My chicken is not eating HELP

[MStack]

I have a 1 year old Black Australorp who hasn't laid in 7 day. She has gone bald on her belly, sits in her laying box all day, refusing to eat, puffs up and makes an odd noise when I come near. Can't find any information on what to do. We are having a hot day today, and am worried about her making it much longer. Any help is much appreciated!

 

[Pyxis]

She is broody She will get off the nest once a day to eat, drink, and poop. If she is not getting off herself you need to get her off once a day so she will do her thing. Then she'll go back. If you would like some chicks, give her some fertile eggs and she will hatch them for you

 

[cathy d]

[quote name="Mk" url="/t/1102371/my-chicken-is-not-eating-help/I have a 1 year old Black Australorp who hasn't laid in 7 day. She has gone bald on her belly, sits in her laying box all day, refusing to eat, puffs up and makes an odd noise when I come near. Can't find any information on what to do. We are having a hot day today, and am worried about her making it much longer. Any help is much appreciated!

if your Broody hen egg bound? if she is I've heard that if you soak them in warm epson salt Water for 20 min several times a day,it will help her move the egg. when I used to raise parakeets and Cockatiels I always put a few drops of linseed oil in their bag of feed before I start using that bag and that helps them not to get egg bound and it's also good for their digestion. I haven't heard anybody speak on this before about the linseed oil and egg binding but I've heard them talk about another kind of oil with sulfur I don't know if that's really for. I hope that helps try the Epson salt warm water

 

[MStack]

That's what I thought at first. But she hasn't laid an egg in a week, and she isn't sitting on one. Can she still be broody without the eggs?

 

[MStack]

If she was egg bound, wouldn't she have died by now? It's been 7 days!

 

[Pyxis]

if your Broody hen egg bound? if she is I've heard that if you soak them in warm epson salt Water for 20 min several times a day,it will help her move the egg. when I used to raise parakeets and Cockatiels I always put a few drops of linseed oil in their bag of feed before I start using that bag and that helps them not to get egg bound and it's also good for their digestion. I haven't heard anybody speak on this before about the linseed oil and egg binding but I've heard them talk about another kind of oil with sulfur I don't know if that's really for. I hope that helps try the Epson salt warm water

It doesn't sound like she's egg bound. Broody hens stop laying while they brood

That's what I thought at first. But she hasn't laid an egg in a week, and she isn't sitting on one. Can she still be broody without the eggs?

Yes, broody hens will sit on nothing

 

[MStack]

Thank you so much!!

 

[cathy d]

anote name="MStack" url="/t/1102371/my-chicken-is-not-eating-help#post_16955462"]If she was egg bound, wouldn't she have died by now? It's been 7 days![/quote]

yes in 48 hours she would be close to death if not dead so I can give you a scenario what happened with a pet dog of ours and I know, it's not a chicken, but our dog she was going into heat and then when she was out of heat she would go through a so-called nesting stage for 3 more weeks and she collected toy animals and other things and she would Nest with them. I can't say for your he but it could be a hormonal thing with he. I don't know. I feel sad for her and for you not able to help her God bless you and I hope it works out

 

[Pyxis]

yes in 48 hours she would be close to death if not dead so I can give you a scenario what happened with a pet dog of ours and I know, it's not a chicken, but our dog she was going into heat and then when she was out of heat she would go through a so-called nesting stage for 3 more weeks and she collected toy animals and other things and she would Nest with them. I can't say for your he but it could be a hormonal thing with he. I don't know. I feel sad for her and for you not able to help her God bless you and I hope it works out

Yes, broodiness is totally controlled by hormones.

Thank you so much!!

You're welcome! I forgot to say, if you don't want her to hatch chicks, it'll be easier on her and you if you break her since being broody is hard on a hen and there's no point to it if she's not going to hatch. You can put her in a wire-bottomed crate for 48 hours with food and water and then let her out. If that doesn't work and she goes back to the nest, back in the crate for another couple of days.