Hen moving slow with tail down

[Mayochick]

My 5 month old Sussex hen was perfectly fine earlier this morning, but I just noticed around 2pm that she started moving slow and her tail is down. She’s still eating and drinking water. I can’t tell if she’s just having a hard time laying an egg or if she’s getting sick.

 

[The chicken nurd]

Pictures might help
@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Photos would be helpful. Poop and pullet - Thanks!

Same pullet you posted about last month?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/one-eye-closed.1538501/

Has she been laying eggs normally?
What do you feed including treats?

 

[Mayochick]

Photos would be helpful. Poop and pullet - Thanks!

Same pullet you posted about last month?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/one-eye-closed.1538501/

Has she been laying eggs normally?
What do you feed including treats?

She hasn’t really started laying eggs yet I think she laid one egg a couple days ago, but I couldn’t tell if it was her or the other the two 5 month old hens I have. There diet is layer feed pallets, grains, and grit I mix it all up. And for treats I haven’t really given them any cause I ran out but I give them black soldier fly larvae treats.

 

[Mayochick]

My 5 month old Sussex hen was perfectly fine earlier this morning, but I just noticed around 2pm that she started moving slow and her tail is down. She’s still eating and drinking water. I can’t tell if she’s just having a hard time laying an egg or if she’s getting sick.

Her comb and wattles are still red and not pail. She drinks lots of water still and eats. She also still poops, I’m so confused what she could be feeling. I have no vets that take chickens near me. Im so concerned for her since she’s still so young, and I’m still new at having backyard chickens.

 

[aart]

There diet is layer feed pallets, grains, and grit I mix it all up

What kind of grains?
Layer feed is supposed to be the sole diet.

This is what I do when I have a bird that is acting 'off'....
I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor:
-their intake of food and water,
-crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed),
-and their poops.
Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling.
Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.


Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

 

[Mayochick]

Her comb and wattles are still red and not pail. She drinks lots of water still and eats. She also still poops, I’m so confused what she could be feeling. I have no vets that take chickens near me. Im so concerned for her since she’s still so young, and I’m still new at having backyard chickens.

What kind of grains?
Layer feed is supposed to be the sole diet.

This is what I do when I have a bird that is acting 'off'....
I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor:
-their intake of food and water,
-crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed),
-and their poops.
Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling.
Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.


Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

This is the of grains I feed them, and okay I will do all those steps and try to figure out what’s going on. I did see that she pooped and it’s like a slimy green with some yellow spots I’m not sure if that’s normal?

 

[aart]

This is the of grains I feed them

Are you mixing these in with the layer feed...or feeding them separate as a treat?

 

[Mayochick]

Are you mixing these in with the layer feed...or feeding them separate as a treat?

Yahh I mix it with the layer feed I don’t use it as treats. They’ve been eating this for about a month or 2 now.

 

[Mrs. K]

It is probably not diet unless, all of them are sick and acting weird.

A lot of people tend to over fret things. If she is really sick, getting her out of there is probably a good idea.