Frequently Asked Questions

Your hen is telling you that she isn’t feeling well but in themselves the symptoms are not specific. Hens fluff up their feathers when they feel poorly to trap air as an insulating layer. Check her against the Hen Examination Guidelines, the more information you have the easier it is to pin down a cause.

This is your hen’s crop. Hens don’t have teeth to chew food and instead have to store food for a short while in the crop to start the process of digestion. Think of it as a shopping bag. In a healthy hen it fills as the hen eats and empties overnight.

Your hen may be experiencing delayed crop emptying due to a crop impaction or blockage, sour crop or a spastic or pendulous crop caused by damage to the crop muscle. Check your hen against our Hen Examination Guidelines.

If the fluid is clear and she has just had a drink this is normal. If the fluid is thick, smelly or brown it could be sour crop. This is a yeast infection which needs to be treated.

Soft shell eggs can be due to a variety of reasons. Hens coming into lay or going off lay are more likely to produce them as are hens stressed by bullying. A lack of dietary calcium is the most common reason but in some cases an infection in the shell gland or exposure to Infectious Bronchitis can be a factor.

This is usually due to a dietary calcium deficiency, so always feed a good quality layers feed which is balanced to provide all the essential nutrients needed. Improve shells by offering oyster shell and cutting back on the treats you feed daily. Finally your hen may be going off lay or moulting which will also have a bearing on shell quality.

When did she last produce an egg? Hens tend to lay one egg every 25 hours. If your hen has not laid for a couple of days and is straining to lay and distressed, this is an emergency and veterinary help should be sought. However if your hen laid recently and has only been egg bound for a short time you may be able to help her at home. Try sitting her in a warm bath for 5-10 minutes. Apply lubrication around the vent entrance and isolate her in a dark nest box. If she is still not able to pass the egg contact your vet.

Commercial caged hens do not get to sit on their eggs, they roll to the front of the cage and are collected, but rehomed hens can enjoy sitting on eggs for the first time. A normal egg should have a thick shell which will not crack or break when laid or sat on by a hen; if the egg is thin-shelled it is more likely to crack. A hen will eat the contents and develop a taste for egg and an egg eating habit which may result in her breaking other eggs. Address the reason for the thin shell, a calcium supplement may be needed. Collect eggs regularly and make sure the nest box is clean and fluffed-up to cushion the egg when laid.

Hens are attracted to the colour red. If your hen has a wound, sore skin or bleeding this will be noticed by other members of the flock who may peck at the wound and cause more damage. Purple or blue antiseptic spray immediately disguises and protects the area.

Your hen should immediately be separated from any other hens as potentially the prolapse can be seriously damaged by pecking from flock mates. If the prolapse isn’t too large (walnut size or smaller) bathe the area with a diluted antiseptic solution and leave her on her own, in low light, to encourage her to sleep. In many cases the prolapse will go back in with no intervention; pushing the prolapse back inside is usually a fruitless exercise as the hen may push it back out. If it does not resolve within a few days she may need to see a vet.
See more information here.

Cement-like clusters at the base of vent feathers are an indication of a poultry louse infestation. Lice are repelled by light so parting the feathers on the hen’s neck or underneath the wing should show live lice scattering in all directions. Healthy hens are normally able to keep lice at bay by preening and dust bathing. Check her against the Hen Examination Guidelines.

Firstly check at the base of their feathers for any debris or signs of mites or lice. You may not see live adults but often eggs laid at the base of the feathers.

If all is clear and the skin looks healthy it is more likely to be a seasonal molt. Hens don’t normally shed all their feathers in one go, usually they start at the neck or tail. Feed a good quality calcium rich diet and provide a dust bath area with diatomaceous earth powder mixed in. Molting often stops hens laying too so don’t be too surprised if you get fewer eggs.

Hens like any other pet can pick up worms in the environment, so establishing a good flock health plan will keep your hens in tip-top condition. Picking up droppings and using a ground sanitizer in areas of high traffic will keep the ground clear of worm eggs. A sample of droppings can be sent for checking to establish if your chickens do have worms.