year old Chocolate Orpington, lethargic, all fluffed up

[Nancy H]

I don't think she's egg bound. She was fine yesterday. Twelve other hens in flock; all seem well.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have a picture of her and her droppings? First feel of her crop and tell us if it is empty and flat, or partially full, firm, dough-like, or squishy/soft. Is her tail up or down? Can you look at her skin for any mites or lice under her vent, between her legs, and under her wings? Is her lower belly under her vent fuller than normal? Will she drink some electrolytes or sugar water? Has she been wormed recently? If you have any calcium or Tums, give her one orally in case she could be egg bound.

 

[Nancy H]

Thank you for all these suggestions and questions. I can't upload a photo right now, but her tail is up (as much as Orpington tails go up). Last night her crop felt full, but she didn't have much interest in eating this morning. Will take some sugar water out to her today. Comb and wattles are a good normal red. I didn't see any lice or mites. Her lower belly seemed normal but will do a fuller check of crop and belly now. I'll get her a Tums too.

 

[Nancy H]

Her crop still seems full. Firm, not squishy soft. Lower belly seemed normal -- but I don't know! I haven't had a sick chicken for years! Have now procured Tums and will administer it and push the sugar water some more (the other girls liked it a lot).

 

[NatJ]

You said "lethargic." Is she walking around the run? Sitting in a corner somewhere? Hanging out in a nest?

 

[Nancy H]

We have a big fenced chicken yard. She's standing under a shrub, in the shade (not an egg laying area). When I go out to uncover the chicken food in the morning she doesn't come over with all the other chickens. If I throw out a treat like carrot peelings or leftover salad she doesn't participate. Normally she's right there leading the pack.

 

[NatJ]

We have a big fenced chicken yard. She's standing under a shrub, in the shade (not an egg laying area). When I go out to uncover the chicken food in the morning she doesn't come over with all the other chickens. If I throw out a treat like carrot peelings or leftover salad she doesn't participate. Normally she's right there leading the pack.

Hmm. I had been wondering if she might be broody, since that's a pretty common reason for a hen to be puffed up and not moving much in the springtime. But a broody hen is usually sitting on the nest, not standing around somewhere else. And when she is off the nest, a broody hen is often bustling around having a meal before she goes back to the nest.

But your hen is not acting like a broody hen, so there must be some other reason she is puffed up. I just wanted to check, because the "treatment" for a broody hen is very different than the treatment for anything else that might be causing her to be fluffed up and lethargic.

 

[Nancy H]

Thank you for the suggestion and questions. I don't think she's broody (we actually have another chicken who's broody right now, but she's coming out of it). And I don't think she's egg bound either. I checked her vent. Can chickens get internal blockage? Their digestive systems seem pretty simple.

 

[NatJ]

Can chickens get internal blockage? Their digestive systems seem pretty simple.

They can. I don't think it is very common.

You might consider putting her in a separate cage (a dog crate often works well) for a few hours so you can see whether she is pooping normally and get a better sense of whether she eats and drinks at all. Maybe include a dish of wet mash (chicken feed + water) to see if that will tempt her appetite. This could be inside the run, so she's not apart from the other chickens.

Isolating her like this would be mostly for your convenience in figuring out more about what is going on. On the other hand, if she is not being bothered by the other chickens, she would probably be happier to stay in her own familiar area. So I can't say which is the "best" thing to do. (If the other chickens start bullying her, then of course you would want her separate for her own protection.)

 

[Nancy H]

Thanks again, NatJ. I've been trying to decide what to do about isolating her. We have a dog crate in the pen but the other chickens aren't bothering her at all and I'm reluctant to stress her out further (my ministrations so far have been pretty clumsy). I have a feeling she's not pooping because I don't see any around her -- that's why I wondered about blockage. Right now I think I'll put some wet mash near her (she has water already) and keep an eye on her where she is.