Ill chicken - not eating

[MillyR]

One of my chickens will not eat anything. The red bit on top of its head drooped on Wednesday. On Thursday it stopped eating and stood under a fern all day. Today it will not come out of the coop. It is stood on a perch and is clucking. It is drinking. The red bit (crown?) is still down.

The other chickens are all healthy. They are not attacking it. It does not appear to have any respiritory issues. It does not have any obvious parasites. I have put mite powder on them. I have wormed the others but I can't worm it as it is not eating. I was considering putting some of the wormer in water (although it is meant to be in feed) and giving it with an oral syringe. I am worried that if it doesn't have worms this will make it worse. There is no liquid wormer available locally until Wednesday.

It usually has organic layers pellets and corn, plus lots of insects as the chickens roam over a wide area. Last week, we ran out, so it had non-organic layers pellets which are much bigger, so I thought perhaps it had had trouble digesting the size/different type.

There were a couple of white eggs (usually brown) layed earlier this week. I do not know if it has layed these or not.

I would really appreciate any advice.

[GentleOtter]

Is she egg bound perhaps? Carefully check her vent and this page gives good advice

What colour is she? White hens lay white eggs, brown hens lay brown eggs.

[MillyR]

Gentle Otter - she is a Blackrock. All of the chickens have always laid brown eggs, but we had 2 white eggs this week.

[GentleOtter]

I found this article on eggs without pigmentation and think you should speak to a vet.
Isolate her from the others just in case she has an infection. The poor little thing.

[MillyR]

The chicken is still alive. It still has a droopy crown. I have isolated it from the others and put it in the bath for half an hour to see if that helps it lay. It is still clucking and has walked around a bit. I am now thinking that it may be crop bound as it does feel enlarged at the front, so have left it with some yoghurt and it has eaten a bit.

[GentleOtter]

Crop bound - pick her up firmly but gently and pour a teaspoonful of oil (vegetable, olive etc would do) and massage her crop then tip her so as the contents of the crop come out. It is a bit bleugh but do this a few times. They can become impacted with feed.
Add a little grit in her feed bowl or scatter it where she is pecking.

Try a little bit of vaseline smeared round the vent.

Also, add some vegetable oil to a small amount of feed (a cup full) and mix it in well.

She sounds as if she perked up a little after being bathed.