Chickens are well known for not eating, which can be a problem if you’re trying to keep them fed. Here’s how common problems may cause your chickens not to eat and 5 potential solutions that will hopefully help the situation.
The “what to feed a sick chicken that won’t eat” is a question that many backyard chicken owners have. There are 9 potential reasons why the chickens might not be eating, and these can be fixed by doing some simple troubleshooting.
There are affiliate links in this post. If you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link, I may get a commission. I also earn money from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate. —
People are becoming more interested in caring for hens. Many people keep chickens on farms for the purpose of collecting eggs.
You may maintain a small flock of hens in your backyard just because they are entertaining. Chickens are popular companion animals for many people.
If you’ve had chickens for any length of time, you’re undoubtedly aware that they like eating. In fact, one might argue that eating is one of the most important things to hens.
It’ll be really concerning if one of your hens suddenly stops eating. Is there anything wrong with the chicken that prevents it from consuming food?
Continue reading to learn more about why hens may have stopped eating. This information should allow you to find out what’s wrong with your own chicken.
Chickens do not normally stop eating.
The first thing to understand is that hens do not normally stop eating. When you go to feed the hens, they usually leap at the opportunity to eat.
Something is definitely wrong if one or more members of your flock aren’t eating. It’s commendable that you’re paying attention to the situation.
It will require additional observation to figure out the issue. If you’re very worried, you should contact a veterinarian immediately soon.
Hopefully, the information provided below will assist you in better understanding what is going on. Try to match the specifics to what’s going on with your hens so you can get to the bottom of the problem.
1 – Harassment
The most prevalent cause for a chicken’s refusal to eat is bullying. The larger chickens may sometimes intimidate the weaker chickens, preventing them from eating.
You’re probably aware that your hens have a “pecking order.” Some of the birds will be bigger and more aggressive than others.
These bigger chickens will usually be in charge of the other chickens. In most cases, this is only a social tool to keep the flock in line, but things may go wrong.
Chickens have been reported to be harsh to one another. Sometimes the whole flock may harass and mistreat one or two hens.
This is a behavior that you may attempt to change. People usually attempt to separate the bullied hens from the rest of the flock and reintroduce them later.
This will sometimes cure the issue, and everything will return to normal. However, this may not always work.
If you can identify the bully chicken, you may be able to separate that bird from the rest of the flock. This may knock the bully chicken down a notch or two, allowing it to be more pleasant after it is restored to the herd.
Unfortunately, some hens may stop eating completely if they are repeatedly abused. It has been argued that this is akin to human depression caused by mistreatment.
You might raise the chicken individually or place it with a different herd. When problems like these arise, it’s frustrating, but it’s not always simple to prevent hens from acting in this manner.
2 – The Chicken Could Affect the Crop
It’s possible that your chicken is unable to eat regularly due to a medical condition. A crop is something that chickens have.
A crop is a kind of ledge around the esophagus where hens keep their meal. When the crop is depleted, the chickens will begin hunting for sustenance.
When a crop is harmed, a chicken cannot eat. This may happen in a variety of ways, but it’s most often related to an injury.
When a chicken is sick, it’s also probable that it may have crop problems. When the crop can no longer keep food, a bird will try to vomit up the food it has consumed.
For hens, having an affected crop is very unpleasant. This will prevent a chicken from attempting to eat because of the discomfort.
If you feel that your chicken’s crop has been harmed, you should call a veterinarian immediately. They’ll be able to check the bird and provide assistance.
Chickens that do not get medical care will ultimately perish. The chicken will either starve to death or suffocate as a result of suffocation.
As the problem worsens, the crop will begin to swell. The esophagus may get so obstructed that the chicken may suffocate.
The veterinarian will be able to operate on the chicken when you call. The crop will be repaired, and the chicken will soon be back to normal.
3 – Different Illnesses
A chicken may stop eating due to a variety of ailments. There are so many illnesses that affect chickens that it’s simple to understand how this may cause a chicken to quit eating.
You should keep an eye on the chicken to check if it is displaying any indications of illness. When your chicken refuses to eat or drink, you know something is badly wrong.
Sluggishness is a symptom that might signal an illness. However, determining a chicken’s precise ailment is not always straightforward.
If you suspect the chicken is unwell, you should contact a veterinarian immediately. A veterinarian is well-versed in everything required to correctly diagnose a chicken.
This will enable you to seek the appropriate therapy so that the chicken may, if possible, recover. Delay in contacting a veterinarian might result in the death of the bird, since there could be a significant problem.
4 – Tumors
Tumors should also be taken into account as a possible issue that prevents hens from eating regularly. Because they are in the early stages of Marek’s illness, chickens might develop tumors.
You can vaccinate hens against this illness, but this only helps to alleviate the symptoms if they catch it. When chickens have this condition, they often lose their appetite.
Tumors might also indicate that a chicken is sick. Chickens, like people, may develop malignant tumors.
The chicken’s inability to feed or drink is due to pain. A chicken may get so distressed that it ceases to eat totally.
Marek’s disease may result in tumors growing in the neck. This may make regular eating for the chicken almost difficult.
If you find any form of tumor on your hens, you should immediately call a veterinarian. If you want to rescue the chicken, you should look into treatment alternatives as soon as feasible.
5 – The Chicken Has Been Injured Physically
Have you considered that the chicken could have been hurt physically? There have been instances when hens have been sufficiently wounded to cease eating.
Chickens are continually engaging in activities that may result in injury. By now, you’ve undoubtedly seen your hens fighting with each other on many occasions.
A chicken might have been seriously hurt in a battle or something similar. When chickens are attempting to go down from the roost, they can fall awkwardly.
A chicken might be wounded in a variety of scenarios. A chicken may have broken something or be suffering from some form of bodily ailment.
If you have cause to believe the chicken is injured in any manner, contact a veterinarian as soon as possible. A specialist should examine the chicken to identify what is wrong with it.
The chicken should gradually revert to normal behavior after being diagnosed and treated. When the chicken feels better, it will most likely desire to eat once more.
6 – The Chicken Is Possibly Egg Bound
Another issue to think about is whether or not the chicken in question is egg bound. Of course, this will only have an effect on chickens.
When an egg becomes lodged between the uterus and the cloaca, hens may become egg locked. A hen will try her hardest to pass the egg, but it may not be successful.
This is a significant issue that might result in the hen’s death. This is why you should have a veterinarian on speed dial in case of an emergency.
There are various symptoms to look for that suggest a hen may be egg bound. Observe the hen to determine whether she visits the nesting box on a frequent basis without actually depositing any eggs.
Hens who are egg bound will also seem drooping. They often stroll with their bottoms touching the ground.
When a hen is egg bound, she will also cease eating and drinking. If you physically inspect the hen, you will discover that it has a very firm abdomen.
There is a home cure that you might use to assist the hen in passing the eggs. To check whether it makes a difference, place the hen in a warm bath.
If this does not work, the veterinarian should be contacted. They will be able to remove the egg through surgery, allowing the hen to recuperate completely.
7 – Insect Problems
This next reason for hens not eating is a little strange. Insects may sometimes infest chicken coops, causing major problems.
A chicken, for example, might get plagued with mites or lice. The following are the most frequent poultry pests to be concerned about.
Chickens may suffer a lot from infestations like these. In fact, an infected chicken may cease eating and drinking because of the agony.
You may check for indicators of a mite or lice infestation. Looking at the skin of the bird by raising the feathers is the quickest technique to notice anything.
On sometimes, you may see bugs on the chicken’s legs. If you see mites or lice on the hens, you should strive to solve the problem as quickly as possible.
Fortunately, dealing with this issue will not be difficult. The best option is to employ a chemical treatment to eradicate the bugs.
A veterinarian may be able to help you with some medical treatments for the hens. So long as you don’t disregard what’s going on, the hens should eventually recover completely.
8 – Poison
Poison may seem strange to bring up, but hens may be poisoned in a variety of ways. One or more of your hens may have been exposed to something harmful, causing one or more of them to stop eating.
However, determining whether or not a chicken has been poisoned is not always straightforward. This may be aggravating, but if you discover that it isn’t eating or drinking, you may just call for assistance.
A veterinarian may be summoned to investigate the matter. If poison is suspected as the cause of the chicken’s illness, a blood test will be required to confirm this.
The chicken’s blood will be tested by the veterinarian to determine the sort of toxin you’re dealing with. They’ll hopefully be able to find out what’s wrong so the chicken can be treated.
When a chicken eats something harmful or is otherwise exposed to something dangerous, it may die. Depending on what’s going on, the bird may not be able to live.
Take this as another more reason to get assistance as soon as possible. When you’re not sure what’s wrong with a chicken, it’s better to seek professional help.
9 – Stress
Stress may also have a harmful affect on chickens in a variety of ways. Stress has led some hens to stop eating in severe conditions, which you may not be aware of.
For example, if the hens do not feel comfortable, they may be afraid to eat. The hens may have noticed predators, which may cause them to become so stressed that they will stop eating.
After seeing a flock member being stolen by a predator, some chickens have stopped eating. Because of the trauma it has endured, a chicken that has survived a predator assault may cease eating.
Not all anxiety is caused by predatory fears. Chickens may get anxious as a result of everyday events such as egg laying.
While producing eggs, hens are often anxious, and some may opt to stop eating. This does not occur in all hens, although it is not uncommon.
Many chickens are stressed even while they are raising chicks. Caring for chicks may be stressful for a chicken, much as caring for a newborn can be stressful for a human mother.
If you don’t provide the hens nutritious food, they may get anxious about their nutrition. When giving chicken food that isn’t fresh or organic, some poultry owners have seen this.
Chickens also need to feel as though they have adequate room to accomplish their jobs. If you keep your flock in a space that is too small for them, they may get anxious.
Even adverse weather might lead hens to become stressed. If your location has lately seen terrible weather, this might be to blame for a chicken’s lack of appetite.
Last Thoughts
There are several factors that might lead hens to stop eating. It may be difficult to determine which of the following circumstances applies to your chicken.
You’ll need to spend some time observing the chicken to figure out what’s going on. It will be simpler to know what to do now that you have a better understanding of what to look for.
Calling a veterinarian is often the best course of action. If you have any concerns about an animal’s health or well-being, it’s a good idea to seek expert assistance.
After a physical inspection, you should be able to figure out what’s wrong with the chicken. Blood tests may be required in certain circumstances to get further information about the chicken’s condition.
Hopefully, you’ll be able to restore your chicken’s health. After being wounded or ill, it might take a long time for a chicken to feel normal again.
Simply do all you can to keep the hens secure and properly fed. Even if you’re doing everything perfectly, problems might arise, but at least you’ll know that you’re being a proactive chicken owner.
There are many reasons why your chickens may not be eating. The “Stardew Valley” is a game that has recently been released and it is possible that the developers have made changes to how much food chickens need to survive. Some of the potential reasons include: they don’t have enough water, they’re not getting enough sun, or they’re in an area with too much shade. Reference: why are my chickens not eating stardew valley.
Related Tags
- why is my chicken not eating or drinking
- old chicken not eating
- how long can a chicken go without eating
- chicken pecking but not eating
- sugar water for sick chickens
