Help! Pullet not eating, uncomfortable, hasn't laid

[BawkinOnTheBench]

We have a 23-wk old Red Star. She began laying when she was 18 wks and has been a steady layer. We've gotten 2 eggs from her this week with soft/no shells - the last one was yesterday. She hasn't laid today. She is out in her run - not free ranging with the others. She is moving very little and very slowly.

I have felt her abdomen and I can't feel a stuck egg. I also chucked inside her vent about an inch and can't feel anything. No diarrhea or blood - her vent is clean. She hasn't eaten much today - her crop is empty. She is very slowly and slightly moving her tail up and down. She didn't react like it hurt her when I prodded and massaged her abdomen. She doesn't feel warm like she has a fever.

Any ideas what it could be or what I should do?

 

[Master S.M.C]

She could just be going broody, monitor her actions and provide as much feedback s possible.

 

[mypicklebird]

Soft shell eggs are VERY hard for the bird to push out- nothing to push against. She probably has one in her, as the last two were soft shelled. This is often due to low calcium. What do you feed her? Does she have free choice oyster shell, does she have free access to a good quality layer pellet?

 

[BawkinOnTheBench]

We feed 20% layer, freely accessible. There is also a bin of oyster shell available at all times.

Update - she took a few beaksful of yogurt when I offered it to her. Her droppings appear to be the normal white 'cap' - just without any solid brown to cap.

 

[BawkinOnTheBench]

Well, today she seems fine, but still hasn't laid. I guess we'll just wait and see.

 

[digginchicks]

aww I hope she will be okay.

 

[JennsPeeps]

I've got a pullet that sounds a lot like yours. She laid for 2 weeks then quit after laying 2 very thin-shelled eggs. I think she has cocci, so now I'm islolating her and treating her for that. I'm hoping, like you, that she's not egg bound or an internal layer. She hasn't laid in 2 weeks but doesn't feel feverish or hard in her abdomen.

We're just hoping she's OK.

I hope the same for yours!

 

[BawkinOnTheBench]

Quote:
What are your pullet's symptoms that make you think she has cocci? Just want to know what else I should look for.

 

[JennsPeeps]

The main thing that leads to believe she has cocci is the presence of blood in her fecal matter and very liquid poops. The blood looks like a small clump of hamburger. She's on sulmet now and will be for 5 more days. We separated her & our bantam (so she'd have a buddy) from the two layers for the duration of the Sulmet application so that we wouldn't have to give up the eggs from the layers.