Lethargic hen

[chickndays]

Not sure what's wrong with this hen. Alert, but just sitting and brooding (note, NOT broody) with neck pulled in. This one is usually one of the more vocal ones but she hasn't been lately. Only hen not laying for awhile (about 16 mos old). I thought she might be eggbound so I gave her half an extra strength tums. When I picked her up, a small amount of fluid like egg white came out of her mouth. Vent is clear, no sign of strange droppings. Abdomen seems fine. I put her on the branch and she's just hanging out up there, keeping her balance (this is about 3 1/2 ft off the ground). She's not being picked on by other hens (this one is probably #2 in current pecking order). Do hens just have off-days sometimes or could the humidity be bothering her?

 

[TOMTE]

With the fluid, she may have just drank a bunch of water and regurgitated when you picked her up. Happens a lot here, especially on hot days— my girls will chug so much water that they spit some back up.

Does her breath stink? Another thought is that she could have sour crop. Is her crop full at night and empty in the morning like it should be? Is it squishy at all?

What are your temperatures? If it's really hot outside, she could be lethargic from the heat.

Do you have cockerels or roos? Looks like she has some feather loss on her back, maybe from overbreeding in that case. Or is she maybe molting? If she's molting, she's likely taking a break from laying because her body can't put energy into both laying and regrowing feathers, and since molting is uncomfortable (I've read that it could be painful, even), she might just be taking it easy.

 

[TOMTE]

It does look like she has a bit of a poopy butt, also. Is she having diarrhea that you've noticed? I'd wash her booty with warm water and dawn dish soap to prevent skin burns and flystrike.

 

[thecatumbrella]

It does look like she has a bit of a poopy butt, also. Is she having diarrhea that you've noticed? I'd wash her booty with warm water and dawn dish soap to prevent skin burns and flystrike.

Agreed. I also can't tell if there's swelling in that area, or if it's just poor perception from the photos. Either way, I'd take a good look at her back end.

 

[chickndays]

No roosters. Just Rhode Island Reds sharing their bad feather-eating habits. Higher protein feed seemed to help (so did removing them to another coop when they were terrorizing younger pullets). I didn't notice a sour smell. I haven't noticed any diarrhea also.
Temps have been fluctuating a lot. Some hot/humid days and some cooler (midwest). Today will be hotter.

 

[TOMTE]

No roosters. Just Rhode Island Reds sharing their bad feather-eating habits. Higher protein feed seemed to help. I didn't notice a sour smell. I haven't noticed any diarrhea also.
Temps have been fluctuating a lot. Some hot/humid days and some cooler (midwest). Today will be hotter.

Is she eating her own feathers or are the RIRs doing it? I'm glad higher protein feed has helped! Feather picking can get very serious and once they start it can be really hard to get them to stop, even after protein deficiency has been solved.

Temps have been fluctuating here a lot too. We're about to enter another (hopefully short lived this time) heatwave. Yuck.

You can try adding electrolytes to a waterer for a few days (make sure there's also plain water available too), see if that helps her energy levels any. You can buy Sav-A-Chick or something similar, or make your own at home.

Directions for at-home electrolyte mixture:

Ingredients:

1 gallon of fresh water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a large container or waterer.
Stir until fully dissolved.
Offer to chickens for 1–3 days during periods of stress or extreme heat.
Always provide plain water alongside the electrolyte mix.

Tips:

✔ Use only when needed and monitor your flock closely
✔ Do not offer long-term – use for short-term support only
✔ Store in the fridge for up to 24 hours if not used immediately

 

[chickndays]

Thank you for the homemade electrolyte recipe! Added it to water and I think it's helping. Hen is more interested in food now, but still very pale comb compared to the others.