I may be an over worried Momma and I hope so. We got chickens this spring for the first time and today when I went to let them out one of our girls was acting a bit off. Her name is Lily and she is a 23-24 week old Isa Brown she layed her first egg at about 16 weeks and I believe has been laying pretty regularly for at least a few weeks. Our main flock consists of 4 Isa browns 5 slw(one of them is a roo) 1 golden Laced sebright 1 bbr oegb roo 2 buff Orpingtons 4 Easter eggers. They range in age from the 23-24 week olds to 20 weeks. We also have a smaller flock that does not sleep with them yet which contains 6 silkies, one self blue oegb pullet and and a barred Cochin bantam pullet. They are going on 18 weeks.
We have some new chicks from a week ago(got them at a week old) but they are in quarantine in our sun porch and have not had any contact with any of the other birds.
This morning Lily has been seeking to move very slowly and tenderly. She did eat some scratch and he's pecked her and there at a bit of grass, but she's usually one of the top hens. Her crop was also quite large this morning, now idk if that is because she got a majority of the feed from last night(tides them over until they are let out in the morning as it is put out after they are roosting) I felt of her crop as it seems so huge and it didn't seem to feel badly to me a bit squishy, she's drinking a ton of water, but not solid and I could feel grit and what I'm guessing are grains in there. There is no rotten smell from her mouth. No eye or nose discharge.
Frankly I'm at a loss she does seem to have perked up a bit but even when the flock ran off to forage she didn't go with. Her butt feathers are a bit dirty but I see no maggots or anything although I don't exactly know what I'm looking for. (Help on how best to clean her butt would be appreciated as it is quite chilly here seemingnd I don't want to make things worse.)
She was with the flock when I went out to check on her but still not moving very much or quickly. Her crop feels much more full now but I believe most if not all is water. I have not seen her poop. But have not seen any bloody or unhealthy looking stools. She also does not appear to be extending her neck almost like she is just keeping it tucked in. Please help Lily is more like a dog than a chicken she has even tried to follow me into the house and I'm worried about her.
We have some new chicks from a week ago(got them at a week old) but they are in quarantine in our sun porch and have not had any contact with any of the other birds.
This morning Lily has been seeking to move very slowly and tenderly. She did eat some scratch and he's pecked her and there at a bit of grass, but she's usually one of the top hens. Her crop was also quite large this morning, now idk if that is because she got a majority of the feed from last night(tides them over until they are let out in the morning as it is put out after they are roosting) I felt of her crop as it seems so huge and it didn't seem to feel badly to me a bit squishy, she's drinking a ton of water, but not solid and I could feel grit and what I'm guessing are grains in there. There is no rotten smell from her mouth. No eye or nose discharge.
Frankly I'm at a loss she does seem to have perked up a bit but even when the flock ran off to forage she didn't go with. Her butt feathers are a bit dirty but I see no maggots or anything although I don't exactly know what I'm looking for. (Help on how best to clean her butt would be appreciated as it is quite chilly here seemingnd I don't want to make things worse.)
She was with the flock when I went out to check on her but still not moving very much or quickly. Her crop feels much more full now but I believe most if not all is water. I have not seen her poop. But have not seen any bloody or unhealthy looking stools. She also does not appear to be extending her neck almost like she is just keeping it tucked in. Please help Lily is more like a dog than a chicken she has even tried to follow me into the house and I'm worried about her.
