My Buff Orpington won't eat. She's 11 months old. We went on vacation last week and had a chicken sitter and her EE sister did pick on her. So I gave the EE away last night.
I've been pulling the BO aside to try and feed her but the only thing she'll eat are meal worms.
She's also shedding lots of feathers.
Is she just molting and unclear of what is going on?
Or do you think something more happened last week while we were gone? I'm afraid that the neighbor kids may have chased the chickens around. But I asked them NOT to pick them up so I don't think there's anything physical wrong w/ her. Her tail is up and she's motoring around the yard like she always does. But shows no interest in bugs or slugs like she used to.
And she hasn't laid an egg since we returned. Not sure how many she laid while we were gone. I have another brown egg layer and I can barely tell the two apart.
I just took her to the vet who says she looks okay but agrees that she looks lethargic. He took a blood sample and I gave him a poop to analyze for worms. Said he'd call in the morning.
I'd appreciate any advice anyone has. She's my favorite hen in the whole wide world and I'll be sick if I loose her. Not to mention, I'd be down to just the one hen who hate being alone. That would be an issue.
I've been pulling the BO aside to try and feed her but the only thing she'll eat are meal worms.
She's also shedding lots of feathers.
Is she just molting and unclear of what is going on?
Or do you think something more happened last week while we were gone? I'm afraid that the neighbor kids may have chased the chickens around. But I asked them NOT to pick them up so I don't think there's anything physical wrong w/ her. Her tail is up and she's motoring around the yard like she always does. But shows no interest in bugs or slugs like she used to.
And she hasn't laid an egg since we returned. Not sure how many she laid while we were gone. I have another brown egg layer and I can barely tell the two apart.
I just took her to the vet who says she looks okay but agrees that she looks lethargic. He took a blood sample and I gave him a poop to analyze for worms. Said he'd call in the morning.
I'd appreciate any advice anyone has. She's my favorite hen in the whole wide world and I'll be sick if I loose her. Not to mention, I'd be down to just the one hen who hate being alone. That would be an issue.