Scary poop, weight loss? and no eggs

[lazytrucker]

Hi all,
Short version - I have a 9 month old hen that is not laying and had a weird poop. I think she has lost some weight as well. She is still quite active. Doesn't seem sick at all except for the symptoms listed.
My other birds quit laying with the cold and two were molting but after I revamped their water and put some vitamins in it they all started laying again. That's the only treatment I have tried so far. They do have oyster shell available and I have given them yogurt a time or two.
This poop was what got me wondering. It happened a few days ago. I'm not sure if it's an isolated incident since I've been gone a lot. It's probably been a few weeks that I've been thinking she might be underweight. I'm pretty new at this so I could have missed it.
They've been eating nature wise laying mash with handfuls of scratch in the evening and occasional mealworms. They also free range.
I'm certain she laid a few eggs months ago but I'm thinking she hasn't since then. (I have two easter Eggers and the two young one lay brown eggs and I know I got two brown eggs in a day a couple times. )
She is in a 4x8 coop at night with 8 guineas and the other 3 hens and a rooster. They are released at daylight to free range all day. Wood chips are the bedding. I haven't noticed any worms but her feathers around her vent are a bit soiled at times. I did not feed medicated chick starter when I got the two young ones.
I hope that meets the guidelines for information. I don't expect anyone to be a vet hoping someone can point me in the right direction to check or study. I've read the poop posts and I'm still not sure which way to go. I would like to take care of her myself if I can since the nearest vet is 30 miles away. I'm continuing to read posts but any thought are welcome.

 

[Notaneggspurt]

If you can collect a fresh sample to take when you're going to be near the vet they should be able to do a check for worms. Have you noticed any more poops like that? Have you looked under the roost?

 

[lazytrucker]

I hadn't got around to figuring out where her spot was yet. Will do that. Thanks.

 

[Notaneggspurt]

Yep. Sometimes it can be like CSI: Poop Investigating. I'm really hoping it was just a one time thing.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Check her crop in the morning (should be empty), then again in the evening (full of food).
Feel her keel bone, is it pronounced?
You could weigh her, then again at the end of the week.
Have you seen her eating?
Is she being kept from the food, or bullied?

Your coop is 4x8 housing 8 guineas, 4 hens & 1 rooster ...

 

[Cragg Klefor]

Hi all,
Short version - I have a 9 month old hen that is not laying and had a weird poop. I think she has lost some weight as well. She is still quite active. Doesn't seem sick at all except for the symptoms listed.
My other birds quit laying with the cold and two were molting but after I revamped their water and put some vitamins in it they all started laying again. That's the only treatment I have tried so far. They do have oyster shell available and I have given them yogurt a time or two.
This poop was what got me wondering. It happened a few days ago. I'm not sure if it's an isolated incident since I've been gone a lot. It's probably been a few weeks that I've been thinking she might be underweight. I'm pretty new at this so I could have missed it.
They've been eating nature wise laying mash with handfuls of scratch in the evening and occasional mealworms. They also free range.
I'm certain she laid a few eggs months ago but I'm thinking she hasn't since then. (I have two easter Eggers and the two young one lay brown eggs and I know I got two brown eggs in a day a couple times. )
She is in a 4x8 coop at night with 8 guineas and the other 3 hens and a rooster. They are released at daylight to free range all day. Wood chips are the bedding. I haven't noticed any worms but her feathers around her vent are a bit soiled at times. I did not feed medicated chick starter when I got the two young ones.
I hope that meets the guidelines for information. I don't expect anyone to be a vet hoping someone can point me in the right direction to check or study. I've read the poop posts and I'm still not sure which way to go. I would like to take care of her myself if I can since the nearest vet is 30 miles away. I'm continuing to read posts but any thought are welcome.

You gave great details
If you could, pictures of the chicken in question may help also.
Although it is not the 'normal' type of poop, nothing screams emergency at me! But then again 'me' is just a backyard chicken keeper!

I would agree, get a fecal testing done if possible considering the suspected weight loss. Also, check the crop as ChickNanny suggested.
Try to find out what her poops are like ongoing, to see if it is a one off. It may be helpful if you can crate her within the coop (isolation) to monitor her poop, food and water intake, and egg laying. But I would do this after weighing her (checking her weight one week later) and seeing if I can monitor her in her normal routine first. No point stressing her out unnecessarily.
Your description of her egg laying behavior suggests a possible reproductive disorder, but it is impossible to say without onging monitoring.

Would be great to see pics of her! Best of luck with her.

 

[lazytrucker]

Thanks for all the great ideas! So simple but I hadn't thought of them. Hopefully you all won't laugh when you see the picture... I always thought maybe she was too fat to lay eggs. I must have read some post that talked about how to check them for being underweight and wondered if I was missing the reason that she wasn't laying.
So I weighed her and she weighs 8 lbs. Did a bit more reading and I don't think her keel bone is pronounced. When I can catch the other chicken that I got at the same time maybe I can compare better. I have seen her eating outside but I set up a camera in the coop to see if she gets pushed away from the laying pellets so we'll see. Will keep monitoring as I can for other weird poops and will check her crop for a couple days.
I don't think the coop size is much of an issue other than for eating. They have a 4x8 partially enclosed run attached to the coop where they do hang out some if the weather is bad. Otherwise they're roaming.
It's the black chicken in the photo.

 

[Cragg Klefor]

Well she is just lovely

I'm not sure why you were hoping noone would laugh?? Was it because you were concerned about her weight? No way of knowing that one without being able to feel her. Feathers disguise a lot!!

Great call on setting up the camera Best way to monitor her. Chickens will act fine if they have any idea we are watching. That's partially why oftentimes if you see one of your chickens are sick it will be too late to treat them.

 

[Notaneggspurt]

You're doing great and glad she's still out and about. No need to feel silly about anything. I had asked a friend if she still had an old baby monitor and she jumped up and down all excited. I said I wish I could get DH as happy about keeping tabs on the chicks

 

[lazytrucker]

I'm not sure why you were hoping noone would laugh?? Was it because you were concerned about her weight?

Lol. Yeah. She looks way too fat to be underweight! I do understand that feathers disguise a lot. If she's not loosing weight and the poop was a one time deal then I have to look for other reason for her not laying eggs... is there much a person can do to find out if she has some reproductive disorder?