# hen not well



## 224 (Jan 11, 2013)

Hi

I have a pekin bantam hen she just sitts in a corner of the chicken coop all day she has not gone broody as i put eggs under her and she just put her head under and got them out.she has also gone realy pale colour in the face could any one help please


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## 224 (Jan 11, 2013)

Also she is about 1 year old


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## Queenie (May 13, 2013)

I am so sorry to hear this 224. I also would be interested in this answer. I have a hen that is experiencing something similar. I have searched and searched all over the internet for answers and haven't found anything conclusive.


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## kaufranc (Oct 3, 2012)

Maybe egg bound?


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Could just be broody . Their color pales when broody and they stop laying eggs. Also just because their broody does not mean they will take eggs that humans push on them. I would assume she just didn't want the eggs, if she were ill she would not have even bothered moving them.


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## slm622 (Sep 3, 2013)

Is the hen still eating and drinking?


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## slm622 (Sep 3, 2013)

And how's the temperatures there? Could be posted up if the temperatures are high, mine love to kick up dirt and lay in holes to try and keep cool. I've owned and had many successful turn arounds with injuries, as well as some unfortunate happening that caused me to loss my feathered friends. One huge rooster I have pinned down a hen and ripped her skin and feather out in one pull, pinched a nerve and she nearly died due to ants covering her, I managed to quarantine her from the flock and hand fed her scratch, watermelon, grasshoppers, and plenty of water, she fully recovered from the wound on her back grew her feathers back and was healthy, the poor thing was paralyzed from a pinched nerve in her back though, she lived happily, spoiled for the remainder of her life, just recently I lost her due to the return of the dreaded fire ants, have lost two from the extreme numbers of them biting , Ive been treating around the coop but its hard to do anything about in the coop, flood the ants out with plenty of water let them move out of the coop/chicken runs, once they are out of the coop you can create your own ant bait by using sugar and boric acid powder mix, pour it down the ant mounds, works wonderfully, if they are not already out of control. But their are so many things that could be causing your bantam hen to be turning pale, malnutrition whether not eating or not getting calcium from egg shells, oyster shells, you can get laying hens pellets that will give them the proper nutrients, and haven't seen a chicken yet turn down some fresh watermelon, just be careful of watermelon placement again due to fire ants. I may have more info for you if any more details come to mind. Are you able to check the hen thoroughly to see if has been attacked and is weak from a wound?


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## Emily124real (Sep 5, 2013)

I got layers buh eggs are small in size what's the cause


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## slm622 (Sep 3, 2013)

Also could be the hens first eggs they tend to be smaller than when the hens mature


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## slm622 (Sep 3, 2013)

Different breeds lay smaller eggs also


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## Queenie (May 13, 2013)

My hen is showing similar traits. At first she had a very high fever. She wasn't egg bound or broody. Until the fever broke, she wouldn't eat or drink. Now, physically she appears fine. But, she eats & drinks only enough for survival, (not with the same gusto as before) and she acts dazed & confused. I don't know the original cause of her illness and have had her separated from the flock. She can't return because she was the roo's main squeeze. She lives in a dog crate in my living room & whenever she hears the roo, she growls. I don't know what to do. She can't live in the dog crate forever & I can't afford to put up new pens. Does anyone want to adopt a special needs hen? She's a real sweetheart.


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## slm622 (Sep 3, 2013)

Poor thing... I've been known to spend my last dollar to save an injured or sick hen from a pen or two instead of buying the healthy ones. Are your chicken free range or do they stay in a coop and chicken run? Possible consumption of something? My injured hen was in a similar situation was my roosters squeeze, after her injury from him she would literally squeal and try to hide from him. If she is sick and weak the others in the flock will pick on her, rip feathers attack her, etc.. Not all the time but in most cases. Especially any that were under the pecking order from her before her illness.


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