for. The others in the flock seem normal.

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you had any signs of illness in your flock in the past, or an unexplained death? Is her left pupil cloudy, or is that just the picture? Is her tail position down most of the time or up? Check her crop in early morning to make sure that it is emptying overnight.

 

[AppleMomma65]

Have you had any signs of illness in your flock in the past, or an unexplained death? Is her left pupil cloudy, or is that just the picture? Is her tail position down most of the time or up? Check her crop in early morning to make sure that it is emptying overnight.

That's just a bad picture - her pupils are good. Her tail is down most of the time and she's by herself which is what made me take notice. No illness in flock, no deaths - this is a first and all other hens look fine and are acting normal. I checked her crop this a.m. and it feels kind of squishy. I did give her water prior and can hear it. I've brought her into the house to watch her for the day. I did check her breath again and well, honestly, it smells like a chicken. Nothing too bad. She doesn't appear to want to eat scrambled egg, wet feed, etc. I'm wondering if it's sour crop ...