Ruskin_Roost
Songster
My Tux is 3mos old and has been increasingly vocal while laying.
She was 1/4 of the size of the others at hatch and had a swollen gland above her vent for the first few weeks. I had to help massage her belly to make bowel movements for the first three weeks to avoid constipation and mucky butt, as well as applying Vaseline etc. Both hens have the same diet, plentiful oyster shells and 21% Protein feed, plus lettuce and scraps etc and the occasional meal worm treats.
Her movements have been regular and she doesn’t seem to be in any pain.
Something very interesting is that she always lays two eggs: one around 5pm and the other about 15 minutes later. Sometimes she will lay three in a day but I have not been able to tell when the other one appears- seems to be in the night or early morning. I can tell when she is laying because she cries and it sounds so painful, for about 3 minutes before and then during the lay. She will also protect the eggs and hates when I take them away, so I wait until she stops laying on them and displaying broody behaviour.
Does anyone have any suggestions about whether I should be more concerned and take her to a vet, or is this normal? I only have one other hen and this is my first covey.
Thank you for any advice!
She was 1/4 of the size of the others at hatch and had a swollen gland above her vent for the first few weeks. I had to help massage her belly to make bowel movements for the first three weeks to avoid constipation and mucky butt, as well as applying Vaseline etc. Both hens have the same diet, plentiful oyster shells and 21% Protein feed, plus lettuce and scraps etc and the occasional meal worm treats.
Her movements have been regular and she doesn’t seem to be in any pain.
Something very interesting is that she always lays two eggs: one around 5pm and the other about 15 minutes later. Sometimes she will lay three in a day but I have not been able to tell when the other one appears- seems to be in the night or early morning. I can tell when she is laying because she cries and it sounds so painful, for about 3 minutes before and then during the lay. She will also protect the eggs and hates when I take them away, so I wait until she stops laying on them and displaying broody behaviour.
Does anyone have any suggestions about whether I should be more concerned and take her to a vet, or is this normal? I only have one other hen and this is my first covey.
Thank you for any advice!