16wk pullet panting hard, wings out, tail down.*nothing new to report*

[lisahaschickens]

Does anybody have any thoughts this morning?

She seems to be unchanged. She slept in a box with a snuggly towel in my guest room last night. It is nicely cool in there this morning and she is still panting, wings out.

 

[Barnyard]

I would lean more towards laying. Answer a few questions for me?

Is there any discharge coming from her nose or eye's?
Any coughing or sneezing? Have you noticed her limping? Has she been eating and acting normal up until this point? Check the bottom of her feet for any sores, Bumble Foot. This can make can make her not want to walk. 85 is not to hot, but some hens can tolarate heat better than other's. If she is still panting ofter being inside all night, then I wouldn't think heat was the issue.

Most hens do not lay unti 24 weeks or better, but they can start earlier. What I would be worried about right now, if she has no other symptoms, is her being eggbound. You can do an internal check of her vent and see if you feel an egg? Sometimes fixing her a nice warm bath (just enough to soak her bottom in) will relax the muscle and the egg will come on out.

If you haven't already I would start her on vitamins and electrolytes. Keep us posted.

 

[valentinebaby]

Hi Lisa -

I'm still new at this myself, but if your chick is egg-bound, look at My Page. I've posted a copy of 2 pages from an old book I've used that shows how to help an egg bound chicken. If you can't read it (they resized it down), then send me your email and I can send you a larger picture. Good luck! Gail

 

[lisahaschickens]

Thank you for the new replies! She is not coughing or sneezing at all and her nostrils/beak look very clear and normal.

As for eating and drinking...

When I found her sitting on the coop floor and then she got up, she took a couple of bites of food. Then when she eventually ran out into the grass to get away from my rooster, she did graze like normal... but maybe half-heartedly. Then she liad down in the grass again (see pics) and she picked at the grass some more then stopped. Then she got up again... picked at more grass then layed down again. That was when I brought her inside. It was getting dark out and I put the others away. Since it was time for her to sleep, she just kept laying on the bed with me or perching on my knee and alternatingly panting and closing her eyes as if to sleep. I did spend some time giving her some water with a dropper because I was afraid she was dehydrated. I felt for her crop and basically couldn't find it so I worry that she was sitting on the coop floor all day instead of eating much....

Summary: she ate a little when I was watching her, but not much, and her crop is small or empty.

It sounds like most people are leaning toward eggbound. I spent quite a bit of time last night trying to feel for an egg, but I really don't know where or how to feel for it. I felt something that might be a small egg, but maybe it's just a normal part of a chicken? Hard for me to tell...

I will check Valentinebaby's page for the eggbound info and give it a shot. I hate to see her suffer like this. I feel so helpless.

Thank you again for all the support!

I am happy when people ask questions so I can give info I didn't know to give... all feedback still welcome.

I'll keep you posted about the eggbound idea.

 

[lisahaschickens]

update:

This morning she is hungrily eating yogurt with oats. I still haven't seen her take a drink other than what I have given her through a dropper (not much). She seems to walk fine but doesn't do it much. I have not seen her strain - would she be straining if she's eggbound?

She still goes back and forth every few minutes between normal and panting hard with wings out and tail down.

I just gave her a warm water bath for as log as she would tolerate it. She's so fluffy (Buff Orpington) that it's hard to tell if the water actually even made it to her vent.... should I put her in a deeper bath to make sure it gets there? Is it bad for her to be soaking wet? Should I try a heating pad? Would I hold it against her?

Any other thoughts?

It's been over 14 hours of this with no change.

 

[Chic Chick]

My opinion?.... Sorry if you think it's blunt but I think you're stressing her out by keeping her away from the flock and from doing what she does normally. If it's her first egg then you're not helping matters by changing her surroundings, routine, etc. Even hens that are laying can stop for a while because of stress of a move or an upset. Put her back in the coop or with the other chickens and she'll work things out herself.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I have to agree with Chic Chick. My BO's started laying at 17 weeks so I do think it's a possibility that she's trying to start. Also, when it's hot here, mine do raise their wings and pant. Perhaps it's a combination of issues but if she's eating/pooping and otherwise seems normal (no nasal discharge or coughing) I'd put her back and let her do her thing.

 

[Ebony Rose]

She sounds like she's gearing up to lay her first egg. My girls have been known to go through this process for up to one week on their FIRST egg.

Putting her behaviour in human terms, I'd consider this as cramping, like a woman before her monthly.

As for the rooster bothering her... he was probably there to offer moral support. My guy even cackles like a laying hen... as if to throw a predator off the trail of the REAL hen, and I've even had my other hens join him in singing the "having-my-baby" song when one of the girls is laying.

I'm not overly experienced or anything, I've only had chickens now for 1 1/2 years, but have had my girls successfully brood four times now (and watched these generations reach the age of your lil girl... I think this is prefectly normal behaviour, even if she is a bit on the young side for it.
Again, in human terms, some girls mature faster than others.

I agree with the recent poster that said you need to get her back in with your flock, in her normal routine. If your other chickens are not PICKING on her, let them interact normally. Moving her into unfamiliar surroundings will do her more harm than good in this situation, it'll add stress to an already stressful time for her... teenagers!

 

[lisahaschickens]

I don't mind your being blunt! I brought her in to check her out more closely and then kept her in at the advice of others. If she is eggbound, it can be quite serious, no? I'm only trying to help and since I'm new, that's why I'm asking for advice.

Anyway, before I read your posts, I had done all I could do, so a few minutes ago I took her back out with the others. When I picked her up to take her back out, she was panting really hard, wings out, tail down... as she's been doing since yesterday... but I thought I'd just put her back so as not to stress her... as you suggest.

Anyway... I took her out, she hopped down in the grass with everyone... grazed for a while, went inside, drank a bunch of water and went back out to sunbathe. All with no panting or anything. She's acting like nothing happened. She's not lying down over and over again... nothing. My rooster is particularly interested in her now and was yesterday too... I don't know if that means anything.

I will be checking on her regularly to see what's going on. I'm very confused.

**edited to say: when I say the rooster is "bothering" her... I mean he is doing his little courting song and dance and sometimes trying to mount her, which sends her running.**

 

[realmofthewoodsranch]

Roosters can be a pain in th rear! It does sound like she's trying to lay her first egg and having some pain for it... it's like having children, hurts like heck the first time, but usually gets easier after that.