Hey all!
Jet (got her as a week-older in April) is acting odd. Yesterday she was doing just fine, all eager to come out of her coop to see me. Today my fiance told me she's been sitting around nonstop and hasn't really done anything.
I've:
-checked her crop (feels full and squishy)
-poked around under her in case her first egg was eggbound (no eggs yet!)
-noticed that she likes to keep one eye open and one eye shut for some odd reason (but looks normal when she opens it), as though she's trying to fall asleep
-felt her legs/thighs just in case her injury/rickets as a chick is bothering her; everything felt fine
-held her and fed her water in case she hadn't been drinking, then put her on the bottom floor of the coop so she could try to eat
I'm not sure what's wrong with her. We've only fed the hens dandelion leaves as treats twice now, but not much. They're indoor girls, so I don't think they've been exposed to Marek's or Newcastle and the other hens are doing fine. (Only Java is laying, the other 4 girls haven't laid yet and are acting normal.) I wondered if it was time to deworm them all but they seem okay and given they're indoor hens...
I thought maybe she's just getting ready to lay an egg, but Java's behavior didn't act like this prior to making eggs; her activity level was normal. Jet DID have some more-often-than-usual cecal poops yesterday and the day before, though. (You know, foamy/gold.)
I'm worried about my lovie girl. Can you guys help offer insight so we can try to help her get back to normal? I also noticed that her wattles grew in, became bright red, and now dulled down to the blackish color of her comb, which is fully grown in but hasn't reddened yet.
Thank you!
Jet (got her as a week-older in April) is acting odd. Yesterday she was doing just fine, all eager to come out of her coop to see me. Today my fiance told me she's been sitting around nonstop and hasn't really done anything.
I've:
-checked her crop (feels full and squishy)
-poked around under her in case her first egg was eggbound (no eggs yet!)
-noticed that she likes to keep one eye open and one eye shut for some odd reason (but looks normal when she opens it), as though she's trying to fall asleep
-felt her legs/thighs just in case her injury/rickets as a chick is bothering her; everything felt fine
-held her and fed her water in case she hadn't been drinking, then put her on the bottom floor of the coop so she could try to eat
I'm not sure what's wrong with her. We've only fed the hens dandelion leaves as treats twice now, but not much. They're indoor girls, so I don't think they've been exposed to Marek's or Newcastle and the other hens are doing fine. (Only Java is laying, the other 4 girls haven't laid yet and are acting normal.) I wondered if it was time to deworm them all but they seem okay and given they're indoor hens...
I thought maybe she's just getting ready to lay an egg, but Java's behavior didn't act like this prior to making eggs; her activity level was normal. Jet DID have some more-often-than-usual cecal poops yesterday and the day before, though. (You know, foamy/gold.)
I'm worried about my lovie girl. Can you guys help offer insight so we can try to help her get back to normal? I also noticed that her wattles grew in, became bright red, and now dulled down to the blackish color of her comb, which is fully grown in but hasn't reddened yet.
Thank you!
Last edited: