[Catsmuvva]

Bobby, my copper black Marans, last laid about a week ago (to my knowledge). She's just over a year old and hasn't been through her first moult yet.

At first I thought maybe she'd found somewhere else to lay but I haven't managed to find her stash. She would sit in the nest box for a while & leave without laying. A couple of days ago I trimmed some of the feathers below her vent as they were a bit messy - she's not the sort of bird that would tolerate a bath to soak it off.

Today I'm concerned as she's got an empty crop and her abdomen is slightly swollen, I'm thinking (but hoping not) it may be EYP. I've shut her back in the run and given her pellets with poultry spice & a smidge of olive oil and, obviously, water, in the hopes that she will at least eat. She's been out grazing with the others already and otherwise seems normal, although she's pretty miffed that I've shut her in.

I've made an appointment with the vet for this afternoon but until then is there anything else I can do?

Thanks.

[kegs]

I'd at least try giving her a bath even for a short while.  You could trying calming her down by putting a cloth or large sock over her head which would give you the chance to check her vent.  Would you be able to use some lubricating jelly and have a gentle probe about?   Then afterwards dry her feathers with a hairdrier on a gentle setting.

Good luck and I hope the visit to the vet is helpful.

[Catsmuvva]

The good news is it doesn't appear to be EYP 

It may simply be that she's heading for a moult (the thing I hoped for) but the vet's taken a stool sample just to check for anything untoward. She's got a bit of fluid build-up but after aspirating her abdomen the vet's not concerned it's anything nasty, although he says she's a bit slack - goodness, what a thing to say about poor Bobby!   

She had quite a bit to eat during the morning and the vet is happy that she's passing stuff ok. I'm glad I went - having lost 2 girls to EYP in the past I felt it was better to be safe than sorry (even if I do look a bit of an old mother hen!)

[joyfull]

So pleased that it doesn't appear to be EYP, fingers crossed her sample comes back clear 

[Catsmuvva]

Thanks Joy 

Ironically Patches has started her moult, shedding feathers like they're so yesterday, dahling - 6 tail feathers just this afternoon! Oh, and the other girls have gone on strike today - not one egg...

[joyfull]

better they moult now rather than being thread bare in the middle of winter like normal