Update* 10/21 hurt leg better and she laid an egg!!!

[oesdog]

Quote:
Good well pleased for you. Give her time and rest and plenty of love and she will rally!!!!

Oesdog

 

[noodleroo]

Thank you, Oesdog. I'm seeing improvement each day. Today I put her in a warm epsom salt 'bath' and washed her hiney really good too. I dried her off with paper towels and let her stand/limp in the sun for about an hour. I think she enjoyed the soak and the magnesium in the epsom salt should help her, especially if its a bone issue. (Its still pretty hot here in south Texas; almost 90 degrees during the day so she didn't get chilled.) I've come to the conclusion that she must have hurt herself getting off the roost. I'm keeping here here at the house so that won't happen again. She's so sweet...

 

[oesdog]

Quote:
Well you said she is new to you so your roosting bars and all she has to deal with is also new to her.

You are lucky - I lost my girl Eleanor ( Beautiful New Hampshire Red) through an accident in the coop. She fell or hit her head off the top but she was dead in the morning when I went in. She had brocken her neck. We really don;t know how it happened. Some suggest Murder in the hen house! Gerty and Isobella are still acused!!!!!!

Hope your girl gets well - she just needs extra love right now.

Oesdog

 

[noodleroo]

Background info: This is day nine after I got this hen. We think she may have injured her leg or hip when she jumped or fell off the roost. The first few days she wouldn't stand then she would stand and now shes limping around pretty well. I gave her an epsom salt sitz bath yesterday.

Today she was sitting in the tractor with her mouth slightly open (like my BOs do when they're hot) and her breathing seemed a little more labored. I got her out to watch her and she limped aroung and ate grass and pecked the dirt (like any chicken) and seemed fine. I lubricated her vent with oil and massaged her abdomen. I couldn't feel an egg and all the bones felt in place and what I would guess they feel like. She really seemed to enjoy the massage; really relaxing and almost going to sleep!

How long can a chicken go with an egg still inside her? Could it be that she just isn't laying eggs right now? She is eating, drinking, pooping like normal. I just don't want to miss anything...

 

[noodleroo]

10/18; still no egg, but she's getting around better. This makes day 10 with no egg, but I can't feel one inside her either. How long can a chicken go without laying? I expected her to stop laying for a few days when we got her, and then the injury happened; she was laying before we got her accoring to her previous owner. The only time she looked at all stressed was yesterday when she was breathing with her beak open a little. And that may have been because it was hot outside. Anybody have any other ideas?

 

[oesdog]

Well my girls have not laid for best part of three weeks now. I guess some of them are moulting. One has moulted since June!!!!( No eggs from her most of that time!!!!) I got an egg a few days ago not sure who laid it though??? So my ladies have not laid in an age!!! Maybe your girl is on the moult - some don;t lose all their feathers they just look a wee bit worse for wear for a few days. Maybe her injury brought it on???? Sometimes stress can cause them to stop laying.

Nothing you can do just give her love and wait!!! Remember its all new to her in your place so with that and being hurt she has had a lot to deal with.
Be patient - maybe tomorrow?????? Give her loads of nice treat with added protien like eggs and yogurt!


Oesdog

 

[noodleroo]

Quote:
Thank you for the support. She's better every day, just no egg. I can definately give her love and wait. I think I feel the need to do everything I can because I feel guilty that she got hurt. I know that these things happen, but I'm so careful with my pets and try to take really good care of them. Thanks again...

 

[noodleroo]

Update 10/20:
She's walking better every day. Still no eggs but she's obviously NOT egg bound. I guess she's just not laying right now. My next question is should I wait until she is completely recovered to integrate her with the others, unsupervised? I've been letting her out of the tractor to get some exercise in the yard with the others (4 hens) but only with me staying right beside her to avoid any conflicts. What do yall think?

 

[oesdog]

Make sure she is perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Honestly chickens no matter how nice they are will attack the weakest and that is why we get the term pecking order!!!!
She has to be able to protect herself and you don;t want them hurting her or pushing her off roosting bars etc as then you will be back to square one!!
Make sure she is using the legs as good as the others and give her plenty of Protine - boiled egg crushed up with shells and yogurt - treats like these ( Just for her) to biuld her up and encourage egg laying!!!!!!! You could pull one chircj out to keep her company and give her a little bit of help to get back to the group. Pick an easy going bird!!!!!

Good job well done!!!!!!!
Oesdog

 

[noodleroo]

Thank you again, Oesdog. That is what my intuition was telling me, I guess I'm just anxious for her to 'be one with the flock'.

I didn't explain earlier that I put her in the tractor with my 2 wk old chicks that I'm growing out for the flock at the bay (property we have with other chickens, cattle, etc.) so she's not by herself. But she does look like she wants to freerange with the big girls. She's never gotten to do that; she has always been in a pen before I got her. I'll be patient and make sure she is perfect before I integrate.

We also have another dynamic that I think I'll start another thread with. I've decided to switch roos. The one in the back yard is a SLW and the one at the bay, the by far much tamer and more gentlemanly Buff Orp. roo are trading places so I have questions about that switch and the flock dynamics. Chicken drama....