[Elida]

Hi my hen looks really poorly and looks like a penguin in the way its standing and is walking really slowly, very dosile had a feel up its vent, cant feel any egg is eating and drinking and also keeps leaning back  :?:

[agapanthus]

Give the hen a good check over......eyes, crop, breath and breathing. Any chance it might have got to any poison?

[Aunt Sally]

A penguine gait can be a sign of egg peritonitis.  

Is she laying eggs ?

Is her abdomen swollen (the fluffy bit below her vent) ?

[Elida]

A penguine gait can be a sign of egg peritonitis.  

Is she laying eggs ?

Is her abdomen swollen (the fluffy bit below her vent) ?

Hi No she not lying any eggs we have stopped giving lyers pellets for a couple of months as she is an ex bat and they told us to fed just corn
and yes to the swollen abdomenn even the vent area is all swollen now, shes looking really poorly  :cry:

[compostqueen]

I don't think they're supposed to have just corn  :shock:

Aunt Sal will know for sure though but that doesn't sound right

[Vember]

Hi Elida

Is the vent sticking out ?

Sarah

[agapanthus]

I don't think they're supposed to have just corn  :shock:

Aunt Sal will know for sure though but that doesn't sound right

No they are not....it makes them fat and lazy. She should have a well balanced diet like all things. A mixture of layers (whether they are laying or not) some fresh greens oyster shell and a bit of grit. Have a good but gentle feel around her abdomen.....if she is egg-bound you would feel a hard lump. What about her breath??? Does it smell?? Perhaps the maize only diet is having an effect on her. Try giving her a small amount of cider vinegar into her water...this might help a bit but you should really change her diet.

[Foxy]

Does her tummy feel squashy as well as swollen? How is her breathing -does it sound laboured and heavy? These would also indicate egg peritonitis. This means the fluid part of the egg have been laid inside the hen causing peritonitis. It could also be an egg has broken inside and there are more eggs sort off backed up in there.
These are a couple of thoughts however at this point best thing is to to take her ASAP to a vet -if she has been like this for a while then she is suffering.

[Aunt Sally]

Good advice from Aggy and Foxy.  Hope she makes a good recovery

[Elida]

:cry: Hi thanks for the advise every one but she's died, my husband did an autopsy and she was pack with what looks like solid hard boiled egg yellow, now i'm worried about my other girls, we have been feeding then mixed corn vegies & fruit and our left over tea they also have full free range over our garden the only thing we havent given them is layer pellets and none of them have laid any eggs over the last couple of days could this be a one off as all the girls look healthy and happy

[Parsnip]

Oh! I'm sorry about your Chuck, i dont have chickens ( yet) so can't offer any help, I'm sorry... :cry:

[Vember]

Hi Elida

So Sorry you lost her  :cry:
I'm no expert but sounds like it might have been peritonitis :?


I would imagine this to be a one off, but I would get them on to layers pellets though

Sarah

[Aunt Sally]

I thought it sounded like egg peritonitis.  

I'd switch them to layers pellets.  Have the pellets availableto the hens ALL the time and gradually reduce the feed you are giving them over the course of a week or so.

[Kate and her Ducks]

So sorry your hen died but really impressed that you could bring yourself to do an autopsy to get some more information.
Sounds like you need to get them onto layers pellets.