# Sick pullet



## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

I have a girl who has been laying about a month, today I found her sitting in the nesting box and thought nothing of it but now it’s a few hours later and she’s still in there, she is standing in it, doesn’t feel egg bound, no mites, but she does have a slightly poopy butt and in the box is runny poop. She is a bit puffed up but not bad, I took her out of the box to see if she would walk around or if she was injured, she walked around for about 30 minutes eating and drinking so I went inside, came back out and she’s back in the same nesting box just standing there. What’s wrong with her? No runny eyes, no raspy breathing, no sores on her feet.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Are her eyes round and bright? It's possible she's thinking about going broody. First time broodys can get confused about what the hormones are wanting them to do.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

She looks perfectly healthy other than being a bit puffed up and some runny poop and she walks around fine, someone on another site said she might be egg bound with a soft shell egg? She almost looks like she’s pushing so I gave her some crushed up tums and yogurt just Incase but other than that she doesn’t seem off at all


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If that's what going on with her that's concerning. Watch for some odd blob to be laying around.

Thing is though, when it's an egg issue you can see it in their face. Their eyes are just not as bright.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

Her eyes look completely normal she is just standing in the nesting box  eating and drinking fine she ate the calcium happily so hopefully in the morning there will be an egg or she will be broody


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The hardest part of all, waiting for them to tell us what is going on.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

Completely agree


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

No egg today, her butt is fairly messy but nothing in the box unless some scavengers ate the scraps  she was really thirsty this morning not sure why she didn't drink during the night  but she was excited to come out and was even spunky enough to fight my roosters flirtatious advances off


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It's hard to believe it's an egg issue if she's feeling all that feisty. 

So, we wait.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

She has odd green poop it's normal texture today but a weird color  she is back in the coop because it's raining but she is just sitting on the perch like normal. She's still really thirsty and is coming out often to drink  even though they have water in the coop.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

This is the poop from this morning


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

With the extra water drinking her droppings will be watery. The question is, why is she drinking that much water? Have you checked her crop? See if it's large and squishy or hard.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

Her crop was empty this morning and is full now but feels completely normal


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

What in the heck is she up to?


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

I'm not sure  she's still perching with the flock which is an improvement from yesterday and she seems extra tired today and has a sorta odd walk. I'm wondering if an egg broke in her and she's just a bit sore after passing everything? I heard they can get really thirsty after passing an egg? Hopefully she's improved more tomorrow. I feel like she's better today just not 100 percent and not out of the woods yet. Sadly the only vet within a 100 miles that treats chickens doesn't know much  they didn't help with the last two I took other than looking them over and saying good luck


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

How is her appetite?, comb color looks okay in that first pic, is it still the same? Did she end up laying an egg this afternoon or evening? How does her tummy feel? hard, soft, squishy? If you feel up under her wings, is she overly hot there? Sometimes they can hide illness from us until it's too late.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

If anything she is a tad bit cold but it has been pouring rain and they aren't the smartest  her appetite has been good, she ate a lot more today than yesterday, even fighting to get treats. Her abdomen feels perfectly normal still no sign of an egg but I'm wondering if it broke when she laid it and the others ate it  but I guess that's wishful thinking. She has always been a baby about being hurt  if she got a feather pulled she will hide away for a few days or a tiny cut on her foot and she's laying on her side or hopping around  so I'm wondering if she's just slightly uncomfortable and way over reacting like normal  her comb is still bright red and she walks good maybe a tad odd, but she is back up perching and was only in the nesting box once all day and it was only for a few minutes more like she was hiding from a bully that time.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

If she is walking funny she could have a soft egg inside her. And if she is cold that's not good either. Can you check her vent to see if there is an egg stuck inside? If there is one inside and you dont get it out she will die from infection as the egg rots inside her. A warm bath might help too to get the egg out.can you feel her keel bone? Make sure she is not getting thin


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

She laid a normal egg today, she's acting a bit better but seems tired I got some pro bios to put In her water and I'm watching her closely to make sure she's eating and drinking. She is still waddling a little, but she has always had a tad waddle cause she's on the chunky side  I'm hopeful that she's getting better but still nervous


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If you think she's heavier than she should be it might be time for a diet. Too much weight can make it harder for them to lay eggs.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

She is currently on a diet  I was giving my chickens too many snacks and food at all points of the day and as her being a top she stole everyone's treats. Now they get limited treats their food measured out and their treats are spread out and hung so she has to work a bit more. 
She's doing much better it seems! She is staying outside and feeding with the others still s little puffed up but sassy and won't let me easily catch her now


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It's very possible she was having issues passing that egg. Being a new layer they don't always lay everyday. As the mature it becomes more of an everyday thing which makes it harder to know what might have been bothering her.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

Yeah! I hope she's on the mend  I'm glad she's feisty again!


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

Ok now I'm concerned! She's acting fine and tbh I'm not even sure if this is from my birds or if they killed something but I they were all trying to eat this thing! It was about the size of half a dime.







it was empty inside


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I quite honestly have no idea what that is.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

I've never seen anything like it! I'm hoping they just killed a mouse and that was an organ? Or possibly a intestinal poop?  I hope it's not like the start of a lash egg  I've never experienced that I've only had chicken for about 6 years


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Lash eggs don't usually look all red like that. Cloacal cleansing is usually dark brown. You might be right that's what's left of something one of them got hold of.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

Oh good that makes me feel better! I hope it was just that! Their pen is next to bushes that mice and stuff are in all the time!


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

I think it's mouse guts (not to be crude, sorry about that) but yeah, it kinda does look like that.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

Wow that's a relief I was worried  you never expect to just see a tiny bloody ball in the coop  especially when one of your chickens is acting off.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

Welp I will do a hopefully final update! She is acting 100 percent today and was eager to get their feed as normal. I refilled all the calcium bowls even though they were already pretty much full  she is no longer crazy thirsty! Still not sure what was going on for sure. She is having normal stool and has been out roaming with her flock all day and hasn't been in the coop since waking up! She is stronger again and fighting her way back up the pecking order.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It was probably an egg issue. Or not. I've seen them act off for a day or two and then snap back with no outward signs of what had them feeling off.


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## mitzy123point (Dec 21, 2018)

Yeah I'm not honestly sure  her egg was covered in calcium! So she definitely wasn't lacking it  I guess I'll never know. I'm just glad she's doing good now


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