unusual behavior

[WatchTower]

Hello,

I am currently raising guinea fowl and I have a group that just started laying. They started last week and have yet to become real regular. I have one hen that I found laying in the house. She didn't get up and scoot like so many of the others do when I enter the bird house, so I went over to check her out. She was weak and seemed kinda exhausted. When I picked her up she finally got to her feet and wobbled off for a few feet and then just stood there. After a while she left the house but went maybe 10 to 15 feet and laid down again.

Maybe I am just being a worrier but she seems quite tired. I am thinking that this might have been her first egg and that she was just exhausted from laying it. Yes she did have an egg under her when I picked her up.

I checked her over and she doesn't seem to be having any issues. I put her back in the house and placed a small bowl of water near her just in case she was thirsty. I plan on keeping an eye on her but I was wondering if any of you have experienced similar things. Am I worrying over nothing or is this maybe a problem like being egg bound. I did not notice any of the other behaviors that one finds with an egg bound bird.

Thanks,
~ Sasha

 

[WatchTower]

Hello again,

Well I guess I don't need to worry about that hen anymore. I just went and checked on her and she was dead. I checked and didn't find an egg stuck in her and she showed no sign of any illness. The rest of my birds look to be fine except for gimpy, but I think she hurt her leg jumping down from the top of the roost earlier this week. I have seen no other unusual behavior from any of the other birds that would indicate illness. The only thing I can figure is that laying that egg just took too much out of her.

~ Sasha

 

[Imp]

Sorry you lost her. Sometimes that happens. The infamous "I have a lethargic chicken" Watch the rest for any signs of trouble.
Have you checked out Gimpy's foot for bumblefoot?

Welcome to BYC

Imp

 

[WatchTower]

I checked gimpy and it does not appear to be bumblefoot. The birds roost ontop of a wall and sometimes they don't like coming down in the mornings, so I have to encourage them to come down. Earlier in the week, Gimpy was ontop of the wall and she crashed hard when she came down. After that she was kinda limping around. I caught her and checked her for any breaks or wounds and there were none. I think she just banged herself up, but I am keeping an eye on her and the rest of the flock.

Oh by the way a flock of Guinea fowl is called a confusion.

~ Sasha

 

[Imp]

Sounds like you've got things under control.

Imp- a confusion

 

[ozark hen]

so sorry, I couldn't answer your question as I have not experienced that problem here.