Update: I think she actually has a beak injury! The tip of her upper beak looks slightly shorter and bloodyish? (Not really "bloody", but like the color of dried blood). About 1 cm in length. There's no cracks, but it looks like maybe like it was skinned (or whatever you'd call taking a layer off the outside of a beak.) And it seems painful for her
Since she wasn't eating much I isolated her from the flock to feed her some really yummy treats separately and she was really interested, but "faked" eating and drinking. Like, she'll put her beak down and pretend to peck, chase after food tossed on the ground, but not actually pick anything up or dunk her beak into liquids. So I fed and watered her gently with a syringe just to make sure she has some fluids.
What do I do for a beak injury? Can I give her pain medication?
The beak shape is still pretty normal (and why I didn't notice at first) and she'll do fine one it doesn't hurt I think. I just need to get her to eat and drink on her own. I'll try to get a picture of her beak.
Original text:
I have a 19 week old Welsummer pullet who has been recently showing signs of being close to laying her first egg (squatting, sitting in nest boxes, etc). Today she is acting off. She's sleepy, sitting down a lot, tucking her head under her wing, stands with tail down, football-shaped, walking slowly, eating and drinking less than normal (but still eating and drinking on her own), etc. She's not having trouble breathing, no wheezing or sneezing, no mucus in any orifice, no mites or lice, crop seems fine if slightly emptier than usual, comb nice and red, poops seem normal but small since she's not eating a ton.
Could she be egg bound or have some hitch in her reproductive tract? Would giving calcium help or harm if she's just coming into lay? (I did feel around her vent and there didn't seem to be anything stuck right there.)
Do pullets ever feel/act "sick" right before laying, but aren't actually sick? Like chicken menstrual cramps? Lol
Or is it more likely she's got an actual illness that needs treatment?
Thanks for any insight!
Since she wasn't eating much I isolated her from the flock to feed her some really yummy treats separately and she was really interested, but "faked" eating and drinking. Like, she'll put her beak down and pretend to peck, chase after food tossed on the ground, but not actually pick anything up or dunk her beak into liquids. So I fed and watered her gently with a syringe just to make sure she has some fluids.
What do I do for a beak injury? Can I give her pain medication?
The beak shape is still pretty normal (and why I didn't notice at first) and she'll do fine one it doesn't hurt I think. I just need to get her to eat and drink on her own. I'll try to get a picture of her beak.
Original text:
I have a 19 week old Welsummer pullet who has been recently showing signs of being close to laying her first egg (squatting, sitting in nest boxes, etc). Today she is acting off. She's sleepy, sitting down a lot, tucking her head under her wing, stands with tail down, football-shaped, walking slowly, eating and drinking less than normal (but still eating and drinking on her own), etc. She's not having trouble breathing, no wheezing or sneezing, no mucus in any orifice, no mites or lice, crop seems fine if slightly emptier than usual, comb nice and red, poops seem normal but small since she's not eating a ton.
Could she be egg bound or have some hitch in her reproductive tract? Would giving calcium help or harm if she's just coming into lay? (I did feel around her vent and there didn't seem to be anything stuck right there.)
Do pullets ever feel/act "sick" right before laying, but aren't actually sick? Like chicken menstrual cramps? Lol
Or is it more likely she's got an actual illness that needs treatment?
Thanks for any insight!
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