Hen not acting quite right

[cackleberryandco]

My little hen doesn’t feel good. Yesterday was her first birthday so we made all the girls some blueberry muffins with a mix that was made for chickens. Winona is obsessed with food and loves to go outside for free ranging time. Today I gave them a small snack and she didn’t care for it. Then I got them their food and she didn’t care for it. I opened the door for them to free range and she didn’t even attempt to go outside (granted nobody was outside for long because it’s pouring and nobody cared for the rain) but she was the only one who didn’t even try. Now she’s just standing around looking miserable. She even came and laid down by me and she normally doesn’t let me touch her. Any idea what could be wrong? Could she just be having a sore stomach? Everyone else also ate muffins and everyone else is fine.

 

[SmiYa0126]

My little hen doesn’t feel good. Yesterday was her first birthday so we made all the girls some blueberry muffins with a mix that was made for chickens. Winona is obsessed with food and loves to go outside for free ranging time. Today I gave them a small snack and she didn’t care for it. Then I got them their food and she didn’t care for it. I opened the door for them to free range and she didn’t even attempt to go outside (granted nobody was outside for long because it’s pouring and nobody cared for the rain) but she was the only one who didn’t even try. Now she’s just standing around looking miserable. She even came and laid down by me and she normally doesn’t let me touch her. Any idea what could be wrong? Could she just be having a sore stomach? Everyone else also ate muffins and everyone else is fine.View attachment 3187190View attachment 3187192

Has she laid an egg? I would dose her with a calcium caltrate pill to see if it will perk her up.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I'd check her crop function and her poop, too.

Sounds like they get a lot of treats. Might consider cutting that out of their diets. Doing so will help eliminate potential problems.

 

[cackleberryandco]

Has she laid an egg? I would dose her with a calcium caltrate pill to see if it will perk her up.

No egg yet today but it’s still early. I’ll do that if she hasn’t laid in a few hours. She usually lays pretty late in the day

 

[cackleberryandco]

I'd check her crop function and her poop, too.

Sounds like they get a lot of treats. Might consider cutting that out of their diets. Doing so will help eliminate potential problems.

They don’t get a lot actually. I feed them only three cups of food on days they get to free range and 6 cups on days they don’t get to. They get access to grit and oyster shells. I cant remember the last time I gave them treats besides for yesterday and some blueberries this morning. They do occasionally get fruits and veggies when ours are going bad and dried mealworms when I need to quickly get them back into the coop (we have lots of hawks so I keep a bag of mealworms to shake so they’ll come running back home). Her crop feels fine and she’s pooping a little, probably as much as she can considering she hasn’t eaten much. It also looks pretty normal. She’s had sour crop twice before so I can tell how it is when she does have it. Her crop feels empty. I offered them the opportunity to go outside a second time and that time she did, she dug around but didn’t really eat anything. She attempted to pick at the food but I couldn’t tell if she was actually eating it or if she was just moving it around with her beak

 

[Aunt Angus]

They don’t get a lot actually. I feed them only three cups of food on days they get to free range and 6 cups on days they don’t get to. They get access to grit and oyster shells. I cant remember the last time I gave them treats besides for yesterday and some blueberries this morning. They do occasionally get fruits and veggies when ours are going bad and dried mealworms when I need to quickly get them back into the coop (we have lots of hawks so I keep a bag of mealworms to shake so they’ll come running back home). Her crop feels fine and she’s pooping a little, probably as much as she can considering she hasn’t eaten much. It also looks pretty normal. She’s had sour crop twice before so I can tell how it is when she does have it. Her crop feels empty. I offered them the opportunity to go outside a second time and that time she did, she dug around but didn’t really eat anything. She attempted to pick at the food but I couldn’t tell if she was actually eating it or if she was just moving it around with her beak

Poor baby... She really does sound like she's feeling badly...

In my experience (which isn't a ton), chickens only start to show symptoms of feeling poorly when something is wrong. It sounds like you take excellent care of your chickens. Have you looked her over thoroughly? Mites, lice, bumblefoot, etc? Anything seem out of whack?