EE not moving

[Pentatonchix]

Hello All,

I went to see the chicks today and saw my 2nd to the bottom of the pecking order 8.5 month old EE standing still under the lemon tree. She usually comes up to me and sometimes jumps on my back. We fed her a small handful of mealworms and then offered more later, but she didn't eat any of it. We brought her favorite place, outside, and she didn't explore as much as usual. Now she's in a box outside and she hasn't escaped yet (as she would usually). She is just standing there, frozen, barely moving. She hasn't laid an egg yet today (she normally lays healthy, slightly longer than normal eggs) and no drinking or poop. Does anyone know what this problem could be? How could I help her?
@azygous @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @nuthatched @aart (please tag anyone else who might know what this could be)

^she just stands in this position, barely moving, just turning her head slightly. Her comb is pretty light.

Edit: She just went into the nesting box! Let's hope this was all just because she needed to lay an egg!

 

[azygous]

Going into the nest is a clue this is reproductive related. Do not assume everything is okay. That wastes precious time that you could be helping her. How to help? Give her a calcium supplement right now. Calcium citrate is best, but any kind will do, even a Tums tablet. Give directly into her beak, don't crush or dilute.

This will get her contractions going and spare her the exhaustion related to trying to pass a stubborn egg. You need to monitor her to see what comes out. If it's a soft egg, there could be another shell-less egg right on its heels.

If this stretches into tonight, leave her on the nest. If she still hasn't laid by morning, give another calcium tablet and slip a heating pad under the nesting material to relax her muscles. Check on her frequently, but try not to stress her. Be sure she has plenty of water to drink.

 

[Pentatonchix]

Going into the nest is a clue this is reproductive related. Do not assume everything is okay. That wastes precious time that you could be helping her. How to help? Give her a calcium supplement right now. Calcium citrate is best, but any kind will do, even a Tums tablet. Give directly into her beak, don't crush or dilute.

This will get her contractions going and spare her the exhaustion related to trying to pass a stubborn egg. You need to monitor her to see what comes out. If it's a soft egg, there could be another shell-less egg right on its heels.

If this stretches into tonight, leave her on the nest. If she still hasn't laid by morning, give another calcium tablet and slip a heating pad under the nesting material to relax her muscles. Check on her frequently, but try not to stress her. Be sure she has plenty of water to drink.

Thank you for your help! She ended up laying an egg!

 

[azygous]

That's wonderful! But observe her behavior this morning. If she's back to normal activities, she has passed her crisis and all is well. If she is slow moving or wants to go back to the nest, it may mean there's a second egg that is trying to come out. In that case continue giving calcium and keep an eye on her, especially check her vent. Second eggs is often when a prolapse can happen, and you would need to protect her from the other chickens.