- Sep 3, 2012
- 3
- 0
- 7
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
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