# Help! Whats wrong with Chocobo?



## Mwoodnpa (May 13, 2013)

My 17 month red sex-link hen was found in the coop the other morning on her roost and just wanting to sleep. The prior day she did not lay an egg which happens at times but she is my most Consistent hen that lays So when this happens I normally keep an eye on her. I held a handful of layer crumble in front of her and she showed no interest in wanting to eat it. I picked her up and gave her a quick inspection then set her back down and she ran to the nesting box lay down and closed her eyes. I left her alone for about an hour then return to check on her as she normally lays an egg early in the morning. I found her standing at the watering can drinking water and falling asleep as she was doing it. I separated her from the other birds and immediately started giving her antibiotics with electrolytes in her drink. She continued to drink but ate very little. I continued to keep an eye on her and I noticed her feathers seem to be a little more fluff up then normal and it also appeared her back end was contracting often And she was still just wanting to sleep. Around 11 PM that night she was given a warm soak in water. Soon after returning her to her temporary pen she passed an egg without shell. Day three she still was wanting to sleep but was eating more drinking more and appeared a little more alert. She was given Another warm soak in water as a precautionary measure. Nothing passed this time. Day four she has started eating more, her stools are returning to a more consistent texture and she is not wanting to just sleep but still is not as active as she used to be. She does have some new feathers forming on the bald spots on her upper wings but I'm not sure if this is part of a molt growth or just normal growth. I am thinking that maybe she was egg bound with a soft egg because she is starting to molt. Does anybody have any other theories or suggestions for me to help her?


----------



## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

Unfortunately some of the best egg laying breeds are prone to these problems as they age. She's not old, per se, but she is close to the age her breed is normally sent to slaughter (at 2 years.) That is when peak productivity goes down - basically they burn out and either stop laying as much, stop laying entirely, or have these reproductive problems like egg binding and soft shells. 

All the symptoms you mentioned - fluffed feathers, lethargy, no apatite are general symptoms that could fit almost any illness but since she passed a soft-shelled egg and it was later than normal then there probably is something going on. She might pass another, or she might take some time to recover from the last binding (I mean that takes a lot of energy to keep pushing for that long!) In the meantime just keep doing what you're doing, keep an eye on her, make sure she's comfy and warm, and hope for the best. It might be a one time incidence or this could become a chronic thing at which point you'll have to make some hard decisions.  It sucks I know... I love the amount of eggs I get from the high production breeds but their sadly short lifespan has made me think some of the less productive breeds might be better on the pet standpoint! (They can have the same problems but usually at a later date!)


----------



## Mwoodnpa (May 13, 2013)

Thanks WeeLittleChicken for the reply! Chocobo was returned to the flock two days ago and the rooster really missed her. She wanted nothing to do with that yet so I've been bringing her back in the house at night. She still hasn't laid an egg yet but she did have a hard few days. Either way she still has a home for now.


----------

