Pacing, panting, crying hen HELP

[chickencutie]

My buff Orpington has been on and off antibiotics and metaclopramide for a month now. She initially was cleared by the vet after 2 weeks of sulfatrim, but it recurred and she was put back on meds a week ago. Today she has been in and out of a nest box and generally running around very anxiously for HOURS. She rapidly picks at food like it’s her last meal, is constantly crying and panting. Will not sit still. No egg laid. Poop is watery like stress or over heated. She laid a normal egg yesterday and the day before. Not showing other signs of egg binding. Is this egg binding? Does she have anxiety? Is she in pain?? I’m panicking and I can’t call the vet until the morning.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

@azygous @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock

 

[azygous]

Generally, a sick chicken is non-vocal, lethargic, stands still, usually has eyes drooping, tail held low and flat, and feathers are fluffed up. Normally sick chickens don't eat.

A chicken that is vocal and chattering, running about, eating and drinking, laying normal eggs, and interacting with her mates is a normal, healthy chicken.

 

[chickencutie]

Generally, a sick chicken is non-vocal, lethargic, stands still, usually has eyes drooping, tail held low and flat, and feathers are fluffed up. Normally sick chickens don't eat.

A chicken that is vocal and chattering, running about, eating and drinking, laying normal eggs, and interacting with her mates is a normal, healthy chicken.

She doesn’t usually act this way though. Normally she’s quiet, docile, and only get excited when it’s time to free range. This behavior is bordering panic and she seems incredibly anxious. Like she needs to lay an egg but hasn’t.

 

[azygous]

Yes, pre-egg laying behavior can be just as you describe. This is normal behavior. When she enters a nest finally, settles down to lay her egg, but nothing is produced, say after an hour, then it's time to get concerned.

I always keep a bottle of calcium citrate in my run. When I know a particular hen had been in a nest earlier, but I find no evidence she laid an egg, and now she's standing still, sort of acting comatose instead of her usual busy body self, I pop one whole tablet into her beak. That will trigger contractions and get the egg out, sometimes even appearing on the floor or poop board under the perch during the night. This is what I use as it is absorbed very easily and quickly and good for reproductive crises because of that.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

My buff Orpington has been on and off antibiotics and metaclopramide for a month now. She initially was cleared by the vet after 2 weeks of sulfatrim, but it recurred and she was put back on meds a week ago. Today she has been in and out of a nest box and generally running around very anxiously for HOURS. She rapidly picks at food like it’s her last meal, is constantly crying and panting. Will not sit still. No egg laid. Poop is watery like stress or over heated. She laid a normal egg yesterday and the day before. Not showing other signs of egg binding. Is this egg binding? Does she have anxiety? Is she in pain?? I’m panicking and I can’t call the vet until the morning.

Actually my polish has done that before. She acted super anxious but she can’t jump up in the nest box (she lays on the ground) so she didn’t do that. She woke up the nest day and was perfectly fine! I just assumed that she acted this way because she escaped into the non-polish run but I never knew for sure.

 

[chickencutie]

Yes, pre-egg laying behavior can be just as you describe. This is normal behavior. When she enters a nest finally, settles down to lay her egg, but nothing is produced, say after an hour, then it's time to get concerned.

I always keep a bottle of calcium citrate in my run. When I know a particular hen had been in a nest earlier, but I find no evidence she laid an egg, and now she's standing still, sort of acting comatose instead of her usual busy body self, I pop one whole tablet into her beak. That will trigger contractions and get the egg out, sometimes even appearing on the floor or poop board under the perch during the night. This is what I use as it is absorbed very easily and quickly and good for reproductive crises because of that. View attachment 2829485

She was put on daily calcium tabs per the vet, so she’s already had that today. The thing is, she will settle in a nest box for a little while, then come back out and pant, cry, pace, and repeat. She’s been doing this for over 6 hours today. It’s as if this is nesting behavior but it doesn’t resolve and there’s no egg. She is not lethargic by any means. Almost like she’s having a constant panic attack.

 

[azygous]

What kind of calcium did the vet prescribe? Calcium carbonate, calcium gluconate or calcium citrate? How much calcium per dose?

 

[chickmamato7]

My Crevecoeur acts like that when she's about to go broody. Fretful, vocal, pacing, panting, in and out of nest box... check to see if she has plucked any of her stomach feathers.

 

[chickencutie]

What kind of calcium did the vet prescribe? Calcium carbonate, calcium gluconate or calcium citrate? How much calcium per dose?

30mg a day. I’ll have to check what then bottle is when I get back home but she didn’t specify what kind of calcium