Ammonia smell in coop-first time owner

[Dingle76]

Hello All

 

I have had 3 ex-bats for about 2 months now and they are looking lovely and perky and doing well but a lady on our allotment got 13 ex-bats 2 weeks ago and today one is looking a bit peeky. I am still learning about chicken health and trying to vary their diet and give them chicken tonic and yoghurt etc but as this chicken is a bit of a worry I wondered if anyone more experienced had any thoughts whilst I am still investigating on the internet.

 

The situation is:-

1. She is a particularly scraggy ex-bat, no feathers on her back or chest, very skinny. She had a very sore bottom when she came and we have been putting cream on her bottom and suntan lotion on her back to protect from the heat at the moment

3. Today she stayed in the coop all day sitting down

4. We took her out and she managed a tiny walk and has since gone back in

5. She had a little bit of strawberry and yoghurt

6. I am worried that she may not have had a drink because she has not really been out

7. The skin in front of her crop is purple-ish and feels quite hard

8. The front of her neck is extremely dry

9. Her comb is extremely dry

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

Thank you,

Angela

[Egluntyne]

I'd advise your friend to do a **basic health check** first f all to see if anything out of the ordinary for this hen shows up.

 

I'd pay most attention to her crop. If it is solid, she could have an impaction. If it is still full in the morning then that is likely.

 

I suppose there is a very vague possibility that she might have gone broody.

[Dingle76]

Thank you. Impacted Crop was my first thought after I had investigated it further.

Thanks for the health check page too