Keeping my lone hen warm

[Suzy]

Hi, Regan, our head chicken came out of the eglu this morning not looking right.

 

They have a couple of grapes chopped on the top of their porridge and she ignored these. I picked up a piece of grape and she refused it - this is unheard of. She walked off and stood, hunched up and shut her eyes. She then passed some clear liquid and then walked off again.

 

To me, it looked like a big of egg white but quite liquid (sorry) so I assumed she's in the process of having a softee.

 

I went out an hour later and she looked a bit perkier. She had a small piece of grape but then went back to looking hunched up about an hour later when I looked out the window.

 

It sounds like a softee but I don't want to assume it is and be missing something more serious.

 

We've had 2 eggs so far today but even after 6 months I'm not quite sure who lays what so I know someone hasn't laid, but not sure who has.

 

We've had softees in the past, but again I've never really been 100% sure who has laid them so not a great help...

 

They've been wormed, vermexed and eat exbatt crumbs like there's no tomorrow, have plenty of water.

 

Any thoughts gratefully appreciated....

 

Thanks, Suzy

[sandyhas3chucks]

unfortunately Suzy I have had more than my fair share.....

mine CAN take all day to pass the softee, followed bysome time in the night or next morning for a chewing gum shell, sometimes passed on ownn or at same sort of time as next egg.

hope that helps. Also drink loads, to start with... neer eat!

[Suzy]

Thanks Sandy. I've been keeping an eye on here out of my office window and she's currently ferreting around and seems back with it. She looked a lot more enthusiastic when I went out to see her earlier and check the nest again at lunchtime. There was a lot of wet straw in the nestbox so it looks like it was a softee. I'm glad if that's all it is but the poor thing looked really miserable for most of the morning!

 

I'll keep an eye out for any chewing gum type shells. Thanks for the reassurance.