Jul 29, 2022
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My hen Red has been pretty stressed out. One of my roosters must have been harassing her. She is blind in one eye so she is vulnerable to bullying and attack. I killed the offensive rooster but she is still traumatized and scared of the other (and only) rooster I now have.
I've been trying to deal with that, but now she's got an impacted crop and just now when she crapped there was undigested grass! I have never seen grass in crap like this. Could it be related to her being stressed? She is free range, she has access to all kinds of dirt and grit. I'm trying to make sure she is hydrated because I don't think she was getting enough water before. She was hiding in the goat pen where there isn't water accessible for chickens.
She's got access to lots of water now and I'm starting to give her oil by medicine dropper and massage her crop. I don't want to do the epsom salt flush. I did that to one chicken and the diarrhea that proceeded weakened her to where she didn't make it.
Red otherwise seems healthy. She is out and about clucking and scratching. She is drinking a lot and will eat.
 
What's her diet?
How old is she?
What's her crop feel like?
She eats egg layer crumble and scratch as a treat, just like the others.
Red is 3 1/2 years old.
Her crop is full of food. I got some of it to empty earlier with the oil, but still full. I don't feel anything in it that would be suspicious. Just food matter.
 
That looked like she has eaten some older and tougher grass that just not did get digested to me. Does she have access to lawn clippings from the lawnmower?
 
No. And it's winter so we're not mowing. The grass is getting dry and old in the lawn
That's why she is not digesting it. It's tough brown grass. Pure roughage. If they eat to much at once that could cause problems. I don't see how that could stress them out as long as they poop ok and eat feed and drink. Pecking order may be taking a toll on her as she is likely to be at the bottom of it.
 
I still have green grass for them to nibble on. No real hard freezes yet. Next year I will plant some winter rye that they will eat on all winter long.
 

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