Chicken boarders

[Dilys]

Yesterday morning my hen seemed a little under the weather but picked up by midday and acted and ate normally, apart from the fact that she didn't lay (sometimes she'll miss a day now and again). Today she has spent all day standing up, hasn't eaten but has drunk quite a bit, and still hasn't laid. She isn't wheezy, her comb is red, her eyes are bright, but her feathers are ruffled up and she isn't moving. I've bathed her in warm water and put vaseline round the vent in case she's eggbound, but no result after several hours. No sign of lice around the vent, her droppings are a bit watery but nothing too bad. Has anyone any ideas what may be wrong with her?

[Medwriter]

Sounds as though she has a soft-shelled egg on the way. They can look really hunched up and miserable for a day beforehand - one of my girls had my chicken-sitting neighbour so worried last year I got a frantic phone call while on holiday telling me she was dying. If it is a softie she will perk up very quickly after it is laid. The warm bath may have helped to get things moving.

 

Hope she is OK.

[Dilys]

Sounds as though she has a soft-shelled egg on the way. They can look really hunched up and miserable for a day beforehand - one of my girls had my chicken-sitting neighbour so worried last year I got a frantic phone call while on holiday telling me she was dying. If it is a softie she will perk up very quickly after it is laid. The warm bath may have helped to get things moving.

 

Hope she is OK.

 

Thanks, Medwriter - we have had quite a few soft eggs off her before, but a week ago we found just the yolk had been laid, and the soft shell was still inside her, half of it sticking out of the vent; when I managed to gently pull it out she was fine. Maybe it's a similar thing - let's hope she manages to expel it if so, otherwise it's the vets tomorrow.

[Medwriter]

I have also had to remove bits of 'empty' shell on a couple of occasions in the past from Holly who frequently laid softies! I was on the point of taking her to the vet, but then she seemed to sort herself out. Fortunately, it looks like she has now reached the henopause, so although I don't get eggs any more I don't have the worry either.

[Dilys]

Just to finish off - yesterday morning we found she had passed two things: one was tiny (as big as my thumb nail), white,egg-shaped but soft although very dense, the other was almost the same size, very misshapen, hard and looked like a piece of stale luncheon meat !No idea what they are, but she seems to have picked up well and is acting and eating normally again, thank goodness. I suppose the crunch will come when she comes to lay an egg again, but fingers crossed.

[Egluntyne]

She has laid a **'Lash'**.

 

Better out than in.