- Sep 17, 2009
- 8
- 0
- 7
I just brought home my first flock, 4 hens that I got from a friend of mine who had to give them away due to a dog issue. I have 1- 1yr old cucka maran and three 17 week old (leghorn, easter-egger, and barred rock). Before bringing them to the new home, the maran was still consistently laying about 4-5 eggs a week.
Once at the new home we kept entire flock in the coop for three days do get used to their new home. They had constant food and water and all seemed great. On the fourth day the Maran was just waiting for me to open the door to far so she could jump out, so we let them out and all including the maran went to town scratching and pecking everywhere then all went back into the coop easily for the night. Next day same thing, lots of energy, constant foraging and went back to coop just fine. So far no eggs from the maran but I knew to expect that with the move.
This morning I went to the coop and the maran was standing at the door as usual but this time I had to coax her out of the coop. This was the first day that their run was finished so I put them in that and the maran just went right under the coop and sat down. I coaxed her out and gave some garden scraps that they had previously enjoyed. She walked a little, pecked a few times and then just stood there. I then took her out to the dirt she loved the previous days and again she pecked a couple of times but then slowly meandered to a tree at the corner of our fence and just sat down. She has eaten very little (a dozen or so pecks) and drank nothing all day today. There is nothing unusual about her poop, her comb and wattle looked fine until the end of the day and is now a little hark and dryer looking at the top of her comb.
The only thing I could think of was a bound egg and I think I can feel an egg (first flock remember) and have tried a warm bath while massaging the abdomen as well as lubricating the vent with KY as far as I could reach. Again, I felt like I was reaching an egg but it felt like their was tissue between my finger and the egg. I have her inside now to keep her warm tonight due to the baths but don't know what else to try. Is there any tricks to get some water in her at least? Is there any thing else I can try or anything else that may be wrong?
I also checked for crop impaction and don't feel anything and besides the foraging all food given was the same as previous owner (same bag even) and bedding is pine shavings (Same as prev owner). This is not how I expected my first week of raising chickens would go and am a bit discouraged!
Once at the new home we kept entire flock in the coop for three days do get used to their new home. They had constant food and water and all seemed great. On the fourth day the Maran was just waiting for me to open the door to far so she could jump out, so we let them out and all including the maran went to town scratching and pecking everywhere then all went back into the coop easily for the night. Next day same thing, lots of energy, constant foraging and went back to coop just fine. So far no eggs from the maran but I knew to expect that with the move.
This morning I went to the coop and the maran was standing at the door as usual but this time I had to coax her out of the coop. This was the first day that their run was finished so I put them in that and the maran just went right under the coop and sat down. I coaxed her out and gave some garden scraps that they had previously enjoyed. She walked a little, pecked a few times and then just stood there. I then took her out to the dirt she loved the previous days and again she pecked a couple of times but then slowly meandered to a tree at the corner of our fence and just sat down. She has eaten very little (a dozen or so pecks) and drank nothing all day today. There is nothing unusual about her poop, her comb and wattle looked fine until the end of the day and is now a little hark and dryer looking at the top of her comb.
The only thing I could think of was a bound egg and I think I can feel an egg (first flock remember) and have tried a warm bath while massaging the abdomen as well as lubricating the vent with KY as far as I could reach. Again, I felt like I was reaching an egg but it felt like their was tissue between my finger and the egg. I have her inside now to keep her warm tonight due to the baths but don't know what else to try. Is there any tricks to get some water in her at least? Is there any thing else I can try or anything else that may be wrong?
I also checked for crop impaction and don't feel anything and besides the foraging all food given was the same as previous owner (same bag even) and bedding is pine shavings (Same as prev owner). This is not how I expected my first week of raising chickens would go and am a bit discouraged!
