Lethargic hen with low appetite

[CircusLife]

I have a red-star sexlink (I think) hen named Heidi. I believe this is her third summer. She was a trade, so I am not certain of her exact age. She is my top hen in my flock of 7. My girls are free range with a raised coop with nesting boxes, food, and water. Pine shaving bedding.

I noticed a few weeks ago Heidi began distancing herself from the flock. I have been observing, but everything seemed okay. In the past week, she has stopped foraging and is spending her time lying down in the shade. I started offering oatmeal mixed with electrolytes, water, yogurt, and fruit, which she devoured the first 2 days. This is day 4 of the oatmeal mix and she has only taken a few bites today. We treated the coop for leg mites a month back with some herbal-based pesticide. I cleaned out all the bedding, sprayed, let is sit for a few hours, and added new bedding. I also sprayed the girls' legs with flea and tick spray after researching. No one else is exhibiting symptoms like Heidi's. We are actually at our cabin this weekend, and I brought her with me because I am worried.

Heidi's feathers look dry and brittle, and on her back and tail many of them are missing the feathery part. Only the shaft is there. Her comb is paler than normal too. I am going to attempt to post some pics, but I only have my iPhone for Internet access.

 

[speckledhen]

Key words are "sexlink" and "third year". High production hens, especially hatchery birds, tend toward egg yolk peritonitis and internal laying. It's a genetic/hormone based malfunction and very common. I've lost maybe 13 hens to it. My breeder and heritage types don't suffer from this nearly to the degree that the hatchery hens do. I'm not saying for sure that's the deal with yours, but I'd almost bet on it. It usually begins just after the age of 2. Could also be ovarian carcinoma but the ones I've lost to that have been much older, like 5-6 years old.


These threads may be helpful to you. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=362422

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=195347

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ences-on-egg-reproduction-production-necropsy

 

[CircusLife]

Thanks for the quick response. I did check last week to see if she was eggbound. I didn't feel anything, but honestly, that was the first time I have ever attempted that and wasn't sure what I was doing. She has not laid in at least a couple weeks. I am at a loss as to what to do. Heidi's my best girl! She sits on my feet and has been to show and tell at my daughters' school multiple times.

Where do you recommend I purchase chicks from? I have never bought from a hatchery directly. My 3 originals are all sexlinks (the other 2 are black and from someone else), and my others came from the feed store. I have no clue where they come from.

 

[speckledhen]

Egg bound is different from internal laying. You can sometimes get the egg out if she is egg bound, but you can't fix the other. There is no prevention, no cure other than a complete hysterectomy. You cannot fix her if that is what is wrong. Even if you gave her a massive round of penicillin and kicked out some liquid infection, you can't remove the cheesy masses that may be building up in the abdomen or oviducts. It's chronic.

Feedstores get their chicks from hatcheries, almost 100% of the time. You'd need to get hatching eggs or chicks from a good breeder (not a mere propagator who has hatchery stock they are mass producing). It's not a guarantee, but you make the odds better that you won't have to deal with this over and over again like I did.