Hen going to lay her first egg?

[aart]

Her abdomen is swollen?

Sounds like something is not right in there....very hard to say what it could be.
I'd say something else is blocking her from laying and pooping.

I suggest you take some pics of her belly and poops, write out all her symptoms in a new thread in the disease forum for some advice.
Include details on everything she eats, everything you've done, and all her behaviors.

What I would do would be to put her in a wire isolation crate with small wire in on bottom in place of tray, and put tray underneath crate to collect poops.
Observe her eating, drinking, pooping for a day or two....try to figure out what is wrong and how she progresses.
I'm more one to euthanize an ill bird rather than treat...often there's not a lot you can do.

Sorry you're having troubles.

 

[chickens really]

Do not cage her....Cut out all treats with the flock and keep her moving....Sometimes fart eggs/fairy eggs are hard to pass if the hen is constipated....Water, water, water....

Cheers!

 

[yeahd00d]

Do not cage her....Cut out all treats with the flock and keep her moving....Sometimes fart eggs/fairy eggs are hard to pass if the hen is constipated....Water, water, water....

Cheers!

Maybe she is constipated??! She's low girl in the pecking order and gets bullied eating and drinking. That picture was taken like 30 seconds before she laid that tiny egg. I'll make sure she's getting plenty of water!

 

[chickens really]

Quote: I now see you have Red Hens....Put out more food and water stations....Reds are prone to be way more aggressive...Mean girls...

 

[aart]

Agrees crating might not be good as activity can help 'work things thru'.....
.....but at least crate her at night so you can observe her poops, which can tell you a lot about what's going inside.
Feel crop at night, leave nothing but water in crate, then feel crop in morning before giving her feed.

 

[chickens really]

Sorry aart....I disagree....Do not mean to step on your toes at all....Hen is best with freedom and ability to pass out the junk blocking her...

No treats, water......Feed if she wants it....

Cheers!

 

[aart]

Agrees crating might not be good as activity can help 'work things thru'.....
.....but at least crate her at night so you can observe her poops, which can tell you a lot about what's going inside.
Feel crop at night, leave nothing but water in crate, then feel crop in morning before giving her feed.

Sorry aart....I disagree....Do not mean to step on your toes at all....Hen is best with freedom and ability to pass out the junk blocking her...

No treats, water......Feed if she wants it....

Cheers!

I agreed with you.....but there is more, read carefully.

 

[bobbi-j]

Crating at night to observe poop isn't going to restrict her activity. At least that way OP has a little more information to share in the disease section.

OP - I would suggest looking up the signs and symptoms of ascities.

 

[chickens really]

Quote: I read it....I still think leave her....If she needs to release something it will happen more often if she is loose than crated...Hoping off a Roost they poop....I like all your info aart...We all want to help...This time I might be right....?

 

[yeahd00d]

I read it....I still think leave her....If she needs to release something it will happen more often if she is loose than crated...Hoping off a Roost they poop....I like all your info aart...We all want to help...This time I might be right....?

I believe she might be constipated. I just spent a good amount of time outside observing her. She's drinking a lot of water, I put 3 additional water areas in the run. She's not really scratching, but she's eating pellets. I haven't given any treats today. I did notice she's pecking mosquitos out of the air and chasing them around. She still seems like she's trying to poop but I haven't seen anything come out yet.

They just went to bed, I kept her out, she didn't go onto the roost, I left water for her in the coop since I think she might sleep on the floor.

She still seems "slow" but actually seeming better from this morning. I'm hoping all the water she's drinking helps.