hoboerecta
In the Brooder
- Feb 11, 2025
- 4
- 16
- 26
Hey BYC Peeps!
Emergency situation! This has been getting worse since I first noticed something was wrong, about 24 hours ago.
My mothers hen has a poopy but, feels very thin and her lower neck/chest area is very hard. She is the least tame and never ever willing to be handled usually.
I noticed yesterday when putting them up (they free range the yard during the day) she was walking as if she were drunk, one leg would fall out every few steps, she was laying down on the trip back to the coop which never happens. She wasn’t very interested in the meal worms I scattered inside the run to call the girls in, I had to carry her- which she allowed me to do- not at all like her.
She seemed to lack coordination to get the mealworms, she would look closely and then slowly peck and miss, then she stumbled her way into the coop for bed so I left her to rest with her sisters over night.
Today when I let them out, she wasn’t waiting at the gate but I checked in on her and she had made her way up to her perch the previous night because that’s where she was when I checked her this morning. I left the gate open and didn’t see the chickens all day but when I went to put them in, I couldn’t find her.
I found her a few minutes later and she was laying on the deck, no where near the other hens. Some where I’ve actually never seen her lay, and both her legs were like splayed out from underneath her, she looked collapsed, not as if she intentionally laid down.
Again she let me pick her up and I brought her into the house to keep an eye on her. What do I do? I haven’t looked anything up yet, I am posting this first and then will begin researching the threads on this site.
If you could give me some guidance on what to do, steps to take, how to make her comfortable, what sort of water dish and type of food that I should be offering her, what to house her in, should she get a warm bath? Please explain it to me as if I am a thirteen year old that needs to transform into a veterinarian basically in ten minutes (ha-ha!) I will greatly appreciate your help.
Thank you.
*updated: 7:42 pm pst: Mother’s Day.* I brought her in to my bedroom and placed her in a large dog carrier with a small dish of water, about 20 minutes ago. She is now completely unresponsive and in lateral recumbency. She has not touched her water dish at all.
Emergency situation! This has been getting worse since I first noticed something was wrong, about 24 hours ago.
My mothers hen has a poopy but, feels very thin and her lower neck/chest area is very hard. She is the least tame and never ever willing to be handled usually.
I noticed yesterday when putting them up (they free range the yard during the day) she was walking as if she were drunk, one leg would fall out every few steps, she was laying down on the trip back to the coop which never happens. She wasn’t very interested in the meal worms I scattered inside the run to call the girls in, I had to carry her- which she allowed me to do- not at all like her.
She seemed to lack coordination to get the mealworms, she would look closely and then slowly peck and miss, then she stumbled her way into the coop for bed so I left her to rest with her sisters over night.
Today when I let them out, she wasn’t waiting at the gate but I checked in on her and she had made her way up to her perch the previous night because that’s where she was when I checked her this morning. I left the gate open and didn’t see the chickens all day but when I went to put them in, I couldn’t find her.
I found her a few minutes later and she was laying on the deck, no where near the other hens. Some where I’ve actually never seen her lay, and both her legs were like splayed out from underneath her, she looked collapsed, not as if she intentionally laid down.
Again she let me pick her up and I brought her into the house to keep an eye on her. What do I do? I haven’t looked anything up yet, I am posting this first and then will begin researching the threads on this site.
If you could give me some guidance on what to do, steps to take, how to make her comfortable, what sort of water dish and type of food that I should be offering her, what to house her in, should she get a warm bath? Please explain it to me as if I am a thirteen year old that needs to transform into a veterinarian basically in ten minutes (ha-ha!) I will greatly appreciate your help.
Thank you.
*updated: 7:42 pm pst: Mother’s Day.* I brought her in to my bedroom and placed her in a large dog carrier with a small dish of water, about 20 minutes ago. She is now completely unresponsive and in lateral recumbency. She has not touched her water dish at all.
