[sminky]

Hi everyone
I'm new to this forum and have a question I hope you can help with.
We had 4 chickens which came to live with us in January, but sadly one of them died last week (not really sure why she seemed fine on Saturday, a bit tired looking on Sunday and was dead by Monday afternoon)
Anyhow the remaining 3 look great and have been laying every day, until Sunday when one of them laid a normal egg & a soft shell, and since then only 2 of the birds have laid.

Can you give me suggestions as to whether or not there is a problem with one of our hens. TBH I'm not 100% certain which one it is as 2 of them lay eggs which look the same, but I think it's Ruby the ranger. Also yesterday when I picked her up she felt skinnier and her breast bone seemed really prominent so I'm sure she's lost a bit of weight. I'm collecting some verm-x on my way home this afternoon.

Thanks for your help.

Nikki

[poultrygeist]

Hi Nikki.

Can you give a bit more info about them please.

Are their combs nice and red (not pale) ?
Do they have dirty bums ?
Are they wheezing at all ?
Is there any discharge from nose or eyes ?
Could you feel underneath near the vent for any lumps in case there's a stuck egg ?
Could you feel under their wings to see if one feels warmer than the others ?

If you've lost one and the others are less than perfect, it may be that they have a viral infection.
Verm-x may not be the best thing for them. It's a herbal wormer that flushes out their digestive system.
Flubenvet is a poultry wormer that kills gut and respiratory worms. If they have worms, it would be a more definite solution.

Rob

[sminky]

Hi
some more detail
Ruby has a bit of white poo staining feathers under the vent, but I can't feel any hard lumps. No discharge or wheezing and combs nice & red. They all seem perky and have just been foraging around the garden as usual and all seem to be eating fine. But it's now 3 days without an egg from one of them and they were all laying daily till this week.
I'm getting a bit concerned.

[poultrygeist]

Do they have access to oyster shell and grit Nikki ?

From what you say, they don't sound overweight. They could be deficient in minerals or vitamins but I wouldn't know what to look for.
Taking a break is, in itself, not a great problem but for them all to do it is a concern.
I wonder if they're all missing their playmate ?
 Might have unsettled them a wee bit. All I can think of.

Rob

[sminky]

Yes they have oyster shell, grit & I give them crushed egg shell too. They also get to forage in the garden for a few hours every day with main food being pellets.  As I said they look bright enough.
Sorry I think I've confused you, only one has stopped laying (just not 100% sure which one). Have had 2 eggs instead of 3 all week (but it was nicer getting 4 )
I wondered if they may be missing Snowy, it happened last Monday so maybe they are still pining a bit. All 4 of them would snuggle into the dust bath they've dug themselves and they all got on well together.

[poultrygeist]

Sorry, my fault for not reading properly.

Could just be that. May have upset the pecking order a bit too. I think chicken psychology is more complex than many would imagine.
Her weight is something you'll have to keep an eye on. With not knowing what your other hen died from, there could be something infectious waiting to materialise.

Keep us updated and maybe something with more experience/knowledge can offer some advice.

Rob

[sminky]

Thanks. I'll be keeping a close eye on them & hope nothing develops.

[sminky]

YAY got 3 eggs today 
They all seem fine still so maybe she was just having a rest.