- Oct 26, 2007
- 683
- 11
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I appreciate any input you can give me.
Kiwi is a 7 and 1/2 year old easter-egger. She was fine last night. My girls haven't laid eggs all summer. I just figured they were too old.
Lately, someone has laid a couple eggs. I'm not sure who it is, but Kiwi was in the nestbox yesterday, but no egg later.
This morning when I went to open the coop up, she was laying under the roost. I thought she was dead, but she just could move her legs.
I checked her over, thinking she might have a broken egg inside, but it didn't feel like she had anything in there (from the inside and outside).
Her crop is fine, her abdomen is not distended and her backside looks fine. She has a little bulge of skin under her vent, but I think its just a bit stretched out from 7 years of egg laying.
No mites. I've never wormed my chickens because they never seemed to need it.
I was going to put in some preparation H, but don't feel there's a need to.
It seems like its all her legs. They don't feel broken. She did walk a few steps in the crate I put her in, but then laid down.
She gets very floppy when I pick her up.
This is a real enigma to me.
They are in a very protected run and coop.
None of the 7 hens have seemed very active lately, spending most of their time sitting around in the coop, but I thought that was because of our recent cooler weather.
Any ideas? I've taken care of a number of chicken problems, so I feel proficient in assessment, but I'm confused about this one.
Thanks for any help you can give me!
Kiwi is a 7 and 1/2 year old easter-egger. She was fine last night. My girls haven't laid eggs all summer. I just figured they were too old.
Lately, someone has laid a couple eggs. I'm not sure who it is, but Kiwi was in the nestbox yesterday, but no egg later.
This morning when I went to open the coop up, she was laying under the roost. I thought she was dead, but she just could move her legs.
I checked her over, thinking she might have a broken egg inside, but it didn't feel like she had anything in there (from the inside and outside).
Her crop is fine, her abdomen is not distended and her backside looks fine. She has a little bulge of skin under her vent, but I think its just a bit stretched out from 7 years of egg laying.
No mites. I've never wormed my chickens because they never seemed to need it.
I was going to put in some preparation H, but don't feel there's a need to.
It seems like its all her legs. They don't feel broken. She did walk a few steps in the crate I put her in, but then laid down.
She gets very floppy when I pick her up.
This is a real enigma to me.
They are in a very protected run and coop.
None of the 7 hens have seemed very active lately, spending most of their time sitting around in the coop, but I thought that was because of our recent cooler weather.
Any ideas? I've taken care of a number of chicken problems, so I feel proficient in assessment, but I'm confused about this one.
Thanks for any help you can give me!
