[Debz]

One of my Warrens is not very happy today.  The girls are 24 weeks old and have laid eggs almost every day since I got them 4 weeks ago.  This morning Pearl came out the coop but instead of rushing to eat she just stood by the edge of the run.  She is now lying down instead of her usual nonsense.  Her poo looks normal (as far as I can tell with 3 girls).  Her comb is bright but she just seems sleepy and not at all herself.    They are only allowed to freerange when I am in the garden with them so they were playing out yesterday afternoon for an hour or so and she was fine.  Can you give me any advice please?

[SnooziSuzi]

could be a few things, Debz.

Is she holding her tail feathers down? When do you think she last laid?

I'd check her and her friends for lice and mites first as these can be quickly ruled out.  If she does have them then it can make them lethargic because the critters are litterally sucking the life out of her.  If so you'll need to treat her, the other hens and their house & bedding for them.  There's lots of threads on here about that so a quick search should come up with the answer on what to use / how to do it.

If she is free from passengers then feel along her tum and toward her back end underneath her.  Does it feel as if there's an egg in there?  If so, I'd be considering that she may be eggbound.  Again, there are lots of threads on what to do, including massaging the area, squirting warm olive oil in/around her vent to make the passage of the egg easier etc.

Failing that, if you think she's laid, and you know it's her poo that you've seen and it looks normal,  have you had any broken eggs laid?  If so then I'd suspect that if she's laid one and there's still broken eggshell insider her then it could be egg peritonitis.

Again, a search on any of these subjects will yeild previous responses and their outcomes.

Hope this helps and that she gets well soon  

[Foxy]

could be a few things, Debz.

Is she holding her tail feathers down? When do you think she last laid?

I'd check her and her friends for lice and mites first as these can be quickly ruled out.  If she does have them then it can make them lethargic because the critters are litterally sucking the life out of her.  If so you'll need to treat her, the other hens and their house & bedding for them.  There's lots of threads on here about that so a quick search should come up with the answer on what to use / how to do it.

If she is free from passengers then feel along her tum and toward her back end underneath her.  Does it feel as if there's an egg in there?  If so, I'd be considering that she may be eggbound.  Again, there are lots of threads on what to do, including massaging the area, squirting warm olive oil in/around her vent to make the passage of the egg easier etc.

Failing that, if you think she's laid, and you know it's her poo that you've seen and it looks normal,  have you had any broken eggs laid?  If so then I'd suspect that if she's laid one and there's still broken eggshell insider her then it could be egg peritonitis.

Again, a search on any of these subjects will yeild previous responses and their outcomes.

Hope this helps and that she gets well soon  

good advice SS !-one littlep point- wouldn't massage the area if it looks like she has an egg there as you might run the risk of breaking the egg inside which can cause problems.
A good indicator of egglaying being the cause of her glum mood is irregular laying recently or odd eggs e.g soft shelled ones!

[chookiepaula]

If you think she may be eggbound get her isolated ideally on a heat pad or a least in the warm. If an egg is stuck this can help relax muscles and allow egg out. Olive oil can be used although water based lubricants can work better as re-hydrate the surrounding tissue rather than just make is slippery. KY Jelly is the best (!)

If you dont think she is egg bound I would be tempted to do the same (without lubrication!) Also encourage her to drink water if possible.

Chickens as Im sure you know go downhill quickly, they are a prey species so will hide their illness as long as possible, so by the time we notice can often be quite far along.

Is her body condition good elsewhere ie. comb colour etc?

[Debz]

Many thanks for all your advice and suggestions.  She has laid every day since I got her four weeks ago and only missed one day in all those weeks.  Her comb is bright and she is not overly warm compared to the other girls.  I did have a look over her for crawlies and thankfully did not see any.  The good news is that she is much brighter this evening and is eating a bit of corn.  They are such a worry when you can't see an obvious ailment.  I just love my girls to bits even after this short time! :roll:

[SnooziSuzi]

could be a few things, Debz.

Is she holding her tail feathers down? When do you think she last laid?

I'd check her and her friends for lice and mites first as these can be quickly ruled out.  If she does have them then it can make them lethargic because the critters are litterally sucking the life out of her.  If so you'll need to treat her, the other hens and their house & bedding for them.  There's lots of threads on here about that so a quick search should come up with the answer on what to use / how to do it.

If she is free from passengers then feel along her tum and toward her back end underneath her.  Does it feel as if there's an egg in there?  If so, I'd be considering that she may be eggbound.  Again, there are lots of threads on what to do, including massaging the area, squirting warm olive oil in/around her vent to make the passage of the egg easier etc.

Failing that, if you think she's laid, and you know it's her poo that you've seen and it looks normal,  have you had any broken eggs laid?  If so then I'd suspect that if she's laid one and there's still broken eggshell insider her then it could be egg peritonitis.

Again, a search on any of these subjects will yeild previous responses and their outcomes.

Hope this helps and that she gets well soon  

good advice SS !-one littlep point- wouldn't massage the area if it looks like she has an egg there as you might run the risk of breaking the egg inside which can cause problems.
A good indicator of egglaying being the cause of her glum mood is irregular laying recently or odd eggs e.g soft shelled ones!

Well spotted Foxy  :oops: