Slow Moving Hen Rarely Eats

[MotherHen75]

So my little barred rock hen has always been a little slow moving, and gets left behind the flock. She’s always been a light bird. She drinks a lot, but rarely eats. She does eat some treats when i give them, oats, watermelon, etc.. Is there something wrong? And she does lay eggs fairly regular.

 

[azygous]

If she's laying eggs regularly, her health can't be all that bad. But do check her crop in the morning to be sure it's emptying overnight. Crop issues are one of the most common reasons for a chicken to be "off". https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[quackersandfern]

She is probably sick. You should take her to see a vet. Here is a directory of vets who see chickens - http://www.poultrydvm.com/poultry-vets.php

 

[aart]

She drinks a lot, but rarely eats. She does eat some treats when i give them, oats, watermelon, etc

Do they have regular feed(what kind) always available?
Not great if she's only/mostly eating treats...tho as @azygous sez if she's laying she must be in fairly good condition.


When I have a bird that's acting 'off' I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor their intake of food and water, crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed), and their poops. Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling. Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.