Depressed chicken???

[Matthew__]

Hi all,

I have a Barred Rock pullet, started laying around 1-2 months ago who seem depressed.

She is still laying eggs, 5 per week.
I see no signs of lice/mites (treated with DE just in case)

She just moped around by her self and sits a lot.
She looks alert, no slow blinking.

I’m not sure what to do!

 

[aart]

Tell us more about the rest of your flock.
She may be low bird, shunned by the flock.... or just a laid back one.

 

[Matthew__]

I have 4 pullets in total. If anything I would have said she was close to the top of the pecking order about a 1 week ago. She was a very slow developing chicken however laid the first eggs.
The best way I can describe it. It looks as if she is broody but just not sitting in a nest. She seems lost.

Ps. I live in Australia.

 

[Matthew__]

I just noticed that her pop is runny. Still in two parts. Bit of white and brown it just seems runnier.

 

[Matthew__]

She is also not accepting food

 

[aart]

Not eating and runny poops is indicative of illness.
Is her belly swollen, from below vent to down between legs?

 

[Matthew__]

I just checked and yes it’s a bit swollen. She is also drinking but vomiting it up

 

[chickengeorgeto]

... I see no signs of lice/mites (treated with DE just in case)... She just moped around by her self...

Is it possible that your hen is suffering from Silicosis as a result of dusting with DE?

 

[Matthew__]

Hmm possibly.. could it happen so fast? She is only 6 months old and I have probably dusted her twice.

 

[aart]

I just checked and yes it’s a bit swollen. She is also drinking but vomiting it up

Is the swelling soft and squishy(like a water balloon) or hard?

Is it really hot where you are?
Sometimes they drink so much so fast that they overfill the crop and yes it comes back out.

What all and how exactly are you feeding?

When I have a bird that's 'off'.... I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so you can closely monitor their intake of food and water, crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed), and their poops. Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.