[upert]

one of my chickens has been ill for about a week. it's not been eating so far as i can see, nor drinking and it's lost a considerable amount of weight. it free ranges and is usually fed layers mash with cooked veg, mixed corn, scraps, fresh veg and oyster shell.

i've been force feeding it for a few days with bio yoghurt and some rehydrate water drink with a syringe. the other hens are fine. i've started worming them with flubenvet over the past few days and before that gave this ill chicken another wormer.

it stands huddled and gloomy, it's eyes closed and it's neck pulled in. a bit miserable in other words. sometimes it stays in the coop. today it did manage a fleeting peck at another hen and it wandered about and seemed to peck at grit. i found a soft egg like a deflated balloon in the nestbox today, on tuesday i found a miniature egg. could this be it? having shifted a soft egg could it get better fast? i'm not sure it came from the sick one though.

i have found a very dark yet solid pooh i also wish to attribute to this sick hen. madly i didn't segregate it. the chicken, not the pooh.

[Vember]

Hi Upert

Think if it was me I'd pop her in a cage on her own so that you can see what's what.
Maybe restrict the treats and just give normal feed and water and make sure she has some grit & oyster shell

Soft shelled eggs really take it out of the girls but saying that when mine have layed them they do spring back quickly and are only off colour for the day previous.
Might also be worth getting some limestone powder to add to the feed for extra calcium.



Sarah

[Foxy]

Have you also had a feel of the crop? Good idea to do this in the morning -check if it is balloony and soft, or hard. A normal crop should feel almost empty in the morning.
Hopefully as Vember suggests she laid a soft egg and will perk up. Keep us posted!