Lethargic hen, vent constantly moving, but laid today.

[crystlln]

Hi, I have a 1 year old RIR hen. Let her out to free range tonight and she walked 10 feet and then just stood and watched the others. No scratching or trying to catch bugs. Would eat sunflower seeds and worms, but not very eager.


Vent: constantly moving
Crop: feels large and soft. Not smelly when massaged. Possibly just because she's not really interested in food?
Poop: Little runny. No visible worms.
Eggs: Laid today and 4/5 days previous.

Currently locked up overnight without food. I will check that her crop is empty in the morning.

Any ideas? I'd think egg bound because of the constantly moving vent, but she laid today. Very strange. Just stands in a normal position and watches the others.

What else should I look for tomorrow?

Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

I would feel her crop in the morning, and look at her droppings. Let us know if she is later eating and drinking.

 

[crystlln]

She is much better this morning, but I'd say she had a miserable night! She laid a soft/shelless egg and a huge pile of poop. Mostly diarrhea. There was a little blood in the poop, but not a lot.
I did feel her crop just to be sure and it was empty. She's eating and drinking. Seemed a bit subdued, but running around with the other chickens today.

Now off to research shelless eggs! I feed egg shells and oyster shells on the side as I have a mixed flock. Is it possible she's not eating enough of them and that's the cause? She did lay a couple shelless eggs the first couple weeks she was laying, but I think that's more typical.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would give her a human calcium tablet with vitamin d (about 600 mg daily) for the next few days. Calcium citrate is absorbed more quickly, if you can get that, but you can also use other calcium or Tums. Just pop it into her beak to swallow. If that doesn’t make her eggs harder, then she could have a problem with her shell gland In her oviduct. The danger in that is that she could become egg bound or have an egg burst inside which could set up infection.

 

[crystlln]

I would give her a human calcium tablet with vitamin d (about 600 mg daily) for the next few days. Calcium citrate is absorbed more quickly, if you can get that, but you can also use other calcium or Tums. Just pop it into her beak to swallow.

Thanks for the idea. I didn't try putting it in her beak, but got half a Tums (500mg, they are ultra) down her by powdering it and mixing it with cottage cheese. I'll keep it up for a while. Also have fed her some layer food I had on hand instead of the all flock in the feeders. Hopefully that helps.