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

[KateB]

If anyone could offer me any advice I'd be very grateful...

 

I've had my buff Orpington for over a year now and she's been laying fairly regularly. She's been broody twice this summer with the last spell finishing a couple of weeks ago but I don't think she's started to lay again and has started to lose her feathers in the last week so I'm assuming she's started to moult. The last few days I've noticed that she's been spending more time in the Eglu, perching just inside looking down the ladder. I just assumed that she was thinking about going broody again or that it was just coincidence that I kept catching her up there as she'd always jump down and dig into any treats etc or if I came to fill their food or water up she'd come down and say hello... She's been eating and drinking normally as far as I'm aware - that's to say that I've definitely seen her doing both regularly. I've just cleaned the run and eglu out and whilst she was wandering around the garden I noticed that her vent was very dark and on closer inspection it looked like dried blood. She's never had any feathers around her vent (don't ask me why, I have no idea, it's always been bald!) but the skin there is all pucked and wrinkly too... Her comb is a pale but her tail is up and she is continuing to be 'top hen' in terms of the pecking order. When I was emptying the litter trays out I noticed that at the back of one there was quite a lot of jelly like blood and further forward there was an egg that has been laid over the roosting bars and slipped through and broken.

 

I have no idea what could be wrong with her... Anyone have any ideas? I'm considering taking her to the vets but my past experiences of several vets (close to Bishop's Stortford, Herts) in this area has been rather dismal to say the least... I've popped her back in the run and she's eating as I type...

 

Help! x

[sandyhas3chucks]

I had this it is horrid to find!

My girl goes into over lay quite often, laying a normal followed one day by 3 softees for about 2 days on this occasion. Then as you describe.

It was suggested that I stop ALL treats, no protein only mixed corn to try and slow her down, also to reduce her daylight(not so easy, but put her to bed half hour sooner that she would normally go & keep the Eglu darkened and up a bit later.

She still lays softees and sometimes the ok egg, even with the appropriate supplements.

But at least only one egg per day now, my understanding is that they can prolapse a bit when trying to push a softee, Hence the blood!

Keep an eye on her but if you are still worried pop her to the vet.

If you think there may be fresh blood remove her fro the others, or they will peck at her.

[KateB]

Thank you so much for your reply... She seems the same again today - no blood so far but am just keeping a close eye on her...

[Egluntyne]

Have you wormed her recently? A cargo of worms would cause her to go off lay.