If it’s not one thing it’s another

[unbaked pegga]

I have really had a hard time raising chickens. It’s not because I don’t love them, This summer I have lost 2 to predators, one just a week and a half ago and that has broke my heart, I get so attached to them. And they seem to get sick a lot. First they had mycoplasma, and I know that they will have that the rest of their life but they are strictly pets. I don’t even eat eggs, I’ll give them to a neighbor or to my kids. I have a sex link that I’ve had about a year. She is a consistent layer.
if I could not count on anything else in this life I could count on an egg being in the nest box every morning. We’ve had some really really hot humid weather. And she seems to really feel it because she pants and holds her wings away from her body. But the other four hens do as well. They have went a day or two and not laid and I’m sure it is from the weather so when she didn’t lay 4 days ago I wasn’t particularly alarmed although it was the first time in a year that she had not laid an egg. And she hasn’t laid one since, 4 days now, She is not as active, and she is still eating but not as much. I live alone and I’m old (sorry I had to confess that as part of the reason I haven’t been able to catch her) She gets under the house and I can’t reach her. But I need to see what is going on with her I noticed this morning her crop look kind of big but she had eaten a little bit of the food I put out before I checked the nest box to see if she had laid. I am kind of at a loss to know what could be going on. I keep oyster shell flakes out all the time, I give them fresh cool water every day, sometimes twice a day. they have plenty of shade available and I keep a fan going in the 2 places they normally congregate. I’ve done everything I know to do, I have electrolytes in their drinking water as well and I haven’t seen any gross diarrhea. She is the feistiest chicken I’ve ever see and I love that quality in her. She also is the most curious chicken I’ve ever had. She is so active and into everything! Her nickname is Nosy Rosie. And it’s that nosiness makes me wonder if she has eaten something that would make her sick, or if her crop might be impacted (and if it should be what would I do about that) I have spent a small fortune taking them to vets and they don’t seem to know about chickens. And one actually told me he only treated livestock, and they are so expensive!! I took my cat to the vet last week because he hadn’t been well. The vet did bloodwork and said he had diabetes, Gave me insulin and I left. I was there about 30 minutes . it cost $650!! I just can’t afford it but these pets are my nuclear family since I retire.? I am not sure what to do. I feel very inadequate

 

[Crazy Maizie]

How old is she? My Isa browns quit laying all of the time after about 2 yrs. I had a cinnamon too! If that's a recent pic, she looks good.

 

[Weeg]

Those symptoms don't sound to good. Chickens are incredibly pain tolerant, and slowing eating is never a good sign.
To catch her, I suggest plucking her off her roost at night to take a look. Chickens act sedated once they are sleeping, and she'll be so drowsy she wont struggle a bit. It will be the easiest for you, and least stressful for her.
When you can get a hold of her, feel her abdomen between her legs. Does it feel hard, bloated, soft, squishy doughy? Before you put her back on the roost, check to see if her crop is somewhat full. Then take all the food out of the coop for the night, and lock her in there so she can't get to it. Check her crop again to make sure it feels empty. As long as her crop is emptying overnight, you can probably avoid a crop problem.
Can you weigh her as well? A food scale would be most accurate, but if you don't have one, weigh yourself before you go out to the coop, then grab her and bring her back to the scale and weight yourself again. Subtract your original weight from the combined weight. That will show you how heavy she is.
I'm sorry your having to go through this. Its rough owning chickens that you love so much, they're just to fragile. I hope we can find out whats going on and its nothing to serious.
@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @azygous

 

[azygous]

In addition to what @Weeg suggested, check her skin around her vent for parasites. Check her poop and check her butt feathers for messy poop deposits. Check you roosts at night for mites by running a damp paper towel over them.

Sometimes when checking over a chicken, a shocking issue might be discovered such as maggots which would certainly cramp her feisty style.

If/when you get this gal squared away, you need to teach your chickens to come to you so you don't feel so helpless. Chickens that don't permit you to handle them are more likely to end up sick. Or worse. I've used my clicker to gather my chickens into the run when I see danger. They all come in in less than 30 seconds.

To teach chickens to come, get a clicker from a pet store for about $1. Use it when you hand out treats.It won't take long and your chickens will come running when they hear you use the clicker. Reward them with a treat to reinforce the training. Once learned, chickens won't forget this training.

 

[unbaked pegga]

Those symptoms don't sound to good. Chickens are incredibly pain tolerant, and slowing eating is never a good sign.
To catch her, I suggest plucking her off her roost at night to take a look. Chickens act sedated once they are sleeping, and she'll be so drowsy she wont struggle a bit. It will be the easiest for you, and least stressful for her.
When you can get a hold of her, feel her abdomen between her legs. Does it feel hard, bloated, soft, squishy doughy? Before you put her back on the roost, check to see if her crop is somewhat full. Then take all the food out of the coop for the night, and lock her in there so she can't get to it. Check her crop again to make sure it feels empty. As long as her crop is emptying overnight, you can probably avoid a crop problem.
Can you weigh her as well? A food scale would be most accurate, but if you don't have one, weigh yourself before you go out to the coop, then grab her and bring her back to the scale and weight yourself again. Subtract your original weight from the combined weight. That will show you how heavy she is.
I'm sorry your having to go through this. Its rough owning chickens that you love so much, they're just to fragile. I hope we can find out whats going on and its nothing to serious.
@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @azygous

I was able to get a hold of her. I think it is definitely an impacted crop. Her crop is about the size of a tennis ball and it is hard. I massaged it Plus I read of another post where when they are impacted they go around with their wings away from their body and my chickens been doing that for almost a week but we’ve had really hot weather. I read about giving oil. All I have is Wesson Oil. I am going to try and catch her again. I have a torn rotator cuff so it is a trial to even catch her. It stresses her and the other 4 as well. What about some Epsom salts? Would that help. I don’t want to lose her but I am not getting my hopes up. So she can’t pass it herself?

 

[Weeg]

I'm not experienced with crop issues, but the members I tagged may be able to help. When you try to catch her again, pluck her off her roost at night so that you won't have to chase her. Assuming that you have access to her roosting place.

 

[unbaked pegga]

I am almost sure she has an impacted crop. It is about the size of a tennis ball and hard and fibrous. It is also more to the right side of her breast. If I should get her off the roost (and it is a proper hen house) what do I do then?

 

[unbaked pegga]

Well I am going to show my complete ignorance. Where are the members you tagged?

 

[azygous]

Cooking oil isn't the proper oil to use for chickens. Get some coconut oil. Virgin unrefined is best since it has a coconut taste chickens like. Measure out two teaspoons of it and then break it up into marble size chucks and chill until solid. After the chickens have roosted for the night, find yourself a comfortable place to sit and place the coconut oil in easy reach kept cold on ice cubes so it doesn't liquify. Then go get your patient off her roost.

Bring her in to your comfortable seat and settle in. Get relaxed and talk softly to your hen. Mine adore kisses on the head and soft stroking on their cheeks. If your hen is nervous and can't calm down, wrap her snuggly in a towel to confine her wings and feet. Leave her crop exposed.

Then start feeding her the bits of coconut oil directly into her beak. If she's stubborn, you may need to pry open her beak and stuff the bits of oil in her mouth. You can sprinkle a little sugar on it to make it more appealing and she might eat it on her own. Get half of it into her and then begin massaging her crop with your finger tips.

Focus on the center of the hard bulge, concentrating on getting it to break apart. Do this until you feel the mass begin to separate. Five to ten minutes. Then give the rest of the coconut oil. Massage again. This time keep massaging until the mass breaks up and begins to go down and out of the crop.

In the morning, if there's still more than a walnut size lump, prepare to repeat the process from the night before until the crop mostly empties.. Follow up by providing grit within easy access, and either an acidophilus probiotic tablet per day or a tablespoon of Greek unflavored yogurt for the next few days to a week. This will restore good microbes and should help clear any remaining material left in the crop.

 

[unbaked pegga]

I am going to order the coconut oil. My biggest problem is myself. I’m afraid I will hurt them somehow and I know they must pick up on my nervousness . I am the same way with my cats. It just makes it harder on me