Ms Purdy Needs Your Help Please

[farmin'chick]

She might just be getting ready to lay her first egg -- several of mine have been really "dopey" while they're trying to figure it out...They'll wander around and talk to themselves, they'll sit in the nest box for hours, they'll try out the egg song -- Sometimes they do that for up to a week! I hope that's all it is and she'll be fine.

 

[JP33]

farmin'chick :

She might just be getting ready to lay her first egg -- several of mine have been really "dopey" while they're trying to figure it out...They'll wander around and talk to themselves, they'll sit in the nest box for hours, they'll try out the egg song -- Sometimes they do that for up to a week! I hope that's all it is and she'll be fine.

Now that would be most wonderful, if that's what it is.


...JP​

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

could also be eggs bound. have you seen her walking? if she is also a little wobbly and panting, it might be good to bring her inside and give her a sitz bath. if you feel under her and notice she feels very warm she may also have a fever from it. my EE had this happen on her first egg and it scared me to death that night i first saw her acting like that!

 

[emys]

I have been dealing with a slow crop problem and all I noticed at first was her being lethargic. I brought her in for the night and in the morning I felt a ball of junk in her crop that she was unable to move through quickly on her own. If your birds were in styrofoam, this could be a concern. In my case it felt like a ball of alfalfa hay.

Check crop first thing in the AM - check if you feel a lump there. If it is there, see if you can move it around or break it up at all, bring her in, warm her up and give her some warm water and feed olive oil with maybe a little bread and some tomato juice or stewed tomato mixed in.

 

[JP33]

I let all the birds out at daybreak. Ms Purdy is in one of the nest boxes, listless. I picked her up and she does have energy, flapped her wings but then slumps. Her breathing sounded a little funny, if that's what I heard, perhaps a slight weeze.

I felt for a lump but I don't believe there is one, maybe a small one, maybe. If its something in the crop, how large will the lump be on average, golfball size, smaller?

I'm going to bring her in and warm her up. With my wife's help & all you nice & caring people, maybe we can figure this thing out.

I will give an update in a little bit, after we bring her in.

Thank you kind people!


...JP

 

[JP33]

We have her inside in the warm house. This is what I'm seeing/not seeing: no outward signs of any injury or lumps anywhere. Her feet look good.

What I am seeing: she holds her tail feathers down & twitches on the back end every few seconds.

I examined her with a 10 power magnifying lens and see no creepy crawlers.

What y'all think?


Thank you, we are waiting to see what the next move if anything is.


...JP

 

[pride&joy]

hope she gets better, and that the weather warms up might help.

 

[Jenski]

Now I am no vet, and there are good comments here on monitoring the condition of her crop. When you feel of it first thing in the morning, there should be nothing in it but perhaps a few pebbles. Roughly small marble size. If you can see the crop sticking out, or if there is more in there than that first thing when they come down from the roosts, there could be a problem.

I am chiming in because her symptoms sound just like my own EE girl a couple of years ago when she started laying. It was about the same time of year, too. She was absolutely lethargic and miserable for several days before lay. She crouched, her bottom pulsed every now and again, and she didn't want to do anything except sleep in my lap. None of my other girls did this, and she was the last of the bunch to start laying.

When she finally laid her egg after an agonizing 3 hours of chickeny labor, it was the biggest egg I have yet seen from my hens.

Anyhoo, if you can't find anything else wrong with her you might look to that. She's the right age. Keep her warm and comfy as possible, make sure she stays hydrated (half-strength Gatorade is what my vet recommends for bird stress), and keep an eye on her.

If more experienced folks have other info, please chime in.

OP, keep us posted! Good luck.


Ed. to add - - kudos to you for keeping such a close eye on your hens! Good job.

 

[JP33]

We have her in a box on a soft towel. She seems comfortable but very sleepy. Don't see her doing much of anything but sleeping right now.

One positive thing I did forget to mention. She did come out of the coop on her own this morning and even tried to feed, but I didn't want to take the chance that the others would bully her, so we brought her in.


...JP

 

[JP33]

I have no clue what's wrong with her but based on all the feedback y'all have given me, I'm thinking it could very well be that she is soon to lay.

Out of my four EEs, one is laying matter of factly (Bertha). There is a chance that Hazel may be sneaking one in now and again, but I don't really think so, but she has been in and out of the nest boxes quite a few times, but very in and out, so I have chalked it up to her curiousity, her comb is quite red though.

Jezebel, I believe is not quite there yet. She has grown and the same age as the others but no red comb.

That leaves Ms Purdy. Her comb has been hard to judge because it has always appeared slightly frostbite damaged, but she and Bertha have been the dominant birds of the 4 EEs. I think she is definitely the right age to be laying, so I'm thinking this is what it could very well be, an egg problem.

So if it is an egg laying problem, do we just do a wait and see? Anything at all you guys recommend doing or just keep an eye on her and let nature do its thing?


Thanks for your time, y'all have been very kind to lend it.


...JP