6-month-old bantam hen very quiet, not eating.

[DustBathSpaDay]

Audrey, my little Sebright d'Uccle, whom I've had for three weeks now, has gone quite quiet and does not seem interested in food. She nibbles occasionally but mostly hangs around the nesting box where her "sister" lays her eggs; but she hasn't yet laid one. She moves about well when she wants to, but otherwise stays sitting, hunkered down. She also seems suddenly afraid of me when I hand out treats to the three girls though the others are still happy to climb all over me and take their meal worm treats. Any thoughts on this? Do young hens behave like this normally as they prepare for their first egg?
I've made an appointment for her with the vet for Monday, but I'd appreciate your thoughts on this.
Thanks very much!

 

[azygous]

Even though you've had this little gal for only three weeks, you've already absorbed into your subconscious her normal behavior patterns. Listen to your hunch something is off with her.

I'm glad to hear you haven't wasted any time and she's scheduled to see a vet. Meanwhile, try to think where and what she's been doing the past few days prior to your noticing her change in behavior. There are important clues, if you think hard enough, that can help the vet make a diagnosis.

If she has been free ranging, what might she have encountered that could make her sick. Compost piles with rotting food, dirty puddles, rancid feed lying on the ground, machinery sitting out dripping fluids on the ground, and insecticide use all cause problems for chickens.

Have you checked her crop? This is the first thing any chicken keeper should do the second they see a chicken acting "off". A sour crop or an impacted crop can cause a chicken to stop eating and behave lethargically.
Check her crop first thing in the morning before you give her access to food or water. If it's full instead of perfectly empty, as is normal, this may be her problem.

Getting ready to lay a first egg usually won't make a chicken act sick, but check her pelvic points on either side of her vent. If you can fit two fingers between them, she is ready to lay any day.

 

[DustBathSpaDay]

Thanks very much, azygous, I'll do these things. My three girls are indoor pets with a healthy diet, so there's no risk of the dangers you mentioned. Her crop isn't distended, but I haven't examined her around the vent. I'll do that in the morning since she's roosting now. She was able to fly up to her "roost"--she and Kate sleep on the top of the door to their room--with no problem at all tonight, so that's heartening. I have tried to think of what might have changed just before she got quiet, but the only thing that comes to mind is that she became very interested in the nesting box and in watching Marigold lay her eggs. That was probably a coincidence, though.

 

[azygous]

It could be hormones have her subdued. Hormones play havoc with chicken emotions as they do to humans. If her pelvic points are spread, it very well could be that she's been experiencing a flush of hormones that she's never experienced and it has her off balance.

That she's been hanging around the nest is a big clue. But do double check her crop first thing in the morning so you can rule that out for certain. It will help the vet, too.

By the way, have these two young ladies been given access to grit?

 

[DustBathSpaDay]

The hormones are a good thought. It’ll be interesting to see if that could be it since her interest in the nesting box seems to be increasing.
Yes, they do have access to grit (separate from their food), and they get layer food, scratch, and a little supplement for laying hens, as well as greens, sunflower seed nuts, and meal worms. Lots of water is always available. I’ll see how that crop feels in the morning.