Janet Chicken is sick

[chickenbutter]

Good evening everyone, I'm new here. My name is Jennifer, I'm a chicken owner in the Seattle area. I'm lucky enough to have three adult hens. My Red Sussex, Janet, is just the sweetest and pluckiest hen ever. She'll perch contentedly on my arm when I present it to her.

She laid a strange egg this evening.
- first, her water broke. A gush of water came from her cloaca. Then, she laid a very small egg with a thin shell, and a thick membrane containing albumen(?) extending from it. It looked as though the yolk was contained in the shell, and the albumen never made it in.

But, what really concerns me is her behavior. She hasn't eaten all day. She's not making any low "bawk bawk" sound, she makes no sound at all, and she went to bed early. Her crop is empty. I'm concerned. Does this sound familiar to any of you?

 

[chickenbutter]

Just an update-
When her "water broke," earlier today, it turns out it was watery diarrhea.She's defecated water in other areas of the coop. She's also very, very thirsty.
I made sure she had as much water as she could stand, and now- she's eating again! She's really hungry too!
Hm! I fed her, and watered her, and she seems satisfied on both fronts. I hope she's still well tomorrow morning.

 

[chookchick]

Did this hen just start laying? Or has she been laying well for a while? Sounds like she is having problems with egg laying. I would bring her inside, to a dark, quiet, warm spot to stop the laying cycle and keep an eye on her. Give her 1/2 tums crushed into plain yogurt to give her a calcium boost. Does she have access to oyster shell at all times? Tomorrow, try to get her to eat, see how her vent looks (any discharge?) and her general condition. She may have expelled everything and be okay, but she could also get worse. Post again with her condition.

ETA--the excess water is worrying, hope there are no kidney or liver issues, keep an eye on her droppings/diarrhea.