PurpleCArTires
Crowing
My Susan is a rescue from a meat farm, so I don't know how old she is. She was laying fine until about a month ago. I started getting soft eggs in the nest box and suspected it was one of the rescues and they were about to retire (I have her "sister" Suzette who stopped laying all together and is just the toughest old bird ).
Anyways about 3 days ago I noticed Susan's comb was pale and she was very slow eating. The other chickens pushed her out of the way. I moved her to a private pen and she ate and drank and messed with the grass a bit. She didn't roost last night and seemed so lonely, so I put her back in with the flock hoping she would perk up. She just wondered off, but doesn't seem to be in pain.
I was giving the chickens their evening scraps and noticed she didn't come with the horde, so I went looking. I found her sprawled out in the coop on her side. I thought she was dead. I picked her up and it must have "scared" her back to life. She pulled herself together in my arms and I brought her inside.
Felt her butt, it's covered in poop. Her abdomen is slightly smushy, so I don't think egg bound. She is soaking peacefully in a warm Epsom salt bath.
It's been hot and I gave her electrolytes yesterday and today, that didn't seem to help. I plan on giving some nutridrench and keeping her inside until this heat wave passes.
Any thoughts? Or is old age about to take her?
PS. Since I separated her, no more soft eggs, so I think she was laying those I mentioned earlier.
Anyways about 3 days ago I noticed Susan's comb was pale and she was very slow eating. The other chickens pushed her out of the way. I moved her to a private pen and she ate and drank and messed with the grass a bit. She didn't roost last night and seemed so lonely, so I put her back in with the flock hoping she would perk up. She just wondered off, but doesn't seem to be in pain.
I was giving the chickens their evening scraps and noticed she didn't come with the horde, so I went looking. I found her sprawled out in the coop on her side. I thought she was dead. I picked her up and it must have "scared" her back to life. She pulled herself together in my arms and I brought her inside.
Felt her butt, it's covered in poop. Her abdomen is slightly smushy, so I don't think egg bound. She is soaking peacefully in a warm Epsom salt bath.
It's been hot and I gave her electrolytes yesterday and today, that didn't seem to help. I plan on giving some nutridrench and keeping her inside until this heat wave passes.
Any thoughts? Or is old age about to take her?
PS. Since I separated her, no more soft eggs, so I think she was laying those I mentioned earlier.