Roosting all day, fluffed up and whimpering

[Justin0271]

We have a girl named Henrietta, she's normally very social and active, there's a fairly large yard and as soon as she spots a person she'll come running looking for food. Very vocal and friendly. Over the last few days she's started roosting all day. When we open the door to the coop she fluffs up and makes this odd whimpering noise. I'm very concerned. It's worth noting that it's spring here, so she's not cold, and that we're also in the middle of treating the flock for feather and scale mites. All the girls are a little agitated, pecking at their feathers, but when we take Henrietta off the roost and she's walking about for a bit she seems the worst off, constantly pecking at her skin, a lot more than the others. Please help.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

I don't know the answer to your concern, but I wanted to say Welcome! Glad you joined the flock. Most of the birds here are quite friendly, and I know you'll get good advice!

 

[Eggcessive]

What are you using for treatment of the mites? If she is not coming off the roost, she needs to be taken aside to eat and drink. Add some electrolytes to her water. I would separate her, and give her a thorough check. Has she laid eggs recently? What do her poops look like? Is her crop empty, full, hard, or puffy? Is her lower belly full or enlarged?

 

[Justin0271]

What are you using for treatment of the mites? If she is not coming off the roost, she needs to be taken aside to eat and drink. Add some electrolytes to her water. I would separate her, and give her a thorough check. Has she laid eggs recently? What do her poops look like? Is her crop empty, full, hard, or puffy? Is her lower belly full or enlarged?

The pet store gave us Fido's flea rinse to dilute down to strength for birds and something simply called Poultry Leg Spray, which I can only imagine is something produced locally. We sprinkle diatomaceous earth in their nesting boxes and spray most of the coop down when we change the boxes every week while they're being treated. Most of the girls haven't been laying since the mites set in, I wondered for a second if it might be sour crop, so we're not going to feed them today and close them in for the night to check her crop tomorrow. I gave it a massage in the meantime, I could feel the grain and pellets. there were a few hard spots but we'll see how it is tomorrow. I'm not sure on the poop front. I didn't notice any swelling in her lower belly, but I'll pay more attention tomorrow when I check her crop. I've already picked her up a few times today, much to her dismay, so I'll separate her in the morning.

 

[Eggcessive]

Most people use a thick oil such as castor, mineral, or cocconut, or vaseline to coat the legs rubbing it up and under the loose scales several time a week to smother the mites. Wheever I have a hen who stays on the roost or separates herself, I suspect a reproductive disorder or a crop problem or both. Crops slow down with internal laying problems, and can become impacted or sour.

 

[Justin0271]

What are you using for treatment of the mites? If she is not coming off the roost, she needs to be taken aside to eat and drink. Add some electrolytes to her water. I would separate her, and give her a thorough check. Has she laid eggs recently? What do her poops look like? Is her crop empty, full, hard, or puffy? Is her lower belly full or enlarged?

So i took her down from the roost a little while ago just to check on her, I had a feel about her stomach and further back towards her legs I felt something hard, but I didn't press too firmly. Not sure if it's just a bone or something normal. after I put her down she seemed very thirsty, and she seems to be waddling ever so slightly. She kept wiping her beak on the grass and seemed to be scratching and pecking constantly, as if she was looking for something specific she couldn't find. She squatted and managed to get out a tiny poop, half of which was capped in white, with about the same sized portion the regular brown/black/green combo. Then she continued to peck at herself (clearly the mites) but she also squatted a few times and tried to poop unsuccessfully. Either that, or she was trying to pass an egg. At this point I guess, the only way to tell what's going on is to keep her from eating until the coop is opened tomorrow and check her crop. If it's empty then we know she's egg bound.

 

[Eggcessive]

Has she been laying eggs recently or has she stopped. It sounds like she is either impacted with an egg or possibly there is lash egg material or a tumor partially blocking her. Some hens will have salpingitis and have infection that backs up inside the oviduct. That can result in lash eggs or blockage. It also can make them waddle or walk oddly. I would put on a rubber glove and lubricate one finger, and insert it into her vent to feel for a blockage. If you feel material in tere blocking, it might be able to be removed a little at a time. This might make it easier to poop. If you feel an egg, and she has been laying recently, she might need a dose of calcium or tums, and to drink some water to help pass the egg. Then putting her on a moist towel with a heating pad on LOW, would be helpful, rather than putting her in a warm bath. Here is some reading about salpingitis and lash eggs:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/salpingitis-lash-eggs-in-backyard/

 

[Justin0271]

I separated her last night and gave her a bath, just in case. I could see her vent working, and she seemed to be shivering, but I'm not sure if this was from cold, or fear, or from straining to pass something. This morning her crop was empty, but she also seemed to be perked up, despite not passing an egg. At this point I'm just very confused.

 

[Eggcessive]

Did you check inside her vent with the gloved finger to feel for an obstruction? Has she eaten and drunk anything during the day?

 

[Justin0271]

Did you check inside her vent with the gloved finger to feel for an obstruction? Has she eaten and drunk anything during the day?

Haven't check for an obstruction yet. She's happily eating and drinking, and up till this point she hasn't been laying for quite a while. Beginning to think it was false alarm, What cause the odd behavior though, I have no idea. I've released her just so I can see if she goes back to roosting as she seems much better for no reason. If she does it again I'll bring her back up and do a more thorough inspection. Everything I can find tells me that If she was eggbound she wouldn't be eating and given that it's been 3 or 4 days it would have killed her by now, so I'm stumped.