Illinois...

[ChicagoClucker]

Shocked and surprised to find 4 eggs in the nesting box today! 1 of the Marans is laying again,(hip hip hooray) and Freida's molt is over and she is laying again. Thank goodness. Working on a small run on the front side of the coop today, just to give them some added covered space when the snow hits. And Mick just hasn't learned a lesson, picking fights with a rooster 3 times your size, never turns out well. Had to put him in the enclose run by himself, so he could calm down. Snapped a couple of pics today since the girls were all watching me work.
Coco cleaning herself after the boys were fighting over her.

Francesca watching me work

Minnie grateful Mick isn't around!

One of the baby mottled cochin bantams

My poor broody Clara, her molting is almost over and finally filling in but she looks so thin. She has turned out to be such a good Mom. I noticed today that she is giving the babies a longer leash and letting them venture further away from her. She is still in the small coop with the babies, I am kind of scared to move them into the big coop. Those boys are so big they might step on the babies. Thinking of making them their own little apartment next to the splash n partridge orps that just went out.

 

[Faraday40]

Shocked and surprised to find 4 eggs in the nesting box today! 1 of the Marans is laying again,(hip hip hooray) and Freida's molt is over and she is laying again. Thank goodness. Working on a small run on the front side of the coop today, just to give them some added covered space when the snow hits. And Mick just hasn't learned a lesson, picking fights with a rooster 3 times your size, never turns out well. Had to put him in the enclose run by himself, so he could calm down. Snapped a couple of pics today since the girls were all watching me work.
Coco cleaning herself after the boys were fighting over her.

Francesca watching me work

Minnie grateful Mick isn't around!

One of the baby mottled cochin bantams

My poor broody Clara, her molting is almost over and finally filling in but she looks so thin. She has turned out to be such a good Mom. I noticed today that she is giving the babies a longer leash and letting them venture further away from her. She is still in the small coop with the babies, I am kind of scared to move them into the big coop. Those boys are so big they might step on the babies. Thinking of making them their own little apartment next to the splash n partridge orps that just went out.

Great pics. The expression (as well as the feathering) on Francesca reminds me of my SL Sebright.

 

[Faraday40]

For the last 2 days, a clicking was felt (not heard) when Cookie was breathing. I have witnessed our roo mount her. Could he have injured a rib? She's eating, drinking, pooping, & laying normally. (Well not laying daily, but most hens are on break, so she's doing better than them.) She might be a little on the thin side, but I have trouble judging that. (Orps & Bielefelders are huge & heavy, so all the other seem thin in comparison.) I can feel her keel bone. The scary part is the click I feel when holding her. She's been less bossy since her chicks left in Sept. She seems to have dropped in the pecking order. In Sept-Oct, she was depressed after I rehomed her baby chicks & had a mild molt. She stayed in the coop most days. In Nov-Dec she's been out & about but not really lounging in the middle of the flock like she used to. Her comb, face, eyes, nostrils, etc. look clear. All I've done so far is a little VetRX around the wattles - like we use Vicks. Not sure if it was helpful, since I have no idea what's causing it.

Flock: I dewormed in early Sept. I gave a 5 day Corid treatment in early Oct when I saw some diarrhea (just in case). 1.5 weeks ago I treated for mites - leg bath, Bag Balm, & Frontline drops.

Any ideas of what could cause this clicking noise?

 

[daskhan]

For the last 2 days, a clicking  was felt (not heard) when Cookie was breathing.  I have witnessed our roo mount her.  Could he have injured a rib?  She's eating, drinking, pooping, & laying normally. (Well not laying daily, but most hens are on break, so she's doing better than them.)  She might be a little on the thin side, but I have trouble judging that.  (Orps & Bielefelders are huge & heavy, so all the other seem thin in comparison.)  I can feel her keel bone.  The scary part is the click I feel when holding her.  She's been less bossy since her chicks left in Sept.  She seems to have dropped in the pecking order.  In Sept-Oct, she was depressed after I rehomed her baby chicks & had a mild molt.  She stayed in the coop most days.  In Nov-Dec she's been out & about but not really lounging in the middle of the flock like she used to.  Her comb, face, eyes, nostrils, etc. look clear. All I've done so far is a little VetRX around the wattles - like we use Vicks.  Not sure if it was helpful, since I have no idea what's causing it.

Flock: I dewormed in early Sept.  I gave a 5 day Corid treatment in early Oct when I saw some diarrhea (just in case).  1.5 weeks ago I treated for mites - leg bath, Bag Balm, & Frontline drops.  

Any ideas of what could cause this clicking noise? 

If she's been dropped or tossed or fell from a high place she might have cracked/fractured her keel bone if she's older she could be getting arthritis

 

[Faraday40]

She's only 2, so not old.

Because I saw a roo mate her, it's possible something's broken. Is there anything to do? Is there a way chickens show pain? I know they're good at hiding it. (The only thing I see - besides the click noise - is a slight behavior change. She's less social with the flock when normally she's in the middle of everything. She's also been hanging around me more than usual.) Is aspirin or some type of chicken pain reliever a good or bad idea? I will try to see if she's running & jumping normally.

 

[ChicagoClucker]

Poor Cookie, I would say because your feeling it when she is breathing, that it could be respiratory. Hope she is ok.

 

[Pixie]

I did a search on the forum and there were a few posts about clicking noises. Have you taken a peek? Hope Cookie gets better quick,

 

[Faraday40]

Thanks. When I looked here on BYC most of the cases were about very young chicks. I once had a newly hatched chick make clicking noises but then it would calm down in my hand. I gave it some "Sav-A-Chick" electrolyte mix with an eyedropper. By the next morning it was acting normal. After 24 hrs, I put it into the brooder with the rest & then could no longer tell which chick it was. In that case, it may have been underdeveloped lungs - like a preemie baby.

Cookie's is very different. I don't actually hear anything. I "feel" a click-like vibration when holding her. It was more mild today & happens when she exhales. (It's worse when she struggles causing her to breathe faster. Because of her drop in pecking order, I decided to leave her with the flock unless I see any symptoms get worse.

Has anyone had a similar issue with an adult hen? I know protein helps during a molt. Are there any particular foods to help when chickens get sick or injured? I'm looking for a "Chicken noodle soup" for chickens....but without the cannibalism.

 

[cavemanrich]

Try giving her eggs.. I know it is not a CURE ALL , but it is an ideal food. I gave my hens boiled eggs when I did so. I did it randomly, not to treat anything though. Hope Cookie snaps out of it.

 

[Faraday40]

Today when I simply pet & felt Cookie, I didn't feel the clicking. It was only when I picked her up & she flapped a bit that afterwards I felt it. Now I'm pretty sure it's lung related, but perhaps it's a little better.