Newly Laying Hen Acting Off

[Anon112]

Thank you! I think at first I was so afraid of her not eating anything especially since she's on the thinner side, and declining rapidly that I tried a bunch of food. She is eating her feed now, not a ton, but definitely improving.

Oh, yes. Like I say, I've been there.

In my case, it was a very beloved hen named Meegan. She most likely had a reproductive cancer or egg-yolk peritonitis. This was pretty early in my chicken days and I was late catching it. She was thin and had little appetite. I was bringing her 8 course meals of anything I thought she'd eat. And she would eat it, but it was more out of novelty. An hour later, she wouldn't want anything. Then I'd try something new, she'd take a few bites, repeat.

I think this was just delaying the inevitable, and it would have been kinder to just offer some egg, her regular feed, and water. That way I would have known if her appetite was returning rather than her trying something because it was new and interesting.

I hope your little lady keeps chugging along!

 

[arkciel]

8/25/25 - She is the about the same this morning. Eating a bit and drinking. i took 2 pictures of her poop. I know there is a wide range of what normal droppings are like (I've been referencing this https://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=17568.0) but I'm not sure about the first pic. There is a large amount of white stuff that looks like cooked egg white, like thick scrambled egg white. Is that normal? I should add, we've had 4 days now of upper 90F/100F weather. Thanks again for all the help.

 

[Bawkbok]

Dare I say the color looks better. A little runny but if she is drinking more water due to the heat, that could be why. That looks like urates to me in the first photo, perhaps a little off color.

I'm not a poop expert, despite the thousands of piles I've inspected and all the poop pictures I review on this site. Hopefully more experienced people will reply with something more definitive.

Happy to hear she is eating and drinking.

 

[Eggcessive]

The first pic looks like urates that are coral colored which can be normal at night.