Help.... sick hen

[sadieH5836]

I have a RIR hen that is atleast 1 year old
she is eating and drinking
and does not seem lethargic
the problem is that she is holding her tail
in a downward possition. she walks around
like this. I know there is something wrong
but what? Is she eggbound?
Please help!

 

[Blue_Myst]

When was the last time she layed?

It may be eggbound, especially if she hasn't layed in a while. I'm not an expert, but inspecting her vent and gently feeling her abdomen to determine if there is an egg in there is probably the best place to start.

How is her manure? Runny? Green? When my hen was eggbound it was very runny.

 

[sadieH5836]

I have not seen what her poo looks like
and not sure when she last layed.
I will go see what her vent looks like and feel her tummy

 

[ScoobyRoo]

My hen is acting weird too. The only thing different is that I didn't notice the tail pointing down. She is drinking and walking a little funny but not eating much. I'm going to be following this post as well. I'm a newbie at this and I hope we both succeed in curing the problem with positive results.

 

[gordy123]

to Henryschickens, your hen may have frostbite, depending on where you are! Good luck!

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Quote:
I wish it were that easy, but no it is not frostbite. It was near 70 yesterday and her wattles and combs are still a nice red color. We are going to check for sour crop and eggbound. I'm looking at other threads to educate myself with. She just followed the rest of the group up into the woods (but she is slow and the last one). I'm worried as well as my DD

 

[Blue_Myst]

Henry'schickens, if you suspect sour crop, there was a thread telling about how to treat it the other day, here it is in case you haven't seen it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=129838

It mentions using Apple Cider Vinegar to cure sour crop.

Sadie, did you find anything?

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Quote:
Thank you. I'm going to print some of this information and put it in my chicken folder. Then it will be on hand as needed. I didn't realize there is another thread started by the same OP, Sorry. Getting help there too though.

 

[sadieH5836]

Well Roxy's poo is light green
and her vent looks normal
and I did not feel anything in her tummy like an egg or mass
but her crop did not feel real full.
She did eat her treats and some scratch
and she did not want to be picked up.

I did notice that her tail was starting to perk up a bit
but she still walks a bit funny.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Mine has not pooped yet. She did eat some scrambled egg and is still drinking. Vent still looks normal. Her tail has been up for the most part. I can't feel much in her crop. I wonder what else it could be. She is roosting (sleeping) right now. I hope she is better in the morning.

to you too, sadie.