I have a 25-week old olive egger that has been acting off for the past 4 days. She was much slower to develop than her flockmates and started laying on 8/10/25. On 8/18 she laid a soft egg right out in the open (she normally lays in nesting box) and immediately gobbled it down. Since then, she has acted off. She just stands or lays down. She's been drinking a ton of water. Her poops are mostly water (not frothy, no blood). She shows no interest in her food.
On 8/19 She ate 1/2 can of canned cat food - that's the only thing she showed interest in. She laid a normal egg.
8/20 - still acting off and standing or laying down. I separated her from the flock. I offered her her regular feed, grits, oystershell, as well as various greens, cooked corn and peas, and scrambled eggs and eggshells. She ate the peas/corn and scrambled egg and absolutely devoured the eggshells. I added electrolytes to her water.
8/21 - Today, she showed no interest in any food. Still drinking a ton. She's not panting, she doesn't seem in pain ( i checked her over and didn't find any tender spot or abnormalities). She is alert looking around just not moving much, not foraging. Her comb and wattles are red. There is no strange mucus or discharge from eyes, beak, rear. She is grooming herself. If anything, she might seem a bit wobbly or unbalanced when she does move.
None of the other hens are exhibiting any similar signs. They are all on the same free fed layer diet. They are free fed grit and oystershell. They also free range.
I am at a bit of a loss as to what it could be. Is it a calcium deficiency? is it more of a reproductive issue? Thank you for any tips or suggestions.
On 8/19 She ate 1/2 can of canned cat food - that's the only thing she showed interest in. She laid a normal egg.
8/20 - still acting off and standing or laying down. I separated her from the flock. I offered her her regular feed, grits, oystershell, as well as various greens, cooked corn and peas, and scrambled eggs and eggshells. She ate the peas/corn and scrambled egg and absolutely devoured the eggshells. I added electrolytes to her water.
8/21 - Today, she showed no interest in any food. Still drinking a ton. She's not panting, she doesn't seem in pain ( i checked her over and didn't find any tender spot or abnormalities). She is alert looking around just not moving much, not foraging. Her comb and wattles are red. There is no strange mucus or discharge from eyes, beak, rear. She is grooming herself. If anything, she might seem a bit wobbly or unbalanced when she does move.
None of the other hens are exhibiting any similar signs. They are all on the same free fed layer diet. They are free fed grit and oystershell. They also free range.
I am at a bit of a loss as to what it could be. Is it a calcium deficiency? is it more of a reproductive issue? Thank you for any tips or suggestions.
