Hi guys.
I have been outta commission w/a badly broken ankle/leg, since Labor Day.
My kids and DH had to take over caring for my hens. I have 9 of them.
I am SURE that even though the basics have been done, the real cleaning and
checking over of the girls has suffered. Apparently things have been okay, until
this morning.
Egg laying has dropped off to zero. Either the family cannot find the eggs, they
are being eaten, or it's just winter. I have been mostly thinking the latter, but
the weather here is now in the low 70s (F) the past week or so.
So, this morning, one of the gals who normally runs, just sat there. As my
husband tried to get her, he says she pretty much just fell over. He brought her in and she was stinky. I was able to take her to the bathtub and washed her backside all up. It was pretty nasty smelling, and yellowish water went down the drain. Nothing seems particularly swollen nor red. Her vent appears to be rather normal, nice pinkish, in appearance, however it looks super small to me. She has not pooped since brought in earlier. She is dried off and now in a cat crate, inside the house since it is still cool. She has half heartedly pecked at a piece of bread. I don't see mites, but probably need to look a bit closer to make sure. All other birds seem fine, according to DH, w/the exception of the lack of eggs. This particular bird was adopted by us, along with 3 others, last summer. The owners could no longer care for them. They were all around a year old and laying at the time we got them.
We recently tried a new organic, mash food, which we will probably no longer use. Not sure if that is contributing to the non-laying.
Guess that's all the info I have...................................
Anyone out there have any ideas of what might be going on with her?
I'm going back to have a peek at her now. Hopefully she has pooped.
I'm going to try some more food and get her some water, but quite honestly, don't know where to go after that.
TIA for any advice!!!!!!!
Cheers,
Stacy
I have been outta commission w/a badly broken ankle/leg, since Labor Day.
My kids and DH had to take over caring for my hens. I have 9 of them.
I am SURE that even though the basics have been done, the real cleaning and
checking over of the girls has suffered. Apparently things have been okay, until
this morning.
Egg laying has dropped off to zero. Either the family cannot find the eggs, they
are being eaten, or it's just winter. I have been mostly thinking the latter, but
the weather here is now in the low 70s (F) the past week or so.
So, this morning, one of the gals who normally runs, just sat there. As my
husband tried to get her, he says she pretty much just fell over. He brought her in and she was stinky. I was able to take her to the bathtub and washed her backside all up. It was pretty nasty smelling, and yellowish water went down the drain. Nothing seems particularly swollen nor red. Her vent appears to be rather normal, nice pinkish, in appearance, however it looks super small to me. She has not pooped since brought in earlier. She is dried off and now in a cat crate, inside the house since it is still cool. She has half heartedly pecked at a piece of bread. I don't see mites, but probably need to look a bit closer to make sure. All other birds seem fine, according to DH, w/the exception of the lack of eggs. This particular bird was adopted by us, along with 3 others, last summer. The owners could no longer care for them. They were all around a year old and laying at the time we got them.
We recently tried a new organic, mash food, which we will probably no longer use. Not sure if that is contributing to the non-laying.
Guess that's all the info I have...................................
Anyone out there have any ideas of what might be going on with her?
I'm going back to have a peek at her now. Hopefully she has pooped.
I'm going to try some more food and get her some water, but quite honestly, don't know where to go after that.
TIA for any advice!!!!!!!
Cheers,
Stacy
