Injured hen not laying...normal?

[Knock Kneed Hen]

The hen in my avatar somehow stripped one of her tonails off...nothing left but the quick. Ouch!!

I put her in a crate overnight in the coop so that the others wouldn't pick on her. I let all the birds free range together today.
She normally lays an egg a day. No egg from her yesterday or today. She was just hanging out on a ledge in the coop so I
know it hurts her. I've separated her again tonight.

Is it normal that she wouldn't lay an egg with such a minor injury? I know her eggs because she is the only one to lay a large
taupe egg.

"Pippa" my big sweet EE

 

[mulewagon]

I have one caged up with a leg injury - she hasn't laid in three days. I think she's upset about the cage, more than the injury. Can't roost, can't scratch, can't have ANY fun!

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I've given my hen the opportunity to join the others both in the coop/run and free ranging. She doesn't want to join them...

I know it must hurt, but a stripped toe nail isn't the worst thing that could happen to her. She still hasn't layed. She not egg bound, just being a big baby I guess.

 

[chickenlady08]

Regardless of how minor the injuries are to us, they cause stress for our little feathered friends. Have you cleaned the foot/toe to keep out infection? I usually seperate an injured hen or roo and treat seperately. I would just give her time to heal and I bet she will be laying soon.

You girl is beautiful she looks like my Lucy (except yours has her feathers, mine is molting and plus she is low in the pecking order) but her feathers are coming in with more of the goldish color like your girl.

Hope she gets better soon and starts laying again.

 

[TigerLilly]

Quote:
Yep, what she said!

 

[CMV]

I sometimes think the stress of the injury is more pertinent than the injury itself when it comes to how it will affect laying. I had a hen get ripped apart by a hawk last year and she only missed a couple days of laying (although she did lay a soft-shelled egg, which was a first). I was really impressed by her fortitude. The days she missed were the first days after she wandered back from wherever the hawk left her. She was absolutely shell-shocked, could barely stay on her feet, and I thought she was going to die at any moment. She recovered from the shock and went right back to laying despite the fact she was missing about 48 sq. inches of skin down to the muscle.

Your girl will lay when she is ready. EEs are not as predictably productive as some of the other breeds, so it may take a little while, but it will happen in good time.

Good luck with her. She is absolutely gorgeous.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Thanks everyone! She's perkier today. She's been laying 6 eggs a week so I was worried she might be egg bound. I suppose stress could cause that as well.

I did clean her up and yesterday did some toe therapy with her.

She's one of my favorite hens and she's second biggest next to my Light Brahma.

 

[mychookschick]

Hello,

Sorry for your hens injury!

I agree with some of the people who have already posted that said that it was most likely a stress thing. In my experience (not very much), it all depends on how they take the injury.... I had a hen who was attacked by a fox and laid everyday through recovery! But, on the other hand, I had a different hen who pulled a leg muscle and laid nothing for like two weeks! UGH!

So, in short, it all depends on the chicken!!