Help?

12x328

In the Brooder
Oct 4, 2020
10
7
21
Hi all,
I’m a first-time chicken owner so you could say i’m a little inexperienced. I have a problem with one of my 5 chickens. She hasn’t been laying for a week now, but the other chickens have so it probably doesn’t have to do with the weather. She’s lost her appetite and energy. I don’t know what to do or what she haves so I’m freaking out right now. Could someone please help???
 
So we are going to need more details.
How old is your chicken?
Is her back side messy?
Is she eating, and is her crop empty in the mornings?
Any other symptoms or details can be helpful to diagnose.
My chicken is 34 weeks old.
Her back side is a little messy, she has some white dry droppings there.
She isn’t eating very much (from what I see) and I’m not sure about her crop.
Feel free to ask any other questions to help diagnose her.
(Also, to be exact, she’s gone 5 days without laying).
 
So two possibilities come to mind.research IMPACTED CROP. It happens when something the chicken eats blocks the normal digestion and crop process. Or it could be SOUR CROP. Do you smell anything off when you handle her?
Another possibility is EGG BOUND. but there is usually alot of wetness and mess in the back end when that happens. All these things can be fatal for her.
What ever it is, she is I'll. I would set her up in a dog kennel for monitoring. Give her some supplements and check her over closely. Feed her some chick starter, make her a mash or scramble her some eggs for quick nutrition.
It may be one of the above or something completely different. If she has something communicable you dont want the others to get it.
by the way, what exactly do you feed? Have you had any soft or thin shelled eggs? Do you offer free choice grit and oyster shell? Free range or what is the size of your coop and run?
Sorry it's very hard to diagnose your chicken with out being there and seeing her and the whole picture.
Also taking her to the vet may be an option for you.
I hope you can save her.
 
@12x328, read up on the three things mentioned above. You'll see there are specific symptoms and treatments for each. Use the search button (up on the top right of the header bar).

All of those issues can be remedied if caught in time, but they can also be fatal if not taken care of. See if you can narrow it down, or gain more insight into what is going on. Then come back and give us more information. Take pictures of her vent, and of her poop (no, we don't think that's gross), as that may help to know what is happening with your girl.

It might be a good idea to start a new thread in the Emergencies/diseases forum, as you have an emergency here.

Welcome, by the way. There are a lot of knowledgeable people here on BYC, and we'll help you as best we can.
 
When I have a bird that is acting 'off' I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor their intake of food and water, crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed), and their poops. Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling. Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

Good links about crop issues:
(Crop Treatment by Azygous ) (Crop Treatment by TwoCrows )
 

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