Is 15 weeks too early to lay, is this normal behaviour?

Cockadoodling

In the Brooder
7 Years
Jun 6, 2012
12
0
22
Townsville, Australia
Hi everyone,

Thanks goodness for this site! I have learned alot from reading here. My girls are 15 weeks old. And just this week, they have all started sitting down alot. They used to be really energetic, but now hardly seem interested in any scraps I give them, but they have their laying feed and eat that fine.
On Thursday, I noticed Rosie wasn't herself. She was lethargic, and not very interested in food, she was fluffed up and her eyes seemed slow to open when she blinked. She was still drinking a little, though. She came good by Friday afternoon, and I could smell egg in the coop, but couldnt find a trace of any egg! I have treated them all for worms on Friday, they are still getting through the treated water today.

On Friday morning the other three chickens were showing the same symptoms, not interested in food, slow to move, and sit alot. I have one other chicken that has gone downhill now late Saturday. I found Nugget lying on her side in the bottom of the coop. She is really lethargic and not eating or drinking. I have to feed her with a syringe, but she doesn't look good. She just sits/lies down and her head is hung with her eyes closed mostly. Could she be egg bound with her first egg?? Is that possible? She seems to have a mass near her vent, and the vent pulses when i look at it, but its all pink, not red. I checked the other chickens, because i dont know exactly what to feel for. One other felt the same, like a bulge near her vent. The other girls are fine, they are eating and sitting still. They seem to be making a nest around them when they sit.They scrape the dirt towards them in a circle. I keep showing them their nest, but they hate me putting them in there.

I got the girls as day olds and they are a mixed breed the feed store said. What else can I do for little Nugget? I have bathed her in warm water, she is inside, seperate from the others. I am feeding her water through a syringe. Today she's probably gotten about 8 full syringes of water ( each are 1.0cc/ml) and about 4 full syringes of scramble egg and plain porridge, about made with water.
Can I try anything else? Her poos are mainly white and runny. She had a white/tan runny poo earlier today. But they are mostly white and runny. Oh and her comb has gone a dark brown colour, has been since yesterday morning.

Any advice, support, help would be so wonderful !
 
I believe I would try treating them for cocci (coccidiosis) with Corid, which hopefully you can get at the feed store. It would not be normal for the beginning of laying to make them act lethargic and uninterested in food.
 
Little Nugget passed overnight. The poor little sweetheart :(
Thank you Flock watcher. I will go straight to the feed store to get something to treat the others. I thought it was coccidiosis too, she had all the symptoms.We had some really warm days this week, and I put the sprinklers on near the cage on Wednesday to water the grass. I will be placing pavers down in their cage this weekend (when I have the time) I think I'd rather have brown grass than another loss.
 
How ridiculous! No feed store has anything to treat coccidiosis. They have to order it in.A vet wont sell me anything for it either,( without a consult, and I will have to pay for that on top of the medication) I will have to order it in from the feed store and hope the other girls dont show any symptoms
 
How ridiculous! No feed store has anything to treat coccidiosis. They have to order it in.A vet wont sell me anything for it either,( without a consult, and I will have to pay for that on top of the medication) I will have to order it in from the feed store and hope the other girls dont show any symptoms
Hmmm, wonder if the person you asked at the feed store knew what they were talking about?! Might want to go back and look around again yourself. Powdered Corid is usually sold in the cattle/calf dept., it's labeled for calves. That really is crazy if they truly don't have it!
 
I bought some online and its getting expressed posted to me tomorrow. The girls all seem fine at the moment, but I am not taking any risks! I called three places today, and asked all three if they had anything to treat coccidiosis. One said she had no idea where she would buy it from (And thats the place where I bought my girls as day old's). The other knew what to get, but didnt have any in stock, and the other place was a equine place who said to call a vet. Meh. So hopefully Mr. Postman doesnt get lost tomorrow!
 

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