1 yr old game hen, no appetite, listless, laid egg no shell tail down

[kayri]

I don't know what is wrong with my 1 year old game hen, Ruby. She was attacked by a fox about a month ago and I gave chase until he dropped her. I put her on antibiotics for about 4 days and then she seemed fine, she started laying again, everything was going well, except the last few days I noticed that she was not going out when I let the other chickens out , she doesn't eat any treats, I tried to give her a chopped up egg and yogurt today and she wouldn't eat it. She went into the coop and I think she laid an egg without a shell. (Someone did, and I think it was her.) She has been holding her tail down and standing around rufffled up. I gave her 2 drops of poly vi-sol- no iron for good luck today. She had always been pretty skinny and our most nervous hen. Does anyone have any idea what is wrong with her? How can I help her?

My 5 hens have a large penned in area and free-range around my garden every day. They eat layer pellets and have oatmeal-yogurt for a treat in the mornings. I give them a cup of crushed oyster shell whenever I see they have finished the last cup, usually once a week or so. I also give them a handful of BOSS/corn/oats as treat twice a day. I give them avia- charge 2000 once a week and I put a dash of vinegar in their drinking water.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

How is your girl doing? When I read symptoms like these I automatically think egg bound or internal laying - I hope very much I am wrong.

If it is, there is tons of advice on this board - I have no experience with it yet - the best way to search is to use the "search" link in the upper blue bar - just above your logged in name. This search will allow you to search by word or phrase in title or message body and by forum. I would read about both conditions and see if what you are experiencing seems to match.

sorry I am not much help at all.

 

[kayri]

Thanks for your thoughts HorseFeatherz,

I was just going to bump this thread today. I think she is going broody as well, but she could be sick on top of it. Do broody chickens have very watery yellowish poop? I don't remember my other broodies doing that. Her appetite is still very low, she eats a bit in the morning. I bought her some roast beef and she eats about 1/2 slice chopped up with a little bit of vitamin on it. She still stands around all ruffled up when I take her out of the nesting box in the afternoons and she won't eat anything in the afternoon. I think she is sick with something, but I don't know what. She hasn't been laying, but then again she could be broody. I don't feel an egg in there, she is really quite thin. Maybe tomorrow, I'll soak her in a warm bath, but she is a nervous little thing that doesn't like human contact very much.