I went to let my hens out of their coop this morning and my Barnevelder wouldn’t come out. She is usually the first at the door in the morning. I looked and she’s on her perch and her feathers are all fluffy and she has white poop underneath ear her and on her butt feathers. Any idea what could be wrong with her. Please help!
I'm going to assume she laid the soft shell egg too?
These can be hard to expel, can you gather your girl up, bring her in and take a better look at her vent? See if there is a discharge coming from the vent that looks like egg.
It's hard to tell if the soft shell egg is fully intact or if it broke.
If she is messy, then give her a little soak in a warm bath, wash up the feathers. The bath may also soothe her, help her relax and expel anything else that may be in the oviduct.
This is what I do with mine - I also give extra calcium either 1 crushed up TUMS or 1/2 tablet of Caltrate. Direct dose with poultry vitamins (Poultry Cell or Poultry Nutri-Drench at 1cc per 3 pounds of weight). Once all that is done, I do see if they will drink and offer them a scrambled egg.
Depending on their behavior and who the hen is, they go back to the flock (dry very well if your weather is cold - I mean dry with a hair dry if you need to).
The poop is not normal, if you don't feel comfortable putting her back with the flock, then crate her. Put her on puppy pads so you can see what she poops.
