Lethargic 5 month old hen

[heterodoxy]

My hen started laying last week. She dropped two eggs while I was out of town for the weekend (first eggs and I wasn't around to see it!) and hasn't laid anymore (7 days now). She refuses to use her roost and nest - but she laid the eggs in the same location in the garden. Since i have been back she hasn't laid any. She seemed to try to lay the other day (in that spot in the garden) but my cat got out and gave them all good scare. I started watching her at that point hoping that she wouldn't get blocked. She's been acting a little slow ever since the cat scare...

Today I noticed white "stuff" around her down. I check her vent and its pink with a bit of red on the top side. Its obviously swollen and she's pushing. I slipped a gloved finger in to see if it was a broken or stopped egg, but I didn't feel anything and honestly, I'm not sure how far I'm supposed to be going in there...she kept squeezing the vent around my finger in a pulsing manner.

Her poop is watery and white. She's moving slow and her feather are plumped up a bit. She seemed relieved to have me near her, but isn't too happy with me after the gloved finger event.

She has free range in my backyard, plenty of access to water and food (soy-free grain mix), oyster shells, scratch on occasion and favorite leaves. The two other hens were keeping an eye on her in their favorite warm-day sleeping space - under the ferns.

I couldn't get her to eat or drink - but that is likely as much to blame on me handling her so much.

What do I do now? These are my first hens. The other two aren't laying yet, but they are acting "normal". Any help is appreciated!

elisabeth

 

[Buffygirl]

I would first treat for egg-binding.

Egg binding is, as you probably know, when an egg is stuck.
Treating this is fairly easy, thankfully.
All you do is give her a warm bath OR hold her bottom over some steam OR both. Give electrolytes in her water. Give her yogurt and other calcium-rich foods. If she doesn't lay the egg within another 4 or 5 days, I would diagnose it differently, but until then, treat for egg-binding.

Hope she lays that egg!

 

[heterodoxy]

Thank you!

i fed her yogurt last night and treated them all to some banana. This morning she was a bit more chipper and moving better. I'll give her a bath today and see how that works out. I watched her poop a black turd this morning, so I guess that's proof that she ate. Yay!

What a journey this is!
elisabeth

 

[kayleesbiddies]

my chicken is having the exact same problem. please keep us posted on how she's doing and if you find anything that works

 

[heterodoxy]

All resolved. I started feeding her high calcium foods (yogurt, chard, kale & more oyster shell) and increased her scratch a bit. I started giving her and the girls more kitchen scraps - mostly veggies. And she passed the egg about 5 days later. Egg laying is increasing in frequency and she seems back to her normal self.

Thank you for the advice. I did some further reading and found that hens use over 40% of their bone calcium to make shells! I had no idea it was that high. VERY important to feed them appropriately with high calcium foods. They are much happier now and are laying eggs in various parts of the garden as they explore.

Thanks again!
elisabeth