Listless laying pullet - Good news! **Last Update **

[ZooMummzy]

I went out this morning to find Rosalie, my 6 month old BO pullet very listless, basically wandering around and then roosting. She usually comes running with the others when I bring a treat, but not this morning. She even let me pick her up easily, which is stange in itself!

I cannot see anything outwardly that would tell me she is sick - no runny eyes, nose, etc but sounded perhaps a bit wheezy when I held her. I was thinking maybe it was because she was uncomfortable more than anything since she is not used to being held. She was twitching her head a lot 3 days ago like she had something on her, but that stopped later in the day. I checked her over and couldn't find any fleas, lice etc. Her feathers are more dirty than normal too, like she hasn't been cleaning herself.

She is drinking (water and Avia Charge) but not eating or pecking at the ground; her poop looks maybe a bit runny since I see some on her butt feathers, but it not bloody or anything. I felt her stomach but could not feel anything hard like an egg but I'm really new to this so I don't know what or where to feel maybe? She does seem like she is straining while standing but I don't know if she is trying to poop or lay. All her feathers go up and then she relaxes. Could she be egg bound? Any other ideas? I just know something is not right but not sure where to look or what else to do? My vet is not a chicken vet so calling them would not do me any good.

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated while I keep an eye on her. I gave her some poly-vi-sol already and I'm going to scramble up some eggs and see if I can get her to eat and I'm also going to lube up and see if I can find anything inside her before soaking her in water. I don't want to upset her too much all at once.

 

[speckledhen]

If she is straining, she is either eggbound OR she may be laying internally and feels like she has to expell an egg. Even if you cant see any, you could dust her for mites/lice under the wings and around her "petticoats", just to eliminate that possibility. Do check for an egg in the pipe, but if she is laying internally, you can do nothing except an expensive hysterectomy (well, have a vet do it-that's not really an at-home procedure) or just let it go. It's a hormonal imbalance and not treatable.
I'm not a vet, so take whatever I say with a grain of salt. Most of it is just common sense stuff and process of elimination.

 

[PeeperKeeper]

Hi! I've been waiting for someone more knowlegable then me to help. I'm not sure what's happening to your girl.

 

[speckledhen]

AviaCharge2000 is a complete vitamin/mineral supplement and a wonderful product to have on hand.
And I'm not as knowledgable as people seem to think. It is really just some minor knowledge plus common sense.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Thank you speckledhen. I did check for an egg and there wasn't one. All I felt was gooey warmth (sorry!). I did get her to eat a little yogurt by dipping her beak in it. She isn't acting sick, just not right. Right now she is just sitting in the dirt trying to sleep. Do I use Sevin for the dusting? I think I read some threads about that... By her petticoats, do you mean the area just above her tailfeathers? That is where she keeps pecking. Could mites or lice cause her to feel bad?

Lol edited to say mites, not mice!

 

[speckledhen]

Petticoats are all the fluff below the vent, her bum area. She's obviously feeling off; is she molting any? I know she's young, but they do mini-molts their first year. I've only used food grade Diatomaceous Earth to dust mine since no one here has any poultry dust. If the feedstores dont have any poultry dust, you may have to resort to Sevin 5%, but keep it away from her face. I really dont think that's her problem from what you've said, but it just eliminates one problem, if it exists at all.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Ok, thank you. Her petticoats are stained a little with milky white substance and some poo. I really don't see any crawling things on her at all. I use DE all the time in the run and coop, just put some in there two days ago. There have been a lot of feathers in the run lately, of all colors so I guess that is possible. It's just the weirdest thing because it happened so quickly and all the others seem fine. She does sound a bit congested. Could she just have a cold? She's not really wheezing, coughing or breathing hard. She does honk a bit instead of her usual sounds, but for the most part, she is just quiet. I really don't know what else to do except watch her. She is drinking fine, so that is a relief.

edited to say I did a complete look-see of her and there is nothing crawling on her anywhere. I guess she is just feeling under the weather today.

 

[speckledhen]

Chickens do not get colds as we know them. They get diseases that sometimes make them carriers for life. Have you listened to her breathe before she acted funny? I ask because I have one hen who always breathes funny-she always has, it's just her. If they snort water up their noses, it also makes them sneeze and snort and breathe funny till it clears out.

 

[mypicklebird]

Hello, what are your pullet eating? Has this one laid any eggs yet? Are they on a lay ration (ie with lots of calcium)? I do not know what is wrong with your pullet, but she might be trying to push her first egg out or perhaps a soft shell egg. They need calcium to make a strong egg shell, as well as calcium is part of what allows muscles contract (and push an egg out). This is hard work!
If she is not on a layer ration, or does not have access to extra calcium in the way of oyster shell or something similar- I would think about giving her some extra calcium.
Low calcium can also cause whole body weakness and muscle twitching- this might be what you saw 3 days ago. This might have been when she was laying down the shell on the egg.
A vet can provide injectable calcium if this was actually the problem, but you can get oral vitamins with calcium (check the feed store varieties), or something from the drug store like calcium carbonate (tums) to give orally.
Jess

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
She is eating layer crumble and I cannot be sure if she has or not since I haven't actually seen any of them lay one. I keep trying but they get all shy when I come out to watch. I have 8 mature enough and I get anywhere from 3-6 eggs a day. If I had to guess, I would say, yes, she is one of them laying.

They also have free choice oyster shells, which I see them eating, and get yogurt, cheese, greens, etc for treats. I don't think calcium is the issue here but am not against adding more to their diet. She really isn't weak, just calm. I have never been able to pick her up and today I could. She even let me hold her on my lap. She wouldn't eat the grass I offered but is still drinking.

I'm going to continue to give her poly-vi-sol and monitor her. I really do not know what else to do at this point since I have nothing else to go off of symptom wise other than she is not acting right. I am totally perplexed at this point.

speckledhen, this could be her normal breathing pattern. I really can't be sure because she has never let me hold her, not even as a baby.