Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: foggle007 on August 25, 2008, 13:02
-
We have a hen that for sometime now seems slightly unwell. Not so much unwell but very lethargic. It is surprisingly heavy and just flops down every so often. She eats and drinks fine and doesn't seem to have any other problems. She has a bright red comb and I'm sure she potentially should be laying now although I'm not exactly sure how old she is. What should I be looking for if she is eggbound? I've been given snippets of advice and this is why I believe this could be the problem.
-
Hi foggle.
What is your feed regime ?
ie. what and how often ?
Rob 8)
-
If she's eggbound, you shouls be able to feel the egg as a hard lump through her abdomen. Somewhere beteen her breast and vent.
If you think you can feel something or still suspect, you can make an internal examination by lubing a finger and sliding into her vent to feel the egg. Never done it, but read about it several times.
If she's very heavy, it may be that she's overweight which could stop her laying eggs. If you feed her lots of treats, including corn, she could pile on the pounds and become lethargic.
Rob 8)
-
To be honest she doesn't eat anymore than the other hens. We have 15 altogether and we feed them layers mash and a poultry mix. She is the only one that seems to have any problems. Will probably try an examination of her vent to sse what's going on. Cheers
-
Good luck with it. Report back with any further info and someone will be able to advise.
Rob 8)