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

[PickleLilli]

Hi everyone.

 

We took delivery of a purple cube last weekend and our first pair of chickens , Pickle & Lilli. After 5 days we let them out to roam the garden and they've had a lot of fun.

 

Today though, one of the girls seems a bit off colour. She's not following the other around very much, she's taken to sitting down and closing her eyes and is not at all interested in any treats.

 

Do they go quiet like this before they get ready to lay (we have only had them one week), or do you think there might be something amiss with the little darling. There's no sign of any problems with the eyes or nostrils or anything, so she looks in good health, just really quite lifeless compared to how she has been and certainly not eating as much.

 

Should we be worried??

[Egluntyne]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

 

Have you checked her over to make sure that her crop isn't blocked. Sometimes they go a bit mad when they start free ranging. Have a feel of it in the morning and see how it compares to her companions.

 

Is she pooing OK?

[PickleLilli]

Thanks for the reply. We'll check the crop in the morning, as you suggest.

 

She has had the odd loose poo, but not all the time.

 

What can we do if the crop is blocked? As mentioned, we are first time chicken keepers so have very little (none) experience!

[smokiechicken1969]

hi there, sorry to hear about your poorly chicken.

 

you'll get such amazing help and support on this site. i researched in books etc for a couple of months before i got my bunch, but when they arrived i realised i knew nothing.

 

 

the advice on here is so genuine and professional, i wish you the best of luck and im sure the fantastic omlet users will rally around and help get your girl back on her feet.

 

good luck

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum, PickleLilli (love your chickens' names, btw ).

 

I'm wondering if she is getting ready to lay? They can lay softies at the start which make them feel a bit off colour.

 

If it is her crop, there are various things you can do so let us know if that's what it is and you'll get loads of advice, I'm sure .

[Hen Watch]

She may be getting ready to lay or might be ill. It's difficult to tell (even for those of us who've had them ages).

 

You mention she doesn't want treats. That is a concern. Keep an eye on her and make sure she is eating and drinking. You can mix up warm water with her feed which they usually love, feed cucumber which is very watery, try and tempt her with some live yoghurt (just the bio stuff from the supermarket).

 

Let us know how she progresses.

[PickleLilli]

Thank you all for your advice and kind words of support.

 

I checked Pickle's crop this morning and it felt no different to Lilli's, so I'm hopeful that isn't the problem.

 

In fact, she appears much more lively this morning, and has been feeding and drinking regularly. We'll keep them in the run today just to keep an eye on her - if the crop did have a problem yesterday, I guess it might have passed through her in the night.

 

One of her nostrils was mucky this morning, I'm not sure if it was some form of discharge or whether she had been pecking at some poop, but we cleaned it off and it has remained clear all morning.

 

If she goes downhill, or anything else occurs over the next few days, we'll keep you posted.

 

Thanks again,

 

Lynda & Mark, proud keepers of Pickle and Lilli