Hen puffy and standing still, moving slower

[Rohini0821]

Hi there,
Perhaps I should be posting this in the emergency thread? Except, there is no obvious immediate emergency.

My hen, Olga, has been acting weird for about 2 weeks now. Im not sure if she depressed (is this a thing w/ chickens?) I've locked them in their chicken run for the past 2 weeks b/c i lost a rooster to a predator through in our fenced in grazing area. So they all are a little pent up by this point.

Could she be egg bound? She's skinny and I don't feel any eggs near her rear end... but I'm also not sure what I'm exactly feeling for.

Maybe internal parasites?

There are no obvious wounds or bugs of any sort. Her vent also looks clear.

I should also mention, there is dried yogurt on her feet. I tried isolating her for two days with a heat lamp (at night) and plenty of water, veggies and yogurt (which she just walked in). She ate but was anxious to get back to her friend in the coop. So I put her back after 2 days.

I sh

 

[sunshine ducky]

Hi, looking at the photos you displayed I don't see any bald spots or inflamed legs that lead me to believe she is suffering from parasites. She does look rather hunched or immobile like. Maybe she suffered a bit of trauma after the predator attack. Is she still eating the feed given to your flock in the coop? Or will she only eat if you quarantine her in her own enclosure?

The reason I am asking is you mentioned she is skinny and that could be a side affect from shock. Also, we would need more info if she is egg bound, for instance symptoms may include frequent sitting, a clear fluid coming from her vent, "penguin waddle" etc. I wouldn't be surprised if she was since a predator attacked the coop.

In all, I recommend you inspect her behavior more and get a good understanding of her daily routine and find all the abnormalities as you can. From then on execute the healing process from their and try to pin point what is exactly wrong with her.

If she is egg bound try reading this article:https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2012/06/egg-bound-hens-how-to-recognize-treat.html#:~:text=Here's how to treat an,minutes, gently rubbing her abdomen.

 

[rosemarythyme]

She clearly doesn't feel well but I don't see anything obviously wrong.

I wouldn't continue to isolate, that's probably more stressful for her at this time.

Questioning the heat lamp and the yogurt and veggies? How cold is it where you're at? I'd cut out the treats entirely and have her only on her normal feed.

I'd also give her some Poultry Nutri-Drench as a pep up. It's not a magical fix but can help get them over a hump if they're just feeling a bit off.

 

[aart]

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.