Sick chicken or helicopter mom?

[DanaNJ]

Hi Everyone,

Im a first time chicken mom so I have zero experience with sick chickens and don't really know when to panic.

We have a very small flock, only 3 hens. One hen has been lethargic I guess you can say. She's not laying down but she's just standing like a statue. She won't eat any treats but she's normally ravenous. She's not staying with the other two like normal. She's just alone in her run. She also has a little arch down near her tail when her tail normally goes up. She's letting me hold her and look her over. Her vent is clear. I don't know what's going on.

I'm hoping someone here with more experience can tell me what they this is going on

Thanks so muchin advance!

 

[Bawkbok]

Hello and congratulations on your flock. Kudos to you for recognizing off behavior. I'm by no means and expert but to get the conversation started for the experienced souls on this site -- how old is she? Is she laying eggs yet? Where did you get them from? What are you feeding them? What does her poop look like?

Additional details and pics are always welcome to others offering help.

Hoping others will chime in. I know how scary it is as a new chicken momma myself when someone is not right.

 

[DanaNJ]

Thanks so much for your reply!

You asked great questions that I didn't even think of including. She's 6 months old and we got them from Tractor Supply.

We started them on DuMor Chick feed but we switched to Nutrena NatureWise layer feed when they started getting big girl food.

She just started laying eggs a few weeks ago. She did lay one this morning but my mother in law carried her into her coop and put her in the box. She thought she was standing like a statue because she had to lay an egg.

I left for a few hours while she was still in her coop. I went into the backyard when I got home to give them treats and only two of my girls came running. (They know the sound of the backdoor means there's food and all come sprinting haha)

So I had to go on a hunt for my maybe sick one. I found her standing in the back corner of her run all alone.

I have a picture of her standing in the backyard after I climbed into the run and carried her out so I could look her over.

Her poops today were liquidy. I had to replace her nesting pad because it was gross with liquidy chickie poop.

I don't know if she ate something while free ranging and has a bellyache maybe. Or maybe she hurt herself jumping on and off things.

We live in a very suburban neighborhood so we have a fairly small, fenced in yard. The chickens have a coop and a run but when we are home, we let them out to wander and forage. They spend most of the time bug hunting and dust bathing under the deck.

She did get herself into bed with the other girls but has been the same statue-esque chicken all day. Not her normal self at all

I love being a chicken mom but oh boy is it stressful!

Thank you again for responding to me!

 

[StinkyAcres]

Feel her crop. Is it full, empty, hard or squishy? If it is full does it empty in the morning? Do you offer grit and oyster shell?

 

[DanaNJ]

Feel her crop. Is it full, empty, hard or squishy? If it is full does it empty in the morning? Do you offer grit and oyster shell?

Feel her crop. Is it full, empty, hard or squishy? If it is full does it empty in the morning? Do you offer grit and oyster shell?

I've never given them grit but I do give them oyster shell. They have pieces in their treats and I have a powder that I add to yogurt or an omelet. I don't know if that's enough. I will have to feel her crop in the morning. She has tucked herself in for the night. I don't know how to tell if it feels normal though so I will have to report back

 

[FrostRanger]

It's very important to have grit available. Chickens need it to help them digest their food and if they don't have a source of grit available they can have crop issues. Chickens outside can usually find their own grit especially if allowed to free range but it's one of those better safe than sorry things. Grit is cheap and never goes bad after all

 

[DanaNJ]

Oh thank you. I just bought some with overnight shipping so I'll put some out tomorrow.

They are free range a few hours a day but I definitely prefer the more safe than sorry route

 

[FrostRanger]

Oh thank you. I just bought some with overnight shipping so I'll put some out tomorrow.

They are free range a few hours a day but I definitely prefer the more safe than sorry route

Sounds good
For the record I don't know if it's necessarily related to your sick hen, as I said, free range birds in particular can usually find their own but it could still be helpful

 

[StinkyAcres]

A calcium supplement, such as crushed oyster shell or egg shells, should also be offered free choice, even if they are on layer feed. They will consume what they need, just like the grit.

 

[DanaNJ]

Sounds good
For the record I don't know if it's necessarily related to your sick hen, as I said, free range birds in particular can usually find their own but it could still be helpful

Yeah of course. I understand. I am new to chickens and I will take any advice on how to keep them healthy I can get