Hen sick or just broody? Please help!?

Question

Please help me determine whether I should be concerned about my six-year-old black s*x link hen. She has never displayed broody tendencies. We haven't had a rooster in over a year. Two weeks ago, however, she laid a nest and has been brooding ever since.

Today she left her nest and came up to the house like she used to (it is a bit of a walk). However, she seems unwell. She is very smelly, with flies following her everywhere she goes. Her feathers are still soft and full though, and she hasn't lost much weight. In addition, she is behaving very strangely. She's making a lot of noises, fluffing her feathers. The strangest thing is that she keeps acting somewhat normally, then suddenly screeching and running around like crazy.

She is eating normally; I have not seen her drink yet.

My biggest concern is her smell (she seems to have sat in some of her own droppings, too, but won't let me clean her). I'm afraid she might have a disease.

Please, tips/advice/ideas? Thank you!

Answer 1

Broody hens do tend to lose weight, as they will spend all but about 15-30 minutes a day on that nest.  All eating, drinking and defecating is done in that short time (some aren't the brightest of creatures and will defecate in their nest, which is probably why she's caked with it).  

Some hens will practically starve themselves trying to brood.  I raise silkies, and some of my hens will go straight from hatching a clutch, raising the brood for a couple of weeks, then go right back to setting another batch.  I don't let them brood more than a couple of times a year, because they're so dedicated that they will wear themselves out.  Your hen might be trying a little too hard and not getting off her nest often enough.  Blame those hormones!

First matter of concern is you have to get her cleaned up.  If her rear end is crusted up, she may not be able to go to the bathroom as she needs to and will end up with a blockage.  This usually happens in chicks only, but it can happen with adult birds.  Get some old rags and clean her up with a mild antibacterial soap and warm water.  As she's a big breed, you may need to have someone hold her while you wash her.

Broody hens can be pretty noisy and they act differently than normal, so don't go so much by her behavior.  I would, however, treat her for parasites to be safe.  A round of dewormer (Sulfamet or peperazine (sp.?) and a dusting with mite and lice dust or DE (diamotous earth) would probably help.  If she's been brooding in a dirty nest, she's been inviting a parasite problem.  Better safe than sorry, as both of these are good preventative measures that should be part of their regular care.

A little terrimyacin in her water could also help treat or prevent any other illness, but don't cycle this at the same time as a dewormer.  Powdered stress vitamins can be given during deworming and will also help give her a little boost to get some weight back on.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

the only thing I can think of is to bring her to the vet if your worried,chickens are naturally dirty birds,our coop stinks but not the chicken its self....