Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

I feel so bad for her!!

What made you sure she is broody? It may have been just freak timing but those pictures make it look more like she isn't feeling well...standing around a bit hunched and fluffed up with eyes closed seems more like indicating she isn't feeling well. A broody rarely stands still when she gets out of her nest, she actually is more apt to run around like crazy, speed scratching or dusting frantically.

I would check her closely for parasites (internal and external) and check her stool to see if it is runny or if she smells very 'yeasty' such as you might find with vent gleet.

 

[ChxLadyCass]

She was in the nest all day and so I figured she wasn't leaving because she was broody. She was sitting on an egg and she was growling at me when I came near here. She does have runny stool though and the nest did smell. I just thought it was the egg she smashed, but she may not be feeling well! She looks exhausted and she even fell asleep for a second while I was watching her. She has hardly moved. I checked everyone over the weekend and a few of the hens had lice, so I treated them all with permethrin. Oh man! Is there anything I can do??

 

[PD-Riverman]

What made you sure she is broody? It may have been just freak timing but those pictures make it look more like she isn't feeling well...standing around a bit hunched and fluffed up with eyes closed seems more like indicating she isn't feeling well. A broody rarely stands still when she gets out of her nest, she actually is more apt to run around like crazy, speed scratching or dusting frantically.

I would check her closely for parasites (internal and external) and check her stool to see if it is runny or if she smells very 'yeasty' such as you might find with vent gleet.

I do not know if she is broody or not but I Know she is sick---Probably start some tylan50 asap.

 

[microchick]

I agree. She looks more like she is not feeling well than broody. Tylan? Yep? Any chance she is egg bound? Yolk peritonitis? Have you wormed lately? Her bottom looks a bit messy like her stool is loose, a sign of coccidia infestation. Is she laying regularly? Poor baby. She sure looks miserable.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

I would isolate her and bring her in from the cold then make some pics so someone on here might be able to guide you better with helping her

 

[ChxLadyCass]

Thank you! Unfortunately she passed. She did have loose stool and lost her feathers on her stomach from her breast to her vent. I just cleaned out the whole coop and will more carefully examine everyone else!

 

[microchick]

Thank you! Unfortunately she passed. She did have loose stool and lost her feathers on her stomach from her breast to her vent. I just cleaned out the whole coop and will more carefully examine everyone else!

I'm so sorry for your loss. It is never easy especially when they die and you can't figure out why. Many times chickens are way too good at hiding their illnesses until it is too late to help them.

 

[ChxLadyCass]

It's very true! She seemed fine this weekend! But I have learned a lot from this! Just hoping everyone else is ok!

 

[microchick]

It's very true! She seemed fine this weekend! But I have learned a lot from this! Just hoping everyone else is ok!

X2. I'd check for parasites definitely. True, your hen could have had an egg peritonitis going on but the go to thing for me is to make sure everyone has been wormed before I go borrowing trouble by thinking the worse. If you have a vet who would be willing to run a fecal float test for you, I'd recommend that. In the absence of a vet, treating for coccidia and following up with a broad spectrum wormer will do the trick. Good luck!

 

[ChxLadyCass]

Noted!! I will definitely look into that!