Constipated chicken

[guntherepp]

I am the proud owner of 4 chickens approximately a year old. For the last couple days, one of them seems to be roosting a lot and when she gets off the eggs in the coop, she's puffed up...and a bit crochity with the other birds. She fluffs up her wings kinda like a turkey. Could she be constipated? I put out the suggested bread with olive oil and am waiting to see if this helps. There seem to be the usual 4 eggs a day, but being pretty much new at raising chickens, I'm not sure what's going on.

Thanks for your help.

Carol

 

[nnbreeder]

Sounds like she is trying to go broody on you, just be very diligant about collecting the eggs and don't let her sit in the nest box any longer then needed.

 

[birdlover]

I agree with the last poster. Classic symptoms of going broody. Take the eggs every day and wear something to protect your hands and arms if need be. What kind is she? Do you know? Some breeds go broody more than others. If she does go broody, she will stop laying eggs. Right now she's probably just trying to get a nest of eggs together before she sits.

 

[guntherepp]

Thanks so much for your help. I was getting worried. Now that you said about her going broody, she does seem to sit on the eggs non stop. She's a Buff Orpington. Is going broody, very bad?

Carol

 

[nnbreeder]

They do stop laying when broody and they can drop a lot of weight too. After collecting eggs it would be good to lock her out of the nest box somehow. If this doesn't help stronger measures are called for.

 

[guntherepp]

All four of my hens lay in the same box even tho 3 others are available, plus they lay at different times of the day while I'm at work. I collect the eggs when I get home from work. Any other (stronger) measures available?

 

[TreeFever]

Going broody isn't bad or unhealthy, it's a natural chicken thing.
The downside, if you don't keep collecting the eggs and moving her off her eggs and nest box, then she'll just stay in there thinking she is hatching a clutch of eggs and wont lay for a little while.

 

[mika8869]

I have a question. My orpington seems constipated. she makes a sound when I try to pick her up and she is just standing in one spot. The Husband said he just saw her eat alot of grit and oyster shells then drink a ton of water. what should I do to help her pass? i don't have internet at the house and i am at the library which will close soon. someone please assist me.

 

[chickenbaguette]

I haven't read the other posts, but if no one else has said this she could be egg bound. If she's sitting on the nest all the time she's trying to get the egg out. Massage her abdomen and rear end and see if there's an egg-shaped lump. Sit her in some warm water and massage it.

 

[CMV]

To break a broody she needs to be put in a wire bottomed cage with food and water, but no bedding for about 3 days. The cool air circulating over her nether regions should break the urge to brood. Once she has gone a few days in the cage, put her back in the coop. If she heads straight back to the nesting boxes, put her back in the broody busting cage for another couple days. Rinse and repeat until she stops. Then you need to make sure you collect eggs as often as possible.

Truly dedicated broodies are hard to break. I have 2 of them that spend more time in the broody cage than in the coop. I call them my chronic broodies. One of them is nearly 5 years old and has spent more than half her life broody. I swear I have gotten maybe a handful of eggs out of that bird in her whole life. She has tried to hatch acorns, golf balls, rocks, etc. Ridiculous!

Good luck.