Chicken acting strange

[dewdropsinwv]

I have one of m hens acting a little weird. She's not interacting with the other hens,she will stand in one spot for long periods all fluffed up....not moving. I'm afraid of loosing her....but not sure what could be wrong. She's eating and drinking just fine... Could she be egg bound?

Any suggestions are welcome thanks

 

[Beekissed]

How old, what breed, has she been laying recently or has it been a long while since she laid and how long has she been acting this way?

 

[dewdropsinwv]

She is 2 years old. I dont know if she has been laying recently or not I have a few that are not laying on a schedule. I noticed this yesterday.

 

[Beekissed]

The only time I've had a hen act like that~happened twice in all the years I've had chickens~it was older hens(2 and 5) that were no longer laying but were trying to pass lash eggs and they had other lash eggs(egg tumors) inside of them as well. I killed both of those hens to end their discomfort.

It will depend on you what you want to do with this chicken...wait and see if she recovers from whatever is ailing her, explore her for a possible bound egg...some people have had success at dislodging those, or ease her pain.

 

[MontyJ]

If she's still alive tomorrow, and not any better, I'll put her down myself. I'm thinking maybe she's egg bound and I have no idea how to handle that without making things worse.

 

[Beekissed]

That's what I do also. No heroics here with attempts to do some kind of home vetting when the bird is clearly not feeling well. I wait a day or so and if she's still hunkered down, then I kill her and explore the cause. Both times it happened for me I had kept a bird past her healthy laying life out of sentimentality for the old gal, but regretted it later when she suffered before I finally killed her.

I'm killing a 6 yr old hen this week to prevent that very thing. She's no longer laying now, though she had laid up until this winter, but I know she's still able to release an egg in there, so to circumvent a possible problem I'm culling her first. She's too nice of an old hen for me to let her suffer.

 

[dewdropsinwv]

Ginger is a pretty nice hen...she doesnt bother the others too much. But this is going to be a tough one to take. I'll miss her if she has to be culled tomorrow.... I hope I'm not home if this has to happen.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

do you have any way of separating her from the flock? i usually bring a bird in the house for a few days of observation to watch for poop, behavior, or any other sickness symptoms. its also good so the other chickens won't get sick.

 

[dewdropsinwv]

I dont think so Chickie'sMoma

 

[ducks4you]

Birds are just not tough. I have lost two roosters in the last several years, in the middle of the summer, for no apparent reason. Screw up your courage and put her down. I butcher my layers every year, I cut the jugular and let them bleed out bc I'm not accurate with an ax. Honestly, they bleed out in less than one minute and it is the kindest way. I'm truly sorry. We don't like to see our animals suffering.