1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Red Star, 8 months old.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Normally my hens all get super excited when I walk out to check on them. They run right up to the door of their run hoping to get let out. This morning, this particular bird was just standing by herself in the corner. She made no movement when I came outside. She looks fluffed up and she’s kinda squatting down. She is lethargic with her eyes closed, tail down, and not her normal perky self. It looks like her comb is more dull compared to my other chickens too. When I opened the door to the run, she did finally walk over but not with her normal enthusiasm. I picked her up to look at her. She, like a couple other hens, have a bald spot where others have pecked out feathers. That’s been there for a few weeks I think due to the weather they’ve been cooped up more than normal. That spot actually looks improved. The only abnormal thing I could find on her is she’s got some poop covering her vent. When they were chicks a few of them had pasty butt. So I cleaned up her vent but the stool wasn’t that pasty like I’d seen before. It was more like a solid normal stool. I thought maybe she was egg bound because after I cleaned her vent, she was about the same, but her body seemed to be bobbing a little bit. I stuck her in the coop to keep her warm and dry but later I looked out and she seems like she’s perked up a bit because she’s out free ranging with her flock. I just want to make sure I’m not missing anything here.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
a few hours
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
I have 6 laying hens and she is the only one acting strange
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
I accidentally ran out of oyster shells a few days ago and just was able to refill it today. I was thinking maybe that caused her to be egg bound.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
I did see her take a drink of water after I had cleaned up her vent. I feed my hens Grubbly Farms chicken feed, but it’s hard to monitor if she’s been eating. She also free ranges a couple days a week usually so whatever she finds in the yard.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Poop looks normal consistency.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
I cleaned her vent.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
treat her myself
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Attached picture is immediately after cleaning her vent.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
My chickens have a 8’x4’ coop and I have pine shavings for bedding. They have access to a 10’x 14’ run from dawn til dusk. The substrate in the run is a mixture of stuff from the yard like leaves and small twigs. I haven’t introduced anything new recently.
Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!
Red Star, 8 months old.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Normally my hens all get super excited when I walk out to check on them. They run right up to the door of their run hoping to get let out. This morning, this particular bird was just standing by herself in the corner. She made no movement when I came outside. She looks fluffed up and she’s kinda squatting down. She is lethargic with her eyes closed, tail down, and not her normal perky self. It looks like her comb is more dull compared to my other chickens too. When I opened the door to the run, she did finally walk over but not with her normal enthusiasm. I picked her up to look at her. She, like a couple other hens, have a bald spot where others have pecked out feathers. That’s been there for a few weeks I think due to the weather they’ve been cooped up more than normal. That spot actually looks improved. The only abnormal thing I could find on her is she’s got some poop covering her vent. When they were chicks a few of them had pasty butt. So I cleaned up her vent but the stool wasn’t that pasty like I’d seen before. It was more like a solid normal stool. I thought maybe she was egg bound because after I cleaned her vent, she was about the same, but her body seemed to be bobbing a little bit. I stuck her in the coop to keep her warm and dry but later I looked out and she seems like she’s perked up a bit because she’s out free ranging with her flock. I just want to make sure I’m not missing anything here.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
a few hours
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
I have 6 laying hens and she is the only one acting strange
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
I accidentally ran out of oyster shells a few days ago and just was able to refill it today. I was thinking maybe that caused her to be egg bound.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
I did see her take a drink of water after I had cleaned up her vent. I feed my hens Grubbly Farms chicken feed, but it’s hard to monitor if she’s been eating. She also free ranges a couple days a week usually so whatever she finds in the yard.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Poop looks normal consistency.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
I cleaned her vent.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
treat her myself
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Attached picture is immediately after cleaning her vent.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
My chickens have a 8’x4’ coop and I have pine shavings for bedding. They have access to a 10’x 14’ run from dawn til dusk. The substrate in the run is a mixture of stuff from the yard like leaves and small twigs. I haven’t introduced anything new recently.
Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!
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