Hen in isolation not laying

[bozbozboz]

I’ve got a hen who has been in isloation for fowl pox for the last week and a half. She has not laid the whole time she has been in. She has been pooping but her poop seems to be getting smaller in the last 24 hours or so. Felt her abdomen and there is something that feels like it *might* be an egg, not tried probing her vent to test yet. She has access to oyster shell at all times. Would she withhold an egg if she felt she wasn’t in a ‘safe’ place to lay? I don’t want her getting egg bound after all the work we’ve done getting her through the pox! She doesn’t currently look penguin-y, but she sometimes looks a bit uncomfortable when pooping. Is it worth me bathing and giving her a bit of rennie tonight as a precaution. Should I do anything with her isolation setup to help encourage her to lay? Maybe pop a dummy egg in with her? She is currently outside in an isolation run for her first bit of outdoors time since she got ill. Hoping a bit of fresh air will cheer her up after weeks indoors

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Sounds like a side effect from the illness... not enough energy to produce eggs AND recover. Recovery first! Also laying hormone is triggered by light so if light has been decreased during this period could have an effect. Overall I would say that pox, and isolation are both stressful and would likely impact any hens production.

I would not bathe. Though some hens relax and enjoy it! If she is eating and pooping she is not egg bound. What are you feeding? How old is she?

Hope you are enjoying BYC and your hen recovers quickly!

 

[Harmony Fowl]

I isolate hens in a small coop in the run to determine how well each individual is laying. Most hens are okay with this, but some get so stressed out by it they stop laying altogether for the week I leave them in there. Just another reason why her laying could be off.

 

[bozbozboz]

Thanks! She is still pooping regularly, just smaller amounts as she was previously. I will just monitor. Not actually sure of her age, she was a rehome. Her comb is red, so I would say she is mature enough to lay, but she could be an older girl I suppose.
She is currently eating a mix of her layers pellets in a mush (she doesn’t really like these, but picks away at it), scrambled or hard boiled egg (she’ll some of this), sunflower hearts and cucumber (this is her favourite and always seems to perk her up). She’s getting nettex nutri drops, apple cider vinegar in her water, and has grit and oyster shell at all times. I’ve also hidden the odd bit of scratch around her cage to give her something to dig for. Offered her mealworms, but she doesn’t seem at all interested in those. I’ve upgraded her boudoir to include a new dark laying box with a fake egg in case she feels the urge all of a sudden.

Thank goodness for this forum, never had a sick bird before (at least not one that showed it) so this has been quite the learning curve.

 

[aart]

I'd cut out everything but the layer feed(dry) and plain water...and maybe some egg every few days.
All that other stuff is complicating any issues and reducing her nutrition.

 

[bozbozboz]

Update on my girl. We've been letting her out to 'free range' around our garden for a few hours a day when we can (the other hens can't get in there, so there's no worry of her coming into contact with them and infecting anything.) That seems to have perked her up no end and she's eating a little more normally now. No eggs yet, but her poops seem to have improved since she's been getting out - I think she was just getting a bit withdrawn and depressed from being inside for so long. Hopefully just one more week to go and then we can start the process of getting her back out to the coop with the others (feeling rather nervous about that, they best not pick on her!) She's still not keen on layers pellets at all, but I'm attempting to wean her off her scrambed egg by reducing the frequency she gets it. I gave her some cucumber this morning after a couple of days without and she was so happy she sang a little song. Funny little bird - she does love cucumber.