Lethargic Black Sex Link hen

[CaptainKirk00]

Hello everybody,

I’m new at this forum business so bear with me Please. I have a Black Sex link along with 4 road island reds and Blackie has started being lethargic
To the extent of she seems like she’s deaf when called and that’s very unlike her. She is also just laying around on her side sometimes and lays her head to the side.
She’s lost feathers around her vent and in inspecting her, her vent seems to be contracting in and out like wanting to lay an egg. She hasn’t laid for about 4-5 days now.
In reading on the forum for help I’ve given her some water mix with Wazine and Sulmet wormer in an eyedropper in the proper proportions.
She’s been the top performer in the egg laying race and now I worried that she has something wrong with her and don’t want to lose her cause she’s my buddy and I want to do all I can for here.
Please if you have any advice to help me and Blackie and get her out of this bad acid trip that she is on it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance, Kirk

 

[esther5]

might she be egg bound? try searching that. if she is i believe warm baths and a ittle oil around the vent might help...

 

[Eggcessive]

She is either egg bound or probably has some internal laying issue. Is her vent sticking out at all? If you have rubber gloves I would lubricate a gloved finger to examine inside the vent gently for an egg. You can sit her in warm bath and see if she lays the egg. she make need some fluids to drink pretty bad, so I would encourage her to drink by dipping her beak into water. Here is one of many threads on this issue. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/733309/please-help-possible-egg-bound

 

[CaptainKirk00]

Thank You i will do as suggested and see if that works

 

[realsis]

Have you noticed if her abdomen is swollen or hot? Does it seem filled with fluid? Does she have any discharge from her vent? Is she still straining as if she wants to lay an egg? Have you carefully done a vent exam to see if you can feel an egg inside that might be stuck? You can use gloves and some
lubercation and gently and carefully feel inside the
vent to see if you feel any abnormalities
How is her breathing? Any sounds when she
breathes? Any mucus present? Please check her abdomen and let us know if it feels swollen or if you feel fluid there. Also let us know what you found
after doing the vent exam. A little more information or clues would be helpful in trying to find out what is the issue that causing her problem. Please post what you found after checking her abdomen and vent.

 

[CaptainKirk00]

Thanks everybody

I just put Blackie in a warm bath , and with olive oil I examined her vent very carefully to include feeling for and egg and not finding anything,
Its appears that her vent is not as swollen in the hour that I gave here some water although she has lost a lot of feathers around her vent and continuing down Half way to her belly. She still just hanging near the flock and when called this time for treats she came with the other girls and that hasn’t happened in a couple days or so.
No mucus around mouth no discharge at vent, does look hot at vent area do to loss of feathers, Abdomen doesn’t seem to be swollen in any way, So now what?

Kirk

 

[esther5]

if you hadn't said she was lying on her side a lot, i would think she was broody. they pull their feathers out underneath and want to sit on eggs, real or imagined all day.....

 

[CaptainKirk00]

No swollen abdomen or fluid that i can feel or
Visualize .

 

[CaptainKirk00]

I agree,Had one that did that and i put her on a cool water bath to stop her,But Blackie in not on the one and only nest so
i can't figure her out...