[Bright Raven]

Polly, my Black Rock stopped laying in February this year. She goes up and sits and tries then comes down after a couple of hours. Normally no egg, no mess. I checked it in the chicken health book and this condition is described as a False Layer- it didn't give a remedy. Today I found a rubbery mass, quite hard and no shell. I think it was the materials that she must have been re-absorbing back into her system.
Has anyone else experienced this and is there anything I may be able to do for her? She has Cider Vinegar and regular worming with Vermex. She looks very down in the dumps, with slightly discolored tips to her comb.
Perhaps now she has passed the lumpy thing out she may get back to normal?

[Bright Raven]

Oh dear, she is looking really down today and is not scratching about for the mixed corn. Dirty bum too.
I think I will have to dispatch her before the others start to bully her.
Any ideas folks?

[doganjo]

Can you separate her and give her some tasty things she might eat?  Sounds like she may have been egg bound - never heard of a false layer ever.  If theya re trrying to lay and cant then their egg producing system has become a problem I'd say.  Not sure she'll recover but you never know if she gets some TLC

[Bright Raven]

Hmmm, I don't think she has been egg bound because I have frequently felt around her ovaries and vent and found no evidence of an egg in her.  You are right, that is the logical problem but I don't think that is it. I will give her some sunflower seeds, pop her in the hospital ark and see if she perks up.

[doganjo]

If any of min are under the weather I give them rolled oats with warm water, honey, and milk, and a little poultry spice or citricidal mixed all together.

[Bright Raven]

That sounds really yummy. I imagine the rolled oats are for the heat, the honey for its anti-bacterial properties, milk for moisture and the calcium content, poultry spice for the bit of extra help but, citricidal what is that and what is it for? I don't think I have ever seen it on the shelf.

[MiriMaran]

I have a Cream Legbar who hasn't laid an egg for 2 years, but goes through the motions every day and gets very shirty if you try and feel under her for eggs.  I'm not sure that the lack of laying since Feb and the recent poorlyness are even connected.  I have a number of hens who don't lay.  I think its because we have Infectious Bronchitis in our flock, but I'm too much of a softy to cull the non-layers,

Hope your hen feels better soon.

[doganjo]

That sounds really yummy. I imagine the rolled oats are for the heat, the honey for its anti-bacterial properties, milk for moisture and the calcium content, poultry spice for the bit of extra help but, citricidal what is that and what is it for? I don't think I have ever seen it on the shelf.

Yup, quite right, Citricidal Liquid contains Grapefruit Seed Extract in a liquid form.

Grapefruit Seed Extract is traditionally used to help maintain the correct balance of intestinal flora.

http://www.nutriteam.com/citricidal.htm

[BlueDaisy]

I suspect the lumpy thing was a 'lash'.
I recently had one looking down and dirty bum, when I inspected she had a broken soft shell poking out of her vent. I removed this gently but she didn't really get any better. I started her on a weeks course of injectable baytril but she died in the night after only 5 days on the antibiotics. I think it's called septic peritonitis. They  don't often recover from it. Sorry. Hope yours does get better, whatever she has.

[Bright Raven]

Poor old Polly she was seriously out of shape. Now she is a polygon. Bless her beak and may sure footed and handsome cockerels await her in chicken heaven. A lovely girl and she laid some jolly nice eggs once too.
Thanks for your good advice.

[doganjo]

Sorry she didn't make it, kinda though she wouldn't.  hens a re a bit like sheep.  Born with a death wish.  By the time you notice they are under the weather they are past saving usually.  I wonder if chickens can make it over the rainbow bridge?

[Bright Raven]

So true! My ram Rosco nibbled through some electric fencing wire last night. He is looking seriously down in the mouth today. It could have been death by electrocution, good job it was only the wire to the earth stake!