Sick hen maybe? - only symptom is fluffed feathers and poopy butt...

[grnidone]

One of my hens was sleeping on her feet today and was all fluffed up. OK. It's 17 degrees out, so maybe the fluffed up is just cold because it's ... cold.

When I checked her, she had poopy butt that had frozen onto her feathers. I took her inside and washed her bottom with warm water and then dried her with the hair dryer. She protested a little bit, but seemed to enjoy the spa treatment. She didn't even protest the hair dryer, which surprised me.

No drippy eyes or runny nose.

I put her back outside with the others. She was a bit less fluffed and followed the group around, so all seemed well. She ate some raisons that I fed the group as eagerly as she always does.

A bit later, there she was again, fluffed up - a bit less fluffed up than she was this morning - and sleeping on her feet.

I thought maybe she was not quite all the way dry, so I brought her in and put her in a crate. I'll let her sleep there for a few hours and then put her back outside.

What other symptoms should I watch out for? Is she just cold? Or could she possibly be sick?

 

[Eggcessive]

Some may act like that if they are cold. I would make sure that she will eat and drink while she is in the house overnight. Offer some chopped egg, tuna, or watery chicken feed, and clean water. If she seems alert, active, and is eating okay, then you could have a few of her droppings checked by a vet for cocci or worms if you still are concerned. I always have a couple of hens who have frozen poop on vents this time of year. Just pull it off when it dries with a pair of old gloves. Check her crop to make sure that it empties overnight before she eats in early morning to rule out a crop problem. Look her skin around the vent over for any lice or mites which may cause weakness.