Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

Ok, I'm stumped again.

I have a standard 3yr old Buff Orpington hen who has been steadily loosing weight ( I wish I were so lucky) since the summer. She's been a favorite of Oliver and has had a few back feathers removed. I put a saddle on her about a month ago. I noticed one time with Oliver, he did his thing and she just lay there on the ground for 2 mins before getting up. I thought there was something wrong with her but she finally moved.

So, skipping ahead to last week, I noticed she wasn't eating or moving around at all. She would just sit. So, in the house she came. Offered her everything to eat. So far the only things she'll eat are cucumbers, apples, cooked eggs. Those she'll eat like she has never seen food before. Offer her layer mash, wild bird seed, cracked corn, chick starter - nothing won't touch a bite. But, eggs, etc she eats like crazy.
Oh, and I have to hold it for her to eat, she won't eat it if it's put on the ground front of her.

Other than the obvious - she's a picky eater - any thoughts on why she would, all of a sudden, be off her food. This is one of my girls that just sees me and comes running for treats even if I don't have any.

So, I've treated everyone for mites and worms this last month, so she's clean that way.

Why do I get all the weird stuff......

Will she take some yoghourt? Mine love it and if they are a bit "off " they will sometimes take that.

Yep, she eats that as well as squash anything BUT seeds. And I have to hold it for her. She's not drinking either. So, everything I'm giving her has a water component.

Wondering if she has a tough of pneumonia, if the rooster stands on her it reduces her breathing and takes her a while to recover. How is her eyesight? Does it seem normal?

kenya wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 25, 2018 11:59 am

Wondering if she has a tough of pneumonia, if the rooster stands on her it reduces her breathing and takes her a while to recover. How is her eyesight? Does it seem normal?

She's one of the few hens that wasn't sick in my group this year. Her eyes look clear, no congestion that I can hear in her chest. If you were to walk by her, you'd think, nice healthy bird just perching. That's why I can't figure out what's up. I just put some layer mash in jars and will ferment them and see if she'll eat those.

Ok, I thought I would add to this again! My buff has lost even more weight and will only eat sitting on a perch at beak height. Only scrambled eggs veggies and some lay mash. She just sits there. I bring her in and out of the house. I feed her in the house then put her outside to be with her people. She promptly lays down and won't move. She not sick, she just won't eat and be a normal chicken.....and to add to my woes with her...she's molting.......any thoughts...

Kbr42 wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 26, 2018 8:52 am

Ok, I thought I would add to this again! My buff has lost even more weight and will only eat sitting on a perch at beak height. Only scrambled eggs veggies and some lay mash. She just sits there. I bring her in and out of the house. I feed her in the house then put her outside to be with her people. She promptly lays down and won't move. She not sick, she just won't eat and be a normal chicken.....and to add to my woes with her...she's molting.......any thoughts...

When she's in the house does she walk around or act more "normal"?
Honestly the only thing that this brings to mind for me is poor eyesight. Does she seem to get picked on?

She just sits, every where. I can take her outside and put her in the middle of the yard and she walks, very slowly, back to the hen house hops in and sits. She is a pretty dominant hen, she is more the picker than the pickie. Some of the girls move her out of the way but no real bullying.

When I bring her eggs she watches me, I don't think it9an eyesight issue. At this point I have no idea. So, I'll keep doing what I'm doing and hope for the best.

Broody ?

I wonder if she has a touch of arthritis or some type of joint pain. One of my girls about the same age acted like that for a while (again the roosters favourite). I treated her with a baby aspirin crushed in some food every other day for 2 weeks. She seems OK now but has slowed up. I only give the aspirin for a limited time if a bird is laying in case she has any tiny bleeds. Pity they can't tell us what's wrong, best of luck!