Help! Weird chicken behavior

[ericalee33]

Hi!

I’ve had my flock for about 8-9 months, and it has gone really well. My hens are all laying consistently and seem happy. Today, though, a weird incident occurred. One of my cream legbars was nowhere to be found when we put my flock back in their run from free ranging. This was unusual for her because she usually sticks with everyone.

I panicked, but luckily found her under a bush. I grabbed her, but that’s also weird because she is one of mine who usually runs from me.

Then I sat her down with the flock. I noticed she was hunched over so I immediately wondered if she was egg bound. While I was watching her, she dropped a shell-less egg. I had one or two of those when they first started laying, but it’s all still weird. Then she was still kinda hunched so I brought her inside to separate her. I don’t think she’s egg bound now since she dropped the shell-less one.

Could I have interrupted her while laying under that bush and that’s why all this weirdness is happening?

Anyone know what’s going on??

 

[nuthatched]

What's their diet? She may have been struggling with it for a while. Give her a calcium citrate tablet or a tums to help her contractions.

 

[ericalee33]

What's their diet? She may have been struggling with it for a while. Give her a calcium citrate tablet or a tums to help her contractions.

They eat a local feed that has crushed oyster shells, and I have extra available for them. They also free range & forage plus get leftover veggies or fruit a few days a week.

 

[ericalee33]

What's their diet? She may have been struggling with it for a while. Give her a calcium citrate tablet or a tums to help her contractions.

Also, she is acting fine now. Pooping, drinking, eating. Her tail is back up.

 

[nuthatched]

They eat a local feed that has crushed oyster shells, and I have extra available for them. They also free range & forage plus get leftover veggies or fruit a few days a week.

Does it have a nutrition analysis label? I'm glad she's doing bettee.

 

[ericalee33]

Does it have a nutrition analysis label? I'm glad she's doing bettee.

 

[ericalee33]

Does it have a nutrition analysis label? I'm glad she's doing bettee.

Well, I thought she was. She is eating and drinking… but still a little more lethargic than the rest and definitely holding her tail weird. Here is a picture of my maybe sick hen and then my healthy one.

 

[aldarita]

When my hens start acting different from normal, I can tell they are not feeling good (there is a couple of them with this behavior) they separate from the others and don't move much. I have noticed this behavior when they have laid a shell-less egg or when they are going to lay one. Fortunately this doesn't happen very often. They get back to normal after a while. It seems that it is very hard for them to move a shell-less egg thru the oviduct. Keep an eye on your hen, this might be her issue, however if she still acts different after a long time, then she might have some other ailment.
My hens have oyster shells and egg shells 24/7. I place dishes with a mix on several places in their run. These particular hens have had this problem since they started laying, they are 3 years old.

 

[ericalee33]

When my hens start acting different from normal, I can tell they are not feeling good (there is a couple of them with this behavior) they separate from the others and don't move much. I have noticed this behavior when they have laid a shell-less egg or when they are going to lay one. Fortunately this doesn't happen very often. They get back to normal after a while. It seems that it is very hard for them to move a shell-less egg thru the oviduct. Keep an eye on your hen, this might be her issue, however if she still acts different after a long time, then she might have some other ailment.
My hens have oyster shells and egg shells 24/7. I place dishes with a mix on several places in their run. These particular hens have had this problem since they started laying, they are 3 years old.

She seemed much better Friday afternoon, and she is back to normal as of yesterday. It sounds similar to issues your chickens have had.

 

[Mrs. K]

You know sometimes you get a stomach upset, or a headache, and you kind of wonder, is this going to get worse? And often times it doesn't. I think chickens are like that too.