Fluffed up/Mellow chicken sick?

[RookieEgger]

One of my chickens I have noticed the last couple days seems to fluff up and kinda just hang out and not as busy as the rest. She’s always kinda looked big and fluffy we do call her “big red”. She did eat yesterday afternoon when I got home, she continues to roost with the rest and everything. It’s just tough trying to watch and monitor these hens during the week, when I leave in the morning it’s dark and when I get home there’s about 30 min of day light left so they are winding down anyway, plus it’s cold here in Maine. Her eyes and color look normal. I don’t think I’ve seen her poo lately which has me concerned. Thanks.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

One of my chickens I have noticed the last couple days seems to fluff up and kinda just hang out and not as busy as the rest. She’s always kinda looked big and fluffy we do call her “big red”. She did eat yesterday afternoon when I got home, she continues to roost with the rest and everything. It’s just tough trying to watch and monitor these hens during the week, when I leave in the morning it’s dark and when I get home there’s about 30 min of day light left so they are winding down anyway, plus it’s cold here in Maine. Her eyes and color look normal. I don’t think I’ve seen her poo lately which has me concerned. Thanks.

How old is she?

Is there anyway that you can bring her in overnight so you can monitor her? (cool garage or even cage her inside the coop if not possible)
Get a good look at her poop. Feel her abdomen for any bloat/swelling and check her crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks (should be empty).

 

[RookieEgger]

How old is she?

Is there anyway that you can bring her in overnight so you can monitor her? (cool garage or even cage her inside the coop if not possible)
Get a good look at her poop. Feel her abdomen for any bloat/swelling and check her crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks (should be empty).

She’s only about 8 months old. They are all from the same flock. If nothing changes by tomorrow we may try and bring her in the garage which remains pretty cool. I just don’t want to throw off her immune to the cold and put her back outside, I hear that’s bad for them. But I think it will be cool enough.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree with Wyorp Rock. It would be good to monitor her poops, how much she is eating and drinking, any eggs she is laying, and in a crate, you can check her crop and feel of her lower abdomen for fullness. If another family member could do this out in the coop, you could keep her in a crate with the others. Some things can be performed if she is on the roost at night, where you can pick her up. The best time to check a crop to see that it is emptying overnight, is before daylight when it should be empty.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She’s only about 8 months old. They are all from the same flock. If nothing changes by tomorrow we may try and bring her in the garage which remains pretty cool. I just don’t want to throw off her immune to the cold and put her back outside, I hear that’s bad for them. But I think it will be cool enough.

Yes, I agree, in cold weather going to a warm place, it can be hard to reacclimate them.
If your coop is large, then a dog kennel works well for separation, but then again, it's cold so if she can roost she will do better with the others.

You may to go ahead and examine her now just to make sure she doesn't have an egg stuck- insert a gloved, lubricated finger inside the vent about 1-2". Especially if she might not be pooping.
I know it's dark and cold, but if you can, feel her crop to see if she has food in it, then check her first thing before she gets anything to eat/drink - that crop needs to be empty. The before/after is so you have a good comparison.

 

[RookieEgger]

Yes, I agree, in cold weather going to a warm place, it can be hard to reacclimate them.
If your coop is large, then a dog kennel works well for separation, but then again, it's cold so if she can roost she will do better with the others.

You may to go ahead and examine her now just to make sure she doesn't have an egg stuck- insert a gloved, lubricated finger inside the vent about 1-2". Especially if she might not be pooping.
I know it's dark and cold, but if you can, feel her crop to see if she has food in it, then check her first thing before she gets anything to eat/drink - that crop needs to be empty. The before/after is so you have a good comparison.

Her crop seems to feel empty from what I could tell. She wouldn’t let me pick her up, I tried a couple times but I didn’t wanna disrupt everyone in there. I might need to bring her in the garage but nervous it will be too hard to put her back in the coop

 

[Eggcessive]

Her crop should be full or with some food in it in the evening, so she may not be eating. She would be okay for a day or two away before they would pick on her. I would at least try to bring her in overnight one night just to check her droppings, and feed her some cooked egg and wet chicken feed made into a mush to see if she will eat. You can line the crate with puppy pad or a strip of paper towel on some bedding to collect some poop samples. I’m sure it is hard trying to deal with a sick chicken and have to be gone all during daylight hours.

 

[TurboClucker]

Have you had any luck yet. I've got the same problem with a hen around the same age. She's not eating a lot and separates herself from the rest of the flock. I'm going to check for a stuck egg later but how do i remove it if there is one present.

 

[RookieEgger]

Have you had any luck yet. I've got the same problem with a hen around the same age. She's not eating a lot and separates herself from the rest of the flock. I'm going to check for a stuck egg later but how do i remove it if there is one present.

Nothings changed. I’ve kept an eye on her throughout the day today. She still kinda minds her own business but has still been eating and up and about. Certainly not any worse. Maybe she’s just an outcast? I’m not sure but, she seems to be doing well.

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you had any luck yet. I've got the same problem with a hen around the same age. She's not eating a lot and separates herself from the rest of the flock. I'm going to check for a stuck egg later but how do i remove it if there is one present.

Welcome to BYC. You may want to start a new thread where everyone will see it and respond to your questions here—look in the middle of the page for “start a new thread”
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures.10/

If you feel an egg, then give some calcium, a Tums, a human calcium tablet, or some crushed egg shell plus a little bit of cooked egg. Then try soaking her in a warm bath for 20 minutes to see if the egg will be laid.