Need suggestions on what may be wrong with 2 of my hens.

[Unit304]

Hi. I'm new here and hoping for some advice. At first, I thought one of my hens appeared broody...hanging around the coop and not foraging like the rest. They are about 1 1/2yrs old and I'm fairly new to chickens. However after watching her more I noticed some yellow discharge from her backside (not a lot) She's not walking funny (like egg impaction) but seems lethargic. I separated her from the rest of the flock and have tried to research what could be wrong. Her poop is grass green, and firm. Her crop seems fine. She's eating some but cannot tell if she's drinking. This has been about 36hrs now. I now have another hen who I just noticed acting similar but more lethargic...standing with her eyes closed & discharge as well. Concerned and not sure which direction I need to be searching.

 

[nuthatched]

What's her diet? Is her backside swollen?

 

[Unit304]

Layer pellets with some (not a lot) scratch and I let them out for a couple hours a day to free range. Her backside doesn't appear to be swollen ...I've tried to feel around on her but honestly I'm not sure what I'm searching for.

 

[Eggcessive]

Was the yellow discharge the urates in her poop, or were the droppings yellow before they turned dark green? Green poop is usually due to not eating much. Are these hens laying eggs or approaching a molt? I would concentrate on getting them to eat moistened chicken feed and drink fluids, and offer some scrambled egg bits. Check crops in early morning to make sure they are emptying overnight.

 

[Unit304]

Was the yellow discharge the urates in her poop, or were the droppings yellow before they turned dark green? Green poop is usually due to not eating much. Are these hens laying eggs or approaching a molt? I would concentrate on getting them to eat moistened chicken feed and drink fluids, and offer some scrambled egg bits. Check crops in early morning to make sure they are emptying overnight.

The poo doesn't have yellow in it. What I'm seeing in her enclosure is on the smaller size, dark green, firm (not moist at all) They are laying. I'll try the moist food now and see what she does. She was keeping her tail down but not all the time, and she wasn't walking strange. She seems a little better today but I got concerned again when I noticed similar behavior and discharge from another hen tonight.

Update: just gave her a scrambled egg and she ate most of it (quickly). I also witnessed her poop and it did have some yellow to it...it was also more wet.