Hen attacked on 10/4 - layed on 10/5, but nothing since.

[cfremder]

On 10/4, my dog got into my chicken coop, when my daughter accidently left the door ajar. I was able to rescue my hen," Virgil", from the mough of my dog. She had about ten rear feathers pulled out and was bleeding slightly where the feathers were pulled out. I treated her sore spot, where her feathers were removed and made sure she had no other injuries. She seemed in shock at first and I kept her quiet for the rest of the day. She was back to eating and drinking and layed her egg the next day. She has not layed since the day after the attack. Over the past two weeks, she has grown in new, fluffy rear feathers.She seems perfectly fine in every other way. Should I be concerned that she is not laying eggs? I checked to make sure that she isn't egg bound, and she is not. My instincts tell me to just let her be and she will lay again when she is ready.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Instincts/common sense is correct. Trauma/stress shuts them down. She couldn't stop the egg that was already in the assembly line. She'll eventually lay unless there was an internal injury to the reproductive system.

 

[cfremder]

Thank you - that's what I thought. For the first week after the attack, she would growl at me, instead of singing her "egg song". Last night, there was far less growl and almost an egg song. I think it is only a matter of time.

 

[cfremder]

Still no egg-are there any simple tests, signs, etc - to check for reproductive damage? She layed the best eggs of all. Really hope she is ok.