Bloody poop

[Quavo]

I have a chiken who hasn't been able to lay an egg this past day and also had bloody poop. help?

 

[Farmgirl283420]

@fluffycrow @azygous can you help?

 

[Eggcessive]

Has she been sitting in the nest box attempting to lay? Can you describe how she appears (tail down? walking around?) and if her crop feels empty or full? The poop has some intestinal shed in it that can be normal occasionally, but if she has more of those, I would worm her with Valbazen 1/2 ml or SafeGuard 1 1/4 ml given orally. How much does she weigh?

 

[Quavo]

Has she been sitting in the nest box attempting to lay? Can you describe how she appears (tail down? walking around?) and if her crop feels empty or full? The poop has some intestinal shed in it that can be normal occasionally, but if she has more of those, I would worm her with Valbazen 1/2 ml or SafeGuard 1 1/4 ml given orally. How much does she weigh?

She is loud and she tries egg spots. She also ate one of the others eggs.

 

[Quavo]

She's also scratching when she finally sits down

 

[azygous]

Please try a little harder to communicate. Don't be stingy with words. Use a lot of them. Does she stand around when she isn't in the nest looking like she's very uncomfortable? Is she scratching the nest or herself?

 

[Quavo]

Please try a little harder to communicate. Don't be stingy with words. Use a lot of them. Does she stand around when she isn't in the nest looking like she's very uncomfortable? Is she scratching the nest or herself?

She stands and scratches, she layed an egg but I grabbed it and it broke, I didn't grip it hard either

 

[azygous]

Since she laid the egg, does she act like she feels better? Or is she still acting the same as she was?

 

[Quavo]

Since she laid the egg, does she act like she feels better? Or is she still acting the same as she was?

She's still loud and anxious

 

[azygous]

Since the egg was so fragile it broke in your hand, I'm concerned she may be trying to pass a second egg, and this one may not have a shell at all. Two eggs coming down the oviduct at almost the same time is more common than most people realize. It's one of the most common causes of egg binding in my own direct experience with episodes of egg binding in my flock, as well as episodes we deal with here on this site. Since there is not enough calcium in the shell gland (uterus) for two eggs so close together, the one with no shell often gets stuck as it's much more difficult to push out than an egg with a hard shell.

The best treatment is to give a calcium citrate pill directly into the hen's beak, the citrate form being absorbed much faster than other forms of calcium. Are you in the US or Europe or in Asia? This is easy to find in the US as any place that sells human vitamins will carry it. (photo below) If you aren't in the US, look for any calcium that is at least 600mg strength. This will stimulate contractions that will help the hen expel a blockage in the oviduct.

After giving the dose of calcium, place the hen in a quiet place where she will not be disturbed with water to drink.