Listless hen

[drumstick diva]

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Hope your hen is better.

 

[machuni]

I agree with TwoCrows. I'd be worried about her being eggbound or an internal layer if she's listless and keeps to herself. Is she waddling at all? Does her abdomen seem extra firm in comparison with your other hens? The fact that she's still eating/drinking is a good sign, so make sure that you keep watching that. If you're really worried about her, just bring her inside, provide food and water, and watch how she's doing.

In relation to the parasites thing, you can look around her vent, under her wings, etc and see if anything scurries away. A pretty significant sign that's a tip off is a pale comb and wattle, which means she's anemic (and hence has something parasitizing her and sucking her blood). Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hi everyone and thank you for the warm welcome. we live in Queensland Australia. We acquired 4 point of lay pullets at Christmas time, within a week or two we were getting 2-3 eggs per day. My girls are brown and I do not know their breed I think they are a cross.Today the girls had free time in the garden and I noticed one of them was rather listless, she did scratch around for a bit and then she'd plonk herself down and just sit there, sometimes under a shrub and at other times in the open, it is extremely windy and overcast today, but we have had high temperatures of up to 33celsius she was not staying with her friends and was generally just keeping to herself. I believe she is the one not laying any eggs, the other hens don't seem to be harassing her at this stage. They are being fed a "Premium top layer mash" get plenty of fresh water and scraps from the kitchen every day.
Can anyone give me an idea if there is something I could do to help her reach her potential. I am quite worried. we did pick her up and feel her bottom area but there didn't seem to be any blockage and her little poo she did was white and yellow.
all feedback would be most welcome
Many thanks
MOO MOO
PS just gone out to check on her its not dark yet for another hour and she has got first position on the roost the other girls are still mooching around!

How is your hen today?

 

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC! Hope your hen gets better.

 

[moomoo]

Thank you for all the info and suggestions I have moved her into the garage in a crate so I can check how much she is eating and drinking there hasn't been much change if any at this stage but I will keep you posted in the next day or two

 

[TwoCrows]

Thank you for all the info and suggestions I have moved her into the garage in a crate so I can check how much she is eating and drinking there hasn't been much change if any at this stage but I will keep you posted in the next day or two

Has she been wormed recently? Worms can drain the life right out of a bird and cause them to slowly go down hill. I would get her wormed and it that doesn't do it, I would get her on some antibiotics. This maybe something easy to fix if she is suffering from one of these conditions.

Keep us posted!

 

[Annette15]

Found my Wyandotte laying listless this morning. She's not one to. Be picked up and that was just what I did. She pooped clear watery no substance in the coop. I brought her I to sick bay and she just laid back down. Any ideas?

 

[TwoCrows]

Found my Wyandotte laying listless this morning. She's not one to. Be picked up and that was just what I did. She pooped clear watery no substance in the coop. I brought her I to sick bay and she just laid back down. Any ideas?

Clear watery poop means she is not eating. So you need to figure out why she is not eating. Give her an over all exam from beak to tail. Checking for bugs, respiratory ailments, the crop, (is it hard or soft and squishy), check the vent area...is it red or swollen, bug eggs near the vent, do an internal exam with a latex glove on and ky jelly on the index finger. Insert your finger into the vent feeling for an egg. What color is her comb? How old is she? And how long has she been like this?

Has she been wormed recently?

 

[Annette15]

I got her last spring as a chick. She wasn't quite normal last night but thought maybe it was because she was already wound down for the evening. Her comb is a nice red like always. Getting ready to go do a full exam now