Crankie Hen

[KerriTaylor]

Good Morning!
I am hoping someone can help me with my hen, Clover. She is a little over a year old RIR. She was hand raised and an "only child" until April so she has always associated better with people then with the chicken friends I bought her. She nornally lays an egg a day, like clockwork. But we are on day 5 without a egg and I am getting concerned, not about the lack of eggs ( I know they take breaks) but by her behavior. I have looked at the symptoms of egg binding and do not see any of those. She holds her tail up, her vent looks nornal and isn't distended. I don't feel anything hard in her abdomen. She eats enough to fill her crop.
This is what I do see:
Stays in coop all day. If I force out, she will free range, scratch and eat, dust bath, and return to coop after about 15 minutes,
She puffs up and clucks at me when I approach her in the coop.
Very aggressive with other chickens
She preens and shakes her feathers alot
Nasty smelling very loose stool

I am afraid I am missing the symptoms of something serious. I appreciate any feedback and insight.

Thanks,

Kerri

 

[Nike]

Hens stop laying when they molt but it doesn't sound like she's molting really. My other thought was maybe broody but none of my broody hens have ever had loose stool. Hopefully an expert will come to this thread next!

 

[KerriTaylor]

Nike-
Thanks for your help... I hope you are right on either suggestion

 

[Nike]

Do you worm them? Maybe she's broody and the loose stool is from having worms

 

[KerriTaylor]

I haven't wormed them. Would the worms show up in the poo like they do in other animals?

 

[Nike]

I think it depends on how bad it is. The worse it is, then you can see some.

I use wazine for wormer but I heard that it only covers round worms and there is some other wormer that also ends in 'zine' I just can't remember the name but it covers a broader range of worms. Just try doing a search for it