Chicken Down! Chicken Down!!

[threehorses]

I think the most important thing right now is to hydrate her. Will she eat crumbles if you dampen them into a damp (not wet) mash with water? You could use pedialyte or electrolyte water (used exactly as labeled on the package) to dampen something like that and that will help her get a little back.

Also offer the water dribbled into her beak frequently til she will do it herself. If she's not drinking the acv water (1 teaspoon per gallon of water) I would remove it til she drinks. that's more important.

Mix a little bit of honey or karo into the electrolyte water that you're using to hydrage her by hand. Maybe that'll make her more interested.

Can you pinch the skin by the base of her crop - pull it up, release. If it "tents" (stays up - doesn't go back down quickly) she is dehydrated.

 

[tagra123]

If you are using ACV in the water which is OK, I'd, at least, offer plain water too as a choice for the birds in the heat you are describing.



I offer ours cold melon rinds as treats in hot weather. They love it and plenty of hydration.

 

[For-The-Love-Of-Chickens]

I'm so confused!! Here is the update:

She ate some wet food last night with honey and perked up enough to squawk and want out of the kennel. So we put her in the yard where she walked around and pecked here and there. You could tell she is still not feeling well.

This morning she didn't want to get up. Finally, she got up and drank some water. No food. She then went out and was checking out various hiding places. Under some thick brush, and then behind some plywood we have leaning up against the coop. So we put her back into the kennel with some pine shavings and some water.

I did some more research and went to the feed store to buy some Corid. When I got back, she was in the corner of the kennel making a nest, and she squawked and pecked at my hand when I took the water out.

I am confused because I can't figure out for the life of me what is wrong with her!! Is she sick or is she just having a hard time trying to lay?!? She has not laid an egg yet. She has the runny poop and lack of interest in food, holds her tail down most of the time and walks slowly, which leads me to believe she is ill. But now with the nest building and pecking and squawking I am wondering if she is depressed cuz she wants to lay and be a mommy. Her abdomen feels empty, so I don't think she is egg bound.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

 

[threehorses]

It sounds like, if she's of the age and her comb is full and red, that she might be trying to lay a first egg.

But I would keep her up close where she is right next to feed and water.

Have you considered (very delicately and carefully) feeling for an egg, as some others have on the board? (I'd look for their posts...)

 

[lisahaschickens]

I am a first-timer and no expert... but I can only share my experience with you. I posted about extremely similar behavior from one of my young Buff Orpingtons a few weeks ago. One day she didn't come out to free-range with the others and I found her panting on the floor, looking uncomfortable. She didn't try to run away when I approached her (her normal response at the time) so I knew something was wrong. I took her inside to my chicken-hosiptal room offered her water and food and hopped on BYC. She stood on the bed with me, looking uncomfortable, holding her tail down, wings out and droopy, and panting even though it was cool and air conditioned in there. Everyone said she was getting ready to lay her first egg. She wouldn't eat or drink... not even if I tried to give her water with a dropper. She was really uncomfortable.

Anyway... she stayed that way all night- tail down, droopy, panting in the cool room. In the morning, with BYC advice, I checked her internally for an egg. Nothing. Eventually she perked up a little and ate some yogurt mixed with crumbles. I gave up and put her back outside. For probably three more weeks... she acted strangely... panting too often and not coming out as much. But she ate and drank and slowly got back to normal. No egg. She finally laid her first egg last Friday... over 7 weeks after she started acting like that. She is now normal, healthy, happy and has stopped all strange behavior and lays normally. She was nearly 23 weeks when she laid.

Anyway... I have no moral to this story. Only thought I'd share because I had a chicken behave similarly and it turned out just fine. Hopefully it will be the same for you! It does sound like she's getting ready to lay... if it's hot out, they can delay laying. Maybe she's just uncomfortable from holding an egg in... but wanting to lay it... but feeling a little too hot. I would just keep an eye on her, as long as she's eating and drinking a little now.

 

[For-The-Love-Of-Chickens]

I'm just at a total loss. I started her on Corid this morning to see if that would help, and she is drinking the water. She is in the kennel now, just standing there looking like.......well, a caged animal. She did the nest building thing for most of the morning and then stopped with no egg laid. She looks a bit perkier than she did. She at least has the strength today to stand for long periods of time. DH and I had decided to cull her when she FINALLY pooped around 2 o'clock this afternoon and it was a green color, still semi-solid and boy does it stink to high heaven!!! She has pecked at some food, but not much. She is losing weight rapidly, and I can feel that her keel bone is very prominent now.

I may give the egg thing a try. I will look for the info.

Thanks for your responses.

 

[purpletree23]

lisahaschickens.......thank for that story with a HAPPY ending. My chickens are going to start to lay soon and if they act like yours did I won't get all crazy and panic. Your information is good to know.

Hopefully this is what is happening to this little girl and it will get better for her.