Chicken sick?

[kbgrover]

Hi all!!

I have a hen, she is about 3 years old. I noticed she is standing around outside but not moving around a whole lot. She’s standing, I go over and she is alert and runs away from me when I go over which is typical for her. She’s not mean, but none of my chicks love being picked up as it is. She does have feathers missing from underneath her lower abdomen and around her vent. And a little around where her crop is, it’s red around this area.

Her crop appears firm but has a play dough like feel. I was worried about egg bound but I checked and didn’t feel anything hard, I also felt around her abdomen and didn’t feel anything hard.

She doesn’t appear to be in too much distress, just not moving around much. I haven’t seen her pass anything, her poo was a quite watery when I saw it last after I examined her but that’s all I’ve seen. I’m unsure if she is just molting her feathers, broody or if there is something else going on.

Please let me know of anything I should try or do, unsure what’s up with her!

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi all!!

I have a hen, she is about 3 years old. I noticed she is standing around outside but not moving around a whole lot. She’s standing, I go over and she is alert and runs away from me when I go over which is typical for her. She’s not mean, but none of my chicks love being picked up as it is. She does have feathers missing from underneath her lower abdomen and around her vent. And a little around where her crop is, it’s red around this area.

Her crop appears firm but has a play dough like feel. I was worried about egg bound but I checked and didn’t feel anything hard, I also felt around her abdomen and didn’t feel anything hard.

She doesn’t appear to be in too much distress, just not moving around much. I haven’t seen her pass anything, her poo was a quite watery when I saw it last after I examined her but that’s all I’ve seen. I’m unsure if she is just molting her feathers, broody or if there is something else going on.

Please let me know of anything I should try or do, unsure what’s up with her!

Hi!

I would check her thoroughly for mites or lice. Also, could she be molting? If she were broody, she would most likely be sitting in a nest.

 

[kbgrover]

I think she could possibly be molting, I live in Maine and the seasons are switching from hot summer to chill fall. She seemed much more active a little later in the day. We’re giving the coop a good cleaning and I’m going to check her again. I gave her a good soak in the bath, I didn’t see anything alarming but wasn’t looking extremely close at her feathers.

 

[aart]

I noticed she is standing around outside but not moving around a whole lot.

This can be common for few days during molting.
But the watery poops might be of concern.
What all and how exactly are you feeding?

I think she could possibly be molting, I live in Maine and the seasons are switching from hot summer to chill fall.

It's the shortening days, rather than the temps, that trigger molt.

I didn’t see anything alarming but wasn’t looking extremely close at her feathers.

Most bugs will be on the skin, you have to get under the feathers to check.
Have you checked them over real well for mites and/or lice?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008