Hen acting funny/ not laying

[onmelissa]

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) Largefowl barnyard mix, I don't know her age, but she's older than 2 years. She does feel lighter and thinner than the others.
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Not laying, waddling, has trouble flying, is reserved. A month ago, she squatted and laid an egg in the middle of the yard (new behavior), and she hasn't laid since.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? About 4 weeks
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. No, but her comb is droopy and a little pale, and her belly is distended.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. The egg in the yard got my attention, but I don't know what could have caused it.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. She is eating and drinking, but not as enthusiastically. They are on chick starter because the younger birds have been integrated and aren't laying yet. There is a dish of layer crumbles in the "big girl" coop, but she doesn't eat that.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. Poop is runny.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? I tried a warm bath and lubed her vent, offered crushed tums, but she didn't eat it.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? I want to treat completely myself.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. I'll post a pic of her.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use The birds have the whole backyard to roam, sometimes free ranging through the whole property, but not every day. She sleeps in a small coop with two other girls.

 

[onmelissa]

I forgot to note that I tried to check her vent for an egg a week or so ago, but I didn't go more than 1/2 inch in because I didn't have a glove and I'm just nervous about it in general. I didn't feel anything, nor do I feel anything around her hip area.

 

[onmelissa]

Any ideas?

 

[Suzie]

Have you recently de-wormed the flock?

Treated for any lice/mites infestations?

A pale comb may be an indication of either of the above...it may be prudent to treat for any of these..if you have not recently done so.

 

[chynasparks]

One of my Buff Orps just hatched for chicks on 22nd. On 24th a predator got my RIR hen. I had temporarily had the 2 other hens and Roo stay in the whoop coop because of new babies. Fatal error. I still have a buff Orp and Roo, and momma and babies. Everybody is back in the coop and I partitioned off the family. Ever since all this my other buff stopped laying. She's eating drinking, pooping, following the Roo around but she hasn't layed all this week. I'm guessing she got stressed out. Could I be right? I don't need the eggs, that's not the point. I'm just worried about my girl. Any opinions? Oh, and my flock is outside in enclosed pen so I know she's not sneaking off somewhere.

 

[onmelissa]

I dusted for mites/Lice about a month ago, and I do check everyone regularly.
I have not used a commercial wormer, but I've put a pressed Clove of garlic in their water a few times recently. Strangely, their poop changed and appeared to have bits of undigested feed in it.
I did another vent check, and I feel no egg. She is not interested in the nesting box at all so I'm guessing that it's not an egg issue despite the initial strange laying behavior.

Would worms cause her belly to swell?

 

[Suzie]

She may have a worm infestation..pale comb, no egg laying, distended belly, lack of appetite and runny poo...

I certainly would recommend you use a chemical de-wormer such as Safeguard/Panacur...garlic will not protect nor rid her of worms..if that were the case none of us would have to use a chemical wormer, same as the use of DE..it will not have an effect on worms...

She may have internal issues which could also result in her swollen belly...

It is sometimes a process of elimination so I would initially go with the de-wormer..if she has worms she will normally be showing signs of improvement in a few days...

 

[KayTee]

It could be worms, but if she is over 2 years old then it could also be an age-related laying issue such as internal laying, which can lead to egg yolk peritonitis if it becomes infected.

I have a few questions as well:

Does her belly feel watery and squishy, or hard and solid? Does it feel the same temperature as your other girls, or does it feel hotter ? (In which case there may be an infection going on).

When you say the poop is runny, is it all the same colour and consistency, like diarrhea, or is it a mix of poop solids and lots of water?

Have you seen any unusual poop - very yellow, or looking like scrambled egg?

Have you tried giving her crumbles moistened with water? She may prefer those to the dry crumbles, especially if she has diarrhea and needs to drink a lot of water.