Hi, wondering if I can get some help.
We have a hen who for about a month plus now has not been producing eggs at all. She’s 2yrs, barred rock. and has produced eggs fine in the past. I’ll list symptoms/things I’m noticing.
-The other hens (we have 12) don’t seem to pick on her or notice her anymore than any other hen, except one of our hens who for a while early on in this issue would follow her around and block her path. That seems to have since stopped. No aggressive behavior towards her at all.
- limping, stumbling around, has to flap wings to get up ladder to coop. Cant walk very far at once. Does come out and free range every day just doesn’t move around a whole lot.
- Won’t roost at night sleeps in a corner of the coop, goes in earlier than rest of hens for bed. I think this has gotten better the previous two weeks, but previously she was very lethargic and took lots of “naps” in the middle of the field throughout the day.
-Tail feathers form a triangle shape and are lowered and her wings not kept tight to her body. Looks healthy other than that. Waffled(?) weight/size seem normal. Eating layer crumble, drinking water fine.
-she seems normally alert, makes normal sounds, poop seems relatively normal.
-we checked her vent best we know how and didn’t notice anything abnormal or any egg inside or remnants of egg.
-other chickens not showing any ill symptoms.
We gave her warm epsom salt baths early on in this but couldn’t keep up with it. We gave her 1-2 a day for about 4 days.
Some things that may be relevant to add to her symptoms is she survived a weasel (we think) attack last year, where we did lose one hen. Blood was drawn but she survived and bounced back shortly after. She also got locked out on accident one night as I didn’t notice her still being out at sundown when I closed them in - this hasn’t ever happened to any of our hens, and that was about 3 months ago.
We also introduced 4 new pullets 6 weeks ago.
The photo attached is from today and she is in a dog crate. Last night was the first night we separated her for bed time under a heat lamp, leaving it on all night. We’re trying this now at the advice of the feed store owner based on symptoms I described to him. We will put her in with the other hens during the day. Put a few drops of oxytetracyline in her water for the first time in the dog crate, again advice from feed store owner. That’s our plan moving forward for another week or two unless we get different advice. But we’re not going to keep her much longer at this rate.
Any help much appreciated. Thanks
We have a hen who for about a month plus now has not been producing eggs at all. She’s 2yrs, barred rock. and has produced eggs fine in the past. I’ll list symptoms/things I’m noticing.
-The other hens (we have 12) don’t seem to pick on her or notice her anymore than any other hen, except one of our hens who for a while early on in this issue would follow her around and block her path. That seems to have since stopped. No aggressive behavior towards her at all.
- limping, stumbling around, has to flap wings to get up ladder to coop. Cant walk very far at once. Does come out and free range every day just doesn’t move around a whole lot.
- Won’t roost at night sleeps in a corner of the coop, goes in earlier than rest of hens for bed. I think this has gotten better the previous two weeks, but previously she was very lethargic and took lots of “naps” in the middle of the field throughout the day.
-Tail feathers form a triangle shape and are lowered and her wings not kept tight to her body. Looks healthy other than that. Waffled(?) weight/size seem normal. Eating layer crumble, drinking water fine.
-she seems normally alert, makes normal sounds, poop seems relatively normal.
-we checked her vent best we know how and didn’t notice anything abnormal or any egg inside or remnants of egg.
-other chickens not showing any ill symptoms.
We gave her warm epsom salt baths early on in this but couldn’t keep up with it. We gave her 1-2 a day for about 4 days.
Some things that may be relevant to add to her symptoms is she survived a weasel (we think) attack last year, where we did lose one hen. Blood was drawn but she survived and bounced back shortly after. She also got locked out on accident one night as I didn’t notice her still being out at sundown when I closed them in - this hasn’t ever happened to any of our hens, and that was about 3 months ago.
We also introduced 4 new pullets 6 weeks ago.
The photo attached is from today and she is in a dog crate. Last night was the first night we separated her for bed time under a heat lamp, leaving it on all night. We’re trying this now at the advice of the feed store owner based on symptoms I described to him. We will put her in with the other hens during the day. Put a few drops of oxytetracyline in her water for the first time in the dog crate, again advice from feed store owner. That’s our plan moving forward for another week or two unless we get different advice. But we’re not going to keep her much longer at this rate.
Any help much appreciated. Thanks
