May be sick, may be nothing at all.

[erinc]

My Isa Brown is about 15 weeks old

She has been acting kind of weird the last couple of days. She is normally the most social and active hen on the flock, she comes running when I walk up to their run/coop area. But she has been keeping to herself and sleeping a lot. She's the first to go to bed at night and she's almost always on the coop floor laying down or sleeping. I notice her still eating and drinking and the rest of the flock is acting normal. Any clue as to what is up with her?

 

[Eggcessive]

Her comb doesn't look very red like she might be getting ready to lay soon. ISAs can lay pretty early, too. I would place her in a dog crate on paper towl with her own food and water tonight so that you can check her droppings for blood or diarrhea, that might indicate possible coccidiosis. Has she ever been wormed? If a vet could test a few fresh droppings, they could look for cocci and worms. Look her skin all over and especially around the vent area for mites and lice. I would go ahead and worm her if you can't get her droppings checked. Valbazen or SafeGuard liquid or paste is good. Put some poultry vitamins in her water, and add a little probiotic plain yogurt to her diet a few days a week. You may also want to check inside her vent with a finger for a stuck egg.

 

[erinc]

Her comb doesn't look very red like she might be getting ready to lay soon. ISAs can lay pretty early, too. I would place her in a dog crate on paper towl with her own food and water tonight so that you can check her droppings for blood or diarrhea, that might indicate possible coccidiosis. Has she ever been wormed? If a vet could test a few fresh droppings, they could look for cocci and worms. Look her skin all over and especially around the vent area for mites and lice. I would go ahead and worm her if you can't get her droppings checked. Valbazen or SafeGuard liquid or paste is good. Put some poultry vitamins in her water, and add a little probiotic plain yogurt to her diet a few days a week. You may also want to check inside her vent with a finger for a stuck egg.

Oh wow.
They have only ever eating medicated food, I thought that was the whole purpose was to feed them that so they wouldn't get coccidiosis. I have never wormed her. Can you get all of these supplies from a local supply shop. Like where we originally bought them as chicks?
Thanks for responding.

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes you can buy Corid liquid or powder at most feed stores. Valbazen is found at some feed stores, and online. Most stores carry SafeGuard liquid goat wormer and equine paste. Can you get a local vet to look at a few of her droppings? That would be easier to find the exact cause of the blood in the dropping. It would save money in the long run. Medicated feed is not always a foolproof prevention for coccidiosis. Of course, with her being lethatgic, I would be inclined to start the Corid right away.

 

[erinc]

Yes you can buy Corid liquid or powder at most feed stores. Valbazen is found at some feed stores, and online. Most stores carry SafeGuard liquid goat wormer and equine paste. Can you get a local vet to look at a few of her droppings? That would be easier to find the exact cause of the blood in the dropping. It would save money in the long run. Medicated feed is not always a foolproof prevention for coccidiosis. Of course, with her being lethatgic, I would be inclined to start the Corid right away.

I haven't seen any blood in any droppings and I wouldn't necessarily call it being lethargic, just kind of keeping to herself. But I don't want to underestimate the matter. We do have a local vet, I'm just worried about how to get her there. Have you ever transported your chicken?

 

[Eggcessive]

Just take some fresh droppings over for a fecal float. If you want the vet to see the chicken, place her in a dog crate tonight with an old towel or paper towels for bedding. Then you will have fresh droppings. Be sure to give her food and water in the morning.

 

[erinc]

Just take some fresh droppings over for a fecal float. If you want the vet to see the chicken, place her in a dog crate tonight with an old towel or paper towels for bedding. Then you will have fresh droppings. Be sure to give her food and water in the morning.

Should I not give her food through the night?

 

[Eggcessive]

If she will eat and drink. Most chickens sleep all night, but if the light is on she may wake up and take some.