Oddly Behavong Hen - Possibly Ill?

[Sunshine009]

I've got a weird list of symptoms I can't seem to piece together for this hen.

For reference she is an easter egger, about 1.5-2 years old. Had her for 6 months now.

This hen has mostly just been lethargic these past few days. Sleeping a lot during the day and not keeping up with the flock so much. But missing the typical sick chicken puffiness. It's very on and off - she'll be sitting asleep by herself one second and up pecking around the next. But she also hasn't been showing as much interest as usual in snacks like scratch and meal worms, though she still eats some.

Additionally, we've been going through a mild lice infestation. We're treating it as well as we can with the full ban of any medicated lice treatments in Canada, mostly with Diamotaceous earth and coop deep cleaning.

So my initial assumption was anemia. But it seems odd, since her infestation is nearly nonexistent while other birds with WAY worse damage are getting along normally, besides extra itching.

But today and yesterday she displayed the strangest behavior. She went into the coop, hopped up on a perch, and started squawking. And not an egg call, sounded more like a crow. She didn't stop for a good few minutes till I took her down myself as she was getting so loud. She then stopped and went about her business.

I've checked her over and no injuries, bumblefoot, caked up butt, no impacted crop or any discharge from nose or beak. I can't even see any lice or bald spots she's just been getting treated as preventative more than anything.

Oh - and she just went to lay an egg!

Also, no broody behavior. I just had a broody hen so I'm familiar with the signs.

Can't figure this one out! And suggestions are helpful!

 

[AidKD]

An internal parasite?

 

[Sunshine009]

An internal parasite?

Possibly - I forgot to add in the original post I've seen her poop and it looks quite normal. So reduces the likelihood of some possibilities.

 

[Sunshine009]

Update! In case anyone needs help like I did.

So, turns out what I BELIEVE happened is the egg broke inside her and was causing some impaction.

I can't guarantee, but I did find an eggshell that was broken and mixed in with stool under a roost in the coop and after finding it she went back to being her happy alert self Phew!

I still don't know why she sat on the roost and screamed a bunch- I can only assume she was maybe trying to lay an egg and making a sort of semi egg call but her body just couldn't figure out what to do.

And the fact that it was partially broken allowed her to pass some stool which is why I missed an egg bound diagnosis.

Hope this helps someone like me

 

[Shadrach]

Update! In case anyone needs help like I did.

So, turns out what I BELIEVE happened is the egg broke inside her and was causing some impaction.

I can't guarantee, but I did find an eggshell that was broken and mixed in with stool under a roost in the coop and after finding it she went back to being her happy alert self Phew!

I still don't know why she sat on the roost and screamed a bunch- I can only assume she was maybe trying to lay an egg and making a sort of semi egg call but her body just couldn't figure out what to do.

And the fact that it was partially broken allowed her to pass some stool which is why I missed an egg bound diagnosis.

Hope this helps someone like me

It's a shame you didn't get a few pictures of the hen when she was feeling ill.
Good job on reporting the likely cause from the evidence you have.

 

[Sunshine009]

It's a shame you didn't get a few pictures of the hen when she was feeling ill.
Good job on reporting the likely cause from the evidence you have.

I do agree, but I don't think it would've been particularly helpful in this case. She didn't have any specific posture like you often see in an eggbound chicken. Just sitting and sleeping a lot.

When she was sitting on the roost she wasn't doing anything special, either. Just standing as normal and calling.