My chicken sleeps in

[isabelle1]

I have a blue Australorp who lays an egg a day and doesn't get up early in the morning, which worries me. She has
been sleeping in for about a week.. but continues to lay. It has been a cold damp winter, by our standards, and I am a novice chicken keeper. (I have had 'words' with her and told her I really wouldn't mind if she stopped laying for a bit if she's unwell-joke!)
I suspect she's sick or something. Any ideas?

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC - glad that you have joined us. I'd suggest posting your question on the "Chicken behaviours and egg-laying" forum to get advice from the experts.

All the best
CT

 

[Cynthia12]

Yes, as CT suggested, try that site..go to the search bar above.

 

[drumstick diva]

Does she eat & drink & poo well? It's a wild guess but I wonder if she is trying to go broody. Not all broody hens have it figured out. For instance some will try and hatch rocks or nothing at all. Others when they do hatch, will attack the chicks

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Sorry about your bird. Chickens should be more active than this and it does sound like something is wrong or starting to go wrong.

What is the consistency of her poop? What color is it, and does it have a white cap on top? Any blood in the poop and is the poop stained a bit red?

Give her an over all exam...do you have a rooster? If you do, he could have stabbed her with his spurs...so check around on her abdomen and under the wings for any puncture wounds. Check her for mites, lice and bugs, looking closely around the vent area, under the wings, behind the neck. Bugs like to lay their eggs around these areas and sometimes it looks like dirt close the skin on the feather shafts.

Have you wormed her recently? Worms are horrible draining on a bird and will suck the life right out of them eventually killing them. I like to worm at least once if not twice a year.

What color is her comb? Pale? Feel her body over all...is she thin at the keel? Feel her abdomen....is it fairly firm and small or is it full and squishy like a water balloon.

Also, at roosting time tonight, go up and check her crop. She should have a full crop at bed time so she has enough calories to get through the night. If she is empty, either she is being bullied away from the feeders or she is indeed sick. Then in the morning first thing before she eats or drinks anything, check to make sure her crop is empty. If there is any food in it, she has something going on inside her.

You might try some vitamins on her. I don't know if you can get Nutri Drench where you are, but these given orally to a bird will help quick, fast and well. She may be lacking nutrients, especially if she lays daily. Australorps lay way too much and sometimes have a hard time getting all that nutrition back into them.

Good luck with her and see if some of these things I suggested make sense. Let me know if you find something that isn't right and I can try and help you with it.

 

[Jucodeo]

Hey @isabelle1 so glad you joined our roost and make sure you listen to TwoCrow's advice she is definitely someone to listen to and give ovations to! I hope you and your flock are enjoying yourself and stay cool!
Justin

 

[Athaid]

Hey, welcome to BYC! I hope you find a solution to your chicken problem - The people on here are very friendly (as you can see ^) and are always willing to help, so you're in the best of hands Cya around.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!