Hen only lays when sick

[deidregood]

Hi all! This is a weird one.

Heather, my cream legbar, occasionally has trouble breathing. (Sounds like a baby with croup.) I bring her in, provide a humidifier, and encourage her to cough. It takes a few hours, but she recovers. She has not laid for several months, except the last two times she had breathing problems (two months ago, and today). Two months ago, I thought it was a coincidence. But it happened again today. She doesn’t show signs of being egg-bound.

Thoughts?

 

[DemeterAD9]

Sounds like they are short on episodes rather than a several days problem. How old is she? Is she coughing but then stops shortly after she lays? Some hens will huff and puff a bit while laying their eggs. If she is hunched up while making the coughing sounds then even more reason to think it’s because of the laying process.

If she is straining more than she should to lay her egg then I would wonder about calcium consumption. What do you feed? Do you offer calcium like oyster shells?

 

[deidregood]

She’s about three years old. She wheezes and gets very congested. It takes awhile to breakup. She’s had it all her life. I feed her high-quality layer feed and provide oyster shells.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Well, I got nothing other than that. There could be some sort of respiratory infection (viral or bacterial) that she is especially prone to seeing as it is reoccurring.

There are respiratory treatments you can buy over the counter, I’ve seen some at the usual TSC and Family Farm and Home but I’ve never used or looked into them myself. Maybe something will help set her straight or at least help prevent flair ups. I’m sure someone else with more knowledge on the subject will chime in.

 

[deidregood]

Thanks. I’m not too worried as I know how to treat her when she’s sick. But the egg thing is so strange.