Tally isn't feeling well - should we go to the vet?

[Accidental Chicken Mom]

I'm wondering if a vet visit would be in order for Tally (Barred Plymouth Rock on my shoulder in bio pic.) The past couple of weeks we've seen Henny Penny (our rooster - long story) bully her a couple of times, and as you can see in the photo, she's lost feathers on her head in addition to a growing patch on her back. Others have back bald spots but their heads are fine. About a week ago she laid a soft egg. We had a few soft eggs earlier in the summer when it was sweltering, but the weather's been pleasant the past couple of weeks. She's laid a couple of normal ones since, and then no egg for 4 days - unusual for her.

Thursday she was droopy with tail down and tried that night to roost in the small coop where the young gals sleep instead of the one with Henny (rooster) and other 2 gals her age. They shooed her out and she went back over to the "big people."

Since she was droopy Friday, I did some reading here, then around 6 pm palpated her crop and it seemed fine, gave her 600 mg of Calcium Citrate and put her in a crate by herself. Offered her electrolyte water, scrambled egg and regular feed, but she didn't eat. Had diarrhea overnight.

She seemed perky again yesterday (Saturday) morning so we let her out to free range with flock. When we gave everyone treats yesterday afternoon, Henny pecked at Tally when she reached for some. Last night she slept on a perching bar outside of enclosed sleeping area vs with Henny and other gals her age and had diahhrea.

Note: we've seen her eat some things that might cause tummy upset?? like an unlucky vole or mole about a week ago.

This morning (Sunday) we saw Henny be rough with her in the run before we let them out to free range. So, I gave Tally another 600 mg of Calcium Citrate and put her in the crate. She drank quite a bit of electrolyte water. Also left her a bit of yogurt and some regular feed. Came back a couple of hours later and she hadn't touched the yogurt but greedily ate 1/3 of a scrambled egg.

An hour later I checked in she'd thrown up, but again greedily ate another 1/3 of a scrambled egg. I checked again just now (1.5 hrs since last time) and she’d thrown up the second bit of eggs. I offered her a tiny bit more egg which she again ate greedily. She’s drinking electrolyte water (Flock Fixer by Strong Animals) Appetite is good but throwing up is troubling. What now?

Would you take her to the vet? Or take a stool sample? I found one who specializes in poultry, but of course don't want to unnecessarily traumatize Tally... and the cost is an issue. But they're pets vs. livestock for us and we want to care for them as such. Vet's closed on Sundays but I could call in the morning if necessary?

If she's doing better tomorrow, the crate's in separate fenced area we could keep Tally in for a few days where everyone could see each other, and then put back in the crate at night. Before putting back out with the whole gang, trim Henny's nails and blunt his spurs. Put a saddle on her.

If she's not better in the morning, vet? What would you do?

I have to go out of town for 3 days starting Wednesday morning so really want this sorted before. I work at home, so check on the flock regularly, my husband is only here when he gets back from work so not so available...

 

[nuthatched]

Sounds like a crop issue.
Chickens don't throw up, but if it a crop issue, there's no place for the food to go.
What's her diet?

 

[Accidental Chicken Mom]

Sounds like a crop issue.
Chickens don't throw up, but if it a crop issue, there's no place for the food to go.
What's her diet?

Hi. Thank you so much for weighing in! Gosh, I didn't know that. What would be the liquid with little flecks of egg in it? Her normal diet is organic 18% whole grain grower food from Mile Four with calcium on side, a tiny bit of mealy worms and occasional watermelon/cantaloupe treats. She also free ranges, so bugs and such. My husband saw her catch a mole/vole a bit over a week ago. I palpated her neck/chest and didn't feel a lump?

 

[nuthatched]

Hi. Thank you so much for weighing in! Gosh, I didn't know that. What would be the liquid with little flecks of egg in it? Her normal diet is organic 18% whole grain grower food from Mile Four with calcium on side, a tiny bit of mealy worms and occasional watermelon/cantaloupe treats. She also free ranges, so bugs and such. My husband saw her catch a mole/vole a bit over a week ago. I palpated her neck/chest and didn't feel a lump?

The liquid with eggs is crop regurgitation.
No crop at all? That's strange.

 

[Accidental Chicken Mom]

Oh that's what it's called - thank you!

I may be feeling in the wrong spot... I imagine a vet visit is the only way to know for sure.

Should I give her some sugar water to get some calories in her then if no food is getting through?

 

[nuthatched]

Oh that's what it's called - thank you!

I may be feeling in the wrong spot... I imagine a vet visit is the only way to know for sure.

Should I give her some sugar water to get some calories in her then if no food is getting through?

Unless your vet knows regularly sees birds, I'd skip it. Most vets are clueless about chickens.
You can give her warm water with an egg yolk and a pinch of sugar mixed in.
The crop should be left of the keel bone, and slightly up.

 

[Accidental Chicken Mom]

Unless your vet knows regularly sees birds, I'd skip it. Most vets are clueless about chickens.
You can give her warm water with an egg yolk and a pinch of sugar mixed in.
The crop should be left of the keel bone, and slightly up.

I will try that! thank you. I have researched a vet that specializes in poultry.

 

[coach723]

How old is she? Any signs she's starting molt, any pin feathers coming in anywhere? Does she have access to grit? What do droppings look like? She laid 4 days ago a normal egg?
The feather loss/bare spots on the head and back are probably rooster damage from being mounted.

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like she is having some reproductive disorder with the soft eggs. Hens may have some loose droppings and loss of appetite. The calcium might help if given once a day for a week or so. There could also be some stress in the flock, which also can affect egg laying. I don’t fool with vets, since there are none locally who know much about them. Some will do a lot of lab or X-rays which are very expensive, and these sort of things are common in some hens. They may have a crop slowdown from pressure inside the abdomen, which could be internal laying or infection. So I would check her crop in early morning before she eats when the crop should be empty.

 

[Accidental Chicken Mom]

How old is she? Any signs she's starting molt, any pin feathers coming in anywhere? Does she have access to grit? What do droppings look like? She laid 4 days ago a normal egg?
The feather loss/bare spots on the head and back are probably rooster damage from being mounted.
View attachment 3649884

Hi and thank you. Tally is one year and 2 weeks old. No sign of molting that I can see. Yes, she has access to grit and 2 kinds of calcium. She laid a squishy egg last Sunday, skipped a day, laid normal eggs Tues/Weds/Thursday and nothing since then. It's rare for her to skip more than a single day between eggs. Yes for sure about rooster damage - other hens have it on their back, just not their heads. I can't see or feel a crop - she hasn't eaten properly in a couple of days except trying some scrambled eggs today that came back up even though fed in small bits with an hour between each bit.