4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[nicolaf]

One of our Omlet Gingernuts has become very slow, head/neck sunken and looking very plump and ruffled with tail feathers dipping.

 

We brought 2 gingernuts and 2 pepperpots at 22 weeks at the beginning of may and immediately they all started laying.

 

I have looked and looked for info from other threads and the only thing (i keep coming back to is a swollen crop and am now grasping at straw but something is definately up. She is one unhappy lady, is the biggest of the two gingernuts and if anything a little on the large side compared to the others as they are of the same age.

 

As a newbee to chucks - any ideas gratefully recieved???

 

Also - any reviews or thoughts on the small bird kit for eglu's? We are due 4 bantams shortly and have been thinking about baby proofing their home

 

Many thanks

 

nicolaf

 

home to:

 

Spiderman

Spiderman2

Ben 10

Daa

Frenchie

Edited June 5, 2009 by Guest

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum, Nicolaf . I know this is your first "welcome" post but if you don't mind, I'll pop it into the "Chicken Clinic" section. You should get more help there as more forum members hang out there .

[Budgies]

Hi Nicolaf, welcome to the forum.

 

Sorry you're having problems. She's obviously feeling unwell.

 

When you say you keep coming back to a swollen crop, is that what you think the problem might be? If she has sour crop, she'll feel squishy at the front of her breast, and her breath will be horrible.

 

If not, then two things spring to mind (1) she might be about to lay a soft shelled egg, which makes them feel really ill, or (2) has she laid at all recently?

 

If she hasn't laid lately, and because you say she seems bigger, can you feel her underneath, sort of between her legs and back up the underside of her body towards her vent. Is she feeling hot, fluidy or swollen?

 

Let us know what you find.

[nicolaf]

Hi

 

Can't feel any swelling or that she feels particularly hot in the areas mentioned.

 

We have 5 hens in total and its a bit difficult to tell exactly who has/hasnt laid as 3 are gingernuts with similar egg colours however we have only been getting 4 out of 5 for the last week or so.

 

She had some olive oil this morning, is still eating and drinking - not sure what else to try?

 

[Budgies]

Morning Nicolaf, sounds like it's a bit difficult to tell what's going on. If she's not got a hard crop this morning and it's feeling empty then you don't need to keep putting olive oil into her - that's mostly to help lubricate an obstruction.

 

My next thought then is have you wormed them recently?

 

Most people on this forum (and their vets) recommend worming regularly (up to four times a year) with Flubenvet mixed into their feed for a seven day course. Whilst there are other wormers, many aren't as efficient, and Flubenvet is proven to work in chickens.

[Redwing]

I hope your hen gets better soon poor thing, as Budgies says it could be a soft egg on the way, they do look like that when one is in their system