Is my chicken sick?

[BankFam]

My chickens are about full grown now and I expect them to start laying very soon. One of them I noticed has been acting off.

A few weeks ago I noticed her show up at the run by herself (the rest were free-ranging). When I walked up to her, she sat down and quietly allowed me to pick her up. Usually they all run away. When I looked up online if that could mean something was wrong with her, I found information on "submissive squatting" and decided that she must just be about ready to start laying.

This week, I noticed she is still lagging behind the rest of the hens. They run around in a group and she is slowly walking far behind them, or minding her business in a separate spot of the yard.

She doesn't have as much energy as the others. She is still eating and I think she is still drinking. I started putting Nutri Drench in their waterer a few days ago.

I don't see anything physically wrong with her. No one is picking on her. She has some light colored poop stuck on her butt feathers, but I looked at her vent and it's not clogged.

I will share a photo I took of her poop a couple days ago. This is the only one I know for sure is hers so I don't know how her poops look now. I haven't noticed any new red droppings anywhere but sometimes I will see soft, black droppings.

 

[nuthatched]

What's her diet?

 

[BankFam]

What's her diet?

This is the feed I'm using til they start laying. And they free range all day most days. One thing I know for sure they like to eat while they're free-ranging is autumn olives.

I have given them several things from the garden recently, when things get a little too soft for our liking or something. I'll give them grapes, cucumbers, tomatoes (no green parts), zucchini, and squash greens.

On occasion, they get some soldier flies, but I don't give them those very often and when I do it's not very much.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How is she doing?

I'd pull her aside and get some electrolytes into her.
Observe to see if she's being bullied by the others or being kept from food.

The poop looks o.k., but you are seeing that she seems off and are concerned, so go with that.
Check her for lice/mites and see that her crop is emptying overnight.

Photos of her and more of her poop if you have them.

 

[BankFam]

How is she doing?

I'd pull her aside and get some electrolytes into her.
Observe to see if she's being bullied by the others or being kept from food.

The poop looks o.k., but you are seeing that she seems off and are concerned, so go with that.
Check her for lice/mites and see that her crop is emptying overnight.

Photos of her and more of her poop if you have them.

I didn't get any pictures yet but she seems to be doing fine. She's eating and I didn't see any signs of lice or nits or anything in her feathers as of this morning. Physically, she looks good aside from a couple dirty feathers (which, btw, should I wash that myself or let her manage it?)

 

[BankFam]

How is she doing?

I'd pull her aside and get some electrolytes into her.
Observe to see if she's being bullied by the others or being kept from food.

The poop looks o.k., but you are seeing that she seems off and are concerned, so go with that.
Check her for lice/mites and see that her crop is emptying overnight.

Photos of her and more of her poop if you have them.

Here's a few pictures of her...her legs look normal to me. There's a picture of her poopy feathers. Didn't get one of her vent, but it doesn't appear to be blocked or anything. I took a picture showing how far away the rest of the group is from her....they took off quickly as soon as I opened the run door. She stayed behind with me, walked a little toward where they went, then went back to the run door and laid down. She seemed like she didn't know where they went. When I carry her to the group, she joins them and follows slowly but she does get left behind.

Also, I don't know how to check if her crop is emptied.

 

[BankFam]

She just pooped

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Have you treated for worms and/or Coccidiosis?

I'd see that she's drinking well and eating. If she's struggling to move about, make sure she's able to move well enough to get to the food/water. Do you provide oyster shell free choice for your girls?

Since you have a nice photo of her in profile, I'll use her image to help you with checking her crop.
When she goes to roost (bed), feel of her crop. It's located on the right side of her breast, you should feel a bump/bulge sort of like a Hackey sac - it may be firm, a bit squishy or somewhere in between depending on how much she's had to eat/drink. Feel of some of the other girls too - this helps you become familiar with what crops feel like when they go to sleep (you'll find they aren't always the same-some have very filled crops while others don't, you'll figure out what's "normal" for each girl in time).
Go back out first thing in the morning before she has had anything to eat/drink. Feel the crop, it should be empty/flat - it may feel like a empty sac. That's what you want. If the crop is still full or has food/water, then begin addressing that symptom.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

If the crop is not emptying, I always start by giving 1 teaspoon coconut oil twice a day regardless of "which" type of crop problem it may be. My girls love coconut oil, so hopefully yours will too. I just put it in the fridge to harden it up, break it into small chunks and let her eat it on her own. Usually once they taste it, they will eat it right up.

Let me know how she's doing.

 

[BankFam]

Have you treated for worms and/or Coccidiosis?

I'd see that she's drinking well and eating. If she's struggling to move about, make sure she's able to move well enough to get to the food/water. Do you provide oyster shell free choice for your girls?

Since you have a nice photo of her in profile, I'll use her image to help you with checking her crop.
When she goes to roost (bed), feel of her crop. It's located on the right side of her breast, you should feel a bump/bulge sort of like a Hackey sac - it may be firm, a bit squishy or somewhere in between depending on how much she's had to eat/drink. Feel of some of the other girls too - this helps you become familiar with what crops feel like when they go to sleep (you'll find they aren't always the same-some have very filled crops while others don't, you'll figure out what's "normal" for each girl in time).
Go back out first thing in the morning before she has had anything to eat/drink. Feel the crop, it should be empty/flat - it may feel like a empty sac. That's what you want. If the crop is still full or has food/water, then begin addressing that symptom.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

If the crop is not emptying, I always start by giving 1 teaspoon coconut oil twice a day regardless of "which" type of crop problem it may be. My girls love coconut oil, so hopefully yours will too. I just put it in the fridge to harden it up, break it into small chunks and let her eat it on her own. Usually once they taste it, they will eat it right up.

Let me know how she's doing.


View attachment 3618832

A few of my girls contracted coccidiosis when they were younger and I successfully treated them all as a group, but I haven't done anything recently.

She seems to be eating well and doesn't have any issues pushing past the other hens to get her turn.

I haven't offered any oyster shells because I read that you shouldn't give them too much calcium before they start laying as it has nowhere to go. Is it possible she's not getting enough grit? I haven't offered it since I moved them outside.

Thanks for all the great info! I will check her crop today and see what I can find out.

Do you think it's possible there's something wrong with her vision?

 

[BankFam]

UPDATE

I went ahead and gave her coconut oil even though I don't know if her crop is the issue...I figured it couldn't hurt? She took it this morning but she barely touched it just now and her sister ate it.

Her poops have gotten very watery.