Hen Confused/Not Responding

[TheChinski]

Hey all,

Not sure if this is in the right place as i'm new to the forums - so sorry if it isn't.

We have been keeping chickens for a month or so now. We started with 4, but one had problems while laying and prolapsed. Since then, our three remaining chickens have been laying great. They are great fans of sweetcorn. As in stupidly mad about it They will sprint up to you and beg you for it when they know you have it. We went out about 10 minutes ago with a bowl of it, and two of the three came up and began going mad for it. The third, however, was standing at the back looking disturbingly confused. We tried drawing the other two away and pushing some up to her, and she still just stood there. She did take a step or two forward, but nothing else. So we tried opening up the run and out the other two darted, but she barely even glanced that way.

It may be nothing, but after loosing a chicken already, we'd really prefer not to loose another. She is a Blacktip (Not sure if thats the proper name), and she lives with another Blacktip, and a Bluebell. We had an egg from each this morning, and I don't think anything's happend to her throughout the day. They have all been let out, and roamed the garden for several hours.

Thanks,

 

[ChicKat]

Hi TheChinski

Welcome to the BYC forum.

Hopefully your viewpoint that maybe nothing is wrong will turn out to be the right answer.

It sounds like you are in the UK, so my thought may be way off..... since you enjoy cooler weather there than we do in the 'States. I've had a couple episodes when my hens were indeed disoriented and even staggering, and I know from the circumstances and from the subsequent cures that they were pretty much on the edge of heat prostration.

on this link, it tells about the effects of high temperatures on chickens-- although the temps are in fahrenheit not celsius-- you can see that chickens are sensitive to temperatures. If they are in a lot of sun, if they don't have shade and breeze, they can get overheated.

The article is under 'heat and chickens'
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/charts-and-quotes

If it all seems like that couldn't be it, post back with more details and hopefully get more answers. Hope she is already recovered by the time you read this.

 

[debid]

Is she eating/drinking? I had a hen take a strike from a hawk and you couldn't tell by looking at her outward appearance -- the hawk got nothing but feathers and not even all that many. Still, she went into shock and acted exactly as you're describing. I had to make her drink by reflex every hour or two for an entire day before she started coming out of it. I gave her water spiked with sugar since she wouldn't eat at all (or drink without me dipping her beak). I just kept after her. Once she snapped out of it, she moved stiffly like her body ached for a few days and then came back around to herself.

If indeed it is shock, it's a killer -- keep a close watch on her.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

Egg binding occurs when a too large egg gets stuck just inside the vent. It can be extremely serious condition , especially if the bird goes into shock. If the hen does not remain bright and alert, take measures to keep her warm. The first thing to do is to make sure she is truly egg bound. If she is straining to release an egg, and you see the end of the egg near the opening, then you know for certain. If you can't see the egg, you can verify egg binding by lubricating a finger with K-Y Jelly or other water-based lubricant and gently inserting it into the vent until you feel the hard egg shell with the end of you finger. Don't attempt to stretch the vent, as you may tear her delicate tissue. Sometimes lubricating the vent area, and as much of the egg as you can not reach with a finger,will aid its passage. Gently squirting in warm water (not hot) saline solution wound wash, or soapy water, may help get things moving. Warming up the vent area may relax the muscles enough to release the egg. If the hen is tame enough not to be frightened by being handled, moisten an old towel, warm in the microwave ( make sure its not hot), and apply it to her bottom. Reheat the towel as needed to keep it warm, or better yet use two towels and warm them alternately, to maintain moist heat. An alternative warming method is to put warm, not hot, water in a bucket or basin and stand the hen in it with the water reaching just above the vent. After warming the hen's bottom for 15 minutes, give her a rest, and if she doesn't release the egg, try again.

I don't know if this is what it is, but just in case.

 

[debid]

It's not likely egg binding since the hen laid earlier in the day.

I had another thought, though, that there are also the possibilities of accidental poisoning or ingestion of a non-food object to consider.

 

[TheChinski]

After last night, she'd finally made her way into the coop and managed to settle down, and she seems to be back to normal this morning. Ill be watching her for anymore odd behavior just incase. Thanks for all the suggestions though, nice to know i'm not alone when it comes to the chicken world.

 

[ChicKat]

whew, glad to hear that she seems OK now.

One of the many fascinating facets of chickens.