Lethargic Hen With White on Bottom

[nancypo]

I noticed my 3 girls woudn't come out of the coop a little while ago. The one, Pru, was just standing in a corner, so I picked her up. She has some white stuff on her rear feathers, never seen that before. There's some on the back feathers of another, as if she rubbed it a bit. Not sure if this is poop? I think the other 2 won't leave her. I don't see anything else in the coop... They're not laying eggs yet, but should be in the next month or so. I got them on spring break, less than a week old. They're mostly free ranging during the day, but have food and plenty of water, nothing toxic in the back yard.

Should I just leave her alone, as is or??? They've all been really healthy so far, no mites, etc... Help, please as I don't want to lose here....

 

[nancypo]

I should add, they're on pullet feed, but not the laying feed yet. Wondering if I should switch after they start laying eggs or now, as they're about 4 months old.... I did see Pru drinking water a few minutes ago, which is good....

 

[nancypo]

I did a sniff test on her bottom, not poop. I'm wondering if this was a mal-formed egg?

 

[nancypo]

I saw one of the other hens has some white poopy stuff on her tail feathers, but she seems ok otherwise. All 3 are really quiet, odd. I put Pru in the tractor, gave her some yogurt, she's eating, but really lethargic, just standing there. I had to force the other two out of the copp, so I could see them. They're eating now... Could all 3 be starting to lay simultaneously?

 

[Slater1995]

Quote:
Any Pics. I am not sure but bumping the thread hoping someone will.

 

[nancypo]

Will post, I'd thought of that too... In a minute..

 

[nancypo]

Interesting change- I did hold Pru for a few minutes, massaged her gullet, her stomach (freaked me out as her eyes closed), got relaxed and dozed in my arms. When I put her back in the tractor (door open) she ate some yogurt, now she free-ranging and walking around! I'm wondering if she passed part of a soft egg, now is passing more (soon) or the yogurt kicked in???

Here's a pic of her bottom, after I pulled off a smidgen this morning. Mostly white, not very much, you can see my fingers for reference... I'm, remembering all 3 seemed unusually quiet yesterday, resting more in the tractor, not out and about much. I leave the tractor door open when they free-range, as they like to use the roost and probably feel safer.

I just saw she passed a drop or 2 of white fluid. And now another has white pasty stuff too. They're all eating the same, feed in coop (in ther night and part of morning) freeranging, and I give them and a little (couple of tablespons) raw oatmeal (rolled) and barley out on the grass. And I saw no poop in the roosting area from last night. Maybe just plain old constipation? they do drink water every day, but it's been HOT! I put them all in the tractor where it's cooler. They were all just standing behind the coop, doing nothing. How weird

unless they are getting ready to lay???

 

[nancypo]

Now I just noticed Pru's crop looks a bit distended, back to the massaging. Read up on that and will try some oliver oil for the next few days, see if that helps.

 

[nancypo]

I'm going to post a picture of Pru, I can't decide if she has a distended crop or not???

 

[nancypo]

Swollen crop?