[kzaba]

HI I have a few ex battery hens as pets. One of my girls is worrying me.

She runs up when I go out to feed them, but then she just looks at me. its almost as if she doesn't recognize the food any more. She is even ignoring tasty titbits of fish and corn.

yesterday she just stopped in the middle of the lawn and laid her egg, and this morning she was the last one up which is really not like her.

I would be very grateful for any ideas as to what is wrong or things to do to help her?

[joyfull]

Have you checked her temperature? Just feel under 1 wing and then with the same hand feel under the wing of a healthy bird.
How old is she (they are usually 72 weeks when the farmers get rid of them).
What condition was the egg that she laid last - eg soft shelled or shell less?
When did you last worm your girls and what with?
Have you checked the coop for red mite?
Do you have them registered with a vet?

[kzaba]

will check temp if i can catch her - she is only one who doesn't like being picked up.

We found red mite about three weeks ago but the coop has been well cleaned,  I have added ecculaptus leaves and citronella to bedding and scrubbed the coop and perches with mild bleach.  I dusted the girls twice not much sign of mites now.

I wormed them about a week ago with fluven ( I think)

The egg was a lovely big one with a hard shell, it did have a little white calcium over it.

She came to us at Christmas having spent about 6 weeks getting over caged life so i would say she is about 2 years old.
her comb is upright and a good red colour.

[joyfull]

any sneezing, chest rattles, gaping, etc?

[kzaba]

No no signs of illness as such, maybe a little quieter than the others.

[kzaba]

tried to catch her but no luck. The hens are free range in my garden and know all the good spots to hide. She is still running! But when they all settled down again and the others start pecking up bits and pieces she just wanders about.

her eye is clear - no blinking.
There is a little white residue stuck to her feathers around the vent.

[sneezer]

Hi, just a thought does the coop or your poorly hen have a strange smell?I was thinking maybe if she does vent gleet, that could be the white stuff.I hope she gets better, is she eating anything?

[joyfull]

have you checked her crop? is it hard and compacted or soft and squishy like it is full of liquid? Smell her breath when you can catch her.
If her crop is normal try making a porridge by mixing layers pellets with hot water,

[kzaba]

The coop smells mainly of citronella at the minute A great improvement on the  faint chicken poo smell it normally has.

No egg from her today.

When the children get home I'll try again to catch her and  feel her crop and smell her breath
She has eaten a little corn this afternoon but not as much as normal

[kzaba]

She seems to have picke up again and is eating now, but last night I checked the coop and found her sitting in front of the perch, with my boss hen on the perch looking down on her and every now and then hitting her on the head! Is this normal? is it because she's ill - could it have made her ill. Why didn't she sit on the perch it is plenty long enough for all my hens?