What's the matter with my hen?

[Vicky2479]

Hi everybody, I am really worried about one of my hens, she is seemed to be waddling and holding her tail really low, she seems quite puffy in her belly but I can't feel any hard lumps to suggest an egg, she has laid in at least a week though, can any one help me out?

 

[Gargoyle]

Are all of her feathers puffy? That can be a sign of stress or infection.
The more info and description you can give, the easier it will be for people to help diagnose.

 

[Vicky2479]

i promise she has a head, she was just pecking at some feed, but as you can see she is almost laying down. her feathers arent fluffy and she is still eating, i have seen her poop twice this morning. the only other thing i have noticed is her ear lobes look like they have a white patches

 

[Vicky2479]

I just had a quick feel in her vent and couldn't feel any egg stuck but was a little worried about going to far in, she did feel quite hot but again not sure if that is normal

 

[Vicky2479]

Anyone have an idea?

 

[RoxyBird]

Poor baby, she looks like she has a painful or at least full and uncomfortable abdomen. Best analogy I can think of: when your pants are a size too small (like after a holiday dinner!) it's more comfortable to sit up straight than to slouch... that's the posture she's using. I think the fact that she is eating and pooping is a good sign for the digestive system though. Is the poo fairly normal? Her weight normal? No signs of worms?

I haven't encountered this issue personally but it looks like there are a few threads out there on it. There's some interesting info on this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/4667/chicken-walks-funny-holds-tail-down-doesnt-eat

Does her crop feel normal?

If the digestive stuff seems OK and she is eating OK, I would be very suspicious of internal reproductive tract issues- especially if she has stopped laying and there doesn't seem to be an egg stuck (keep in mind though, any medical or other stress can cause them to stop laying). I have not personally dealt with a hen who is "internally laying" but that might be a good search term to use on the forum? Or, maybe she just has an ouchy infection and needs some penicillin?

It's normal for their temperature to be warmer than with a human (I think around 103F is normal). You can check pretty easily with a medical type rectal thermometer. They can run fevers, but I'd think she'd be a bit more fluffed up and miserable looking if she was that sick.

I wouldn't be too shy about feeling around for an egg (as far in as necessary)- just be gentle/don't force anything... ya know, common sense . You might be able to palpate gently for an egg externally too- might be able to feel it if it's low in her reproductive tract.

I hope this is some help at least- and that it resolves on its own. She's a pretty girl

 

[Vicky2479]

Thankyou roxybird, I checked vent again but couldn't feel any thing, she is still walking like a duck and when I went to lock them up for the night she is in the nest box. Her belly is still really swollen and she wasn't to impressed with me massaging her while in the bath. I will probably take her to the vet tomorrow.

 

[ladytoysdream]

She probably ate something she should not have eaten.
You may want to separate her from the rest of the flock till she feels better.

Not sure how to fix the problem, but she may have a impacted crop.
What have you been feeding them ?

 

[Gargoyle]

She probably ate something she should not have eaten.

If she ate something bad, a molasses flush seems to help clear out the toxins and restore strength.

 

[RoxyBird]

Is she doing any better?