Need Ideas Chicken is Very still and Not Moving

[Sunnysimplelife]

One of my 4 mo. old hens is acting strangely. Fine earlier but when I went to usher them into coop she didn't come. Was just standing in the yard. When I went to shoo her she didn't even move. Finally she walked slowly into the coop and now is just standing in the corner. Not eating or moving. She walked upright just fine but just slow like she is frozen. It was cool today so I don't think it is heat. I know they are practicing laying. Could she be feeling something happening. The others all seem fine and active. Any thoughts or suggestions of what I should check for. I hope she didn't eat something that is bothering her. Eyes clear and no discharge.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Another person posted that their hen was doing pretty much the exact same thing and then passed a completely shell less egg, and a regular egg. She may be have a troublesome egg trying to come out. If so, she'll perk up when it passes. Make sure she isn't egg bound. (When she's trying to lay but the egg is stuck) Gently press around the vent area and see if you can feel the hard nkot of an egg near the surface. If not, you may want to carefully put your pointer/middle fingers inside her vent, with a gloves hand, and feel around inside to see if you feel an egg. If you do, I think you have to lubricate the inside of her vent. I have never dealt with an egg bound hen, so if you think that's it, look it up on this forum.

 

[Sunnysimplelife]

Okay we are going to check her out. We put her in crate away from the others. She is drinking but when we layed her on her side some water came back out. Going to check on the vent for egg stuckness. I am a newbie but my daughter is here and she is an RN so I am making her help.

 

[Sunnysimplelife]

Okay she layed an egg. We flipper her over and didn't feel anything but maybe the massaging moved it along. So I now have my first egg. It was squishy and soft shelled. She is still just standing there next to the waterer poor girl.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Get them some oyster shell, (Crushed, they sell it at feed stores for this kind of thing. It's pretty cheap.) or feed the egg shells back them. It will help keep the soft shelled eggs from happening. She should perk up not that the egg has passed.

 

[Sunnysimplelife]

I had just bought some the day before so they had only just got it the one day. No eggs since though.

 

[growyourbrew]

Is she eating at all?

 

[chkn]

How is her crop? Is it full and squishy? It should empty in the morning. Have you deloused/dewormed them?

 

[chkn]

BTW, if stuff isn't staying down, you might want to try chicken or veggie broth for a day or two. If there's a blockage or a sour crop, you don't want to be adding more food to the problem. At least stick with something soft and easy to digest. Something I never thought about is maybe some plain canned pumpkin with maybe some plain yogurt.

 

[Sunnysimplelife]

She was fine once she laid that first egg. Has laid 3 since.