Calcium Question

[KClivlaughlove]

If there is no swelling on the abdomen in front of and between the legs, your hen does not have ascites and liver failure. But it does sound like a reproductive issue may be possible. However, reproductive issues cover a very large variety of disorders and it's extremely difficult to diagnose them without a vet's diagnostic tools. And it's especially hard given the fact we can't be there to observe the hen. So, what we try to do is to rule out things by trying the things we are able to do, starting with the simplest first.

We are right now trying to rule out egg binding. To do that you must give her the whole calcium pill, all 600mg. You do this by prying open the beak and sticking the pill into her mouth. She is not a human infant. She will not choke. Chickens are designed to swallow things whole, including mice and lizards and frogs. They don't have teeth, in case you haven't noticed. They don't need teeth because they are able to easily swallow food without chewing. Get over the worry that your hen is going to choke.

The calcium pill will stimulate contractions and if there is an egg in the oviduct, the calcium will help her expel it. The calcium is the most important thing you can do right now.

Next, she needs calm and quiet. Place her in her crate in a dim, quiet place with water to drink and leave her alone. Check on her in the morning and report back here on this thread. Please don't start new threads or we will lose the ability to be notified when you post new information.

Try not to jump around worrying about all the things that can be wrong. You must believe you are doing everything you can for your hen right now.

I am sorry to jump in but may I ask if there is a particular brand or type (for example, tablet form or capsule or???)

 

[KClivlaughlove]

I’m very sorry for your loss. Do you want to have your state vet do a necropsy to see what was wrong with her? If you keep the body wrapped in plastic bags in a cooler on ice or the fridge you can take her to the state vet in the morning. Do not freeze the body. Here is a list of state vets to contact:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

I used your link in the above comment and called the one listed in Nephi, Utah but the number is no good. Any suggestions on where else I may find info on my local area for a necropsy?

 

[Eggcessive]

I am sorry to jump in but may I ask if there is a particular brand or type (for example, tablet form or capsule or???)

Equate (WalMart brand) is a calcium citrate tablet with vitamin D3, and is about $10. It is found in the vitamin aisle near the pharmacy. Any brand is fine, but aim for about 600mg of calcium.

 

[Eggcessive]

I used your link in the above comment and called the one listed in Nephi, Utah but the number is no good. Any suggestions on where else I may find info on my local area for a necropsy?

There is one in North Logan listed in that link, and it has a fax number and a regular phone number. Can you make sure to call the phone number, not the fax to see if it works?

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is a link I found for the Utah state lab:
https://www.usu.edu/uvdl/

 

[KClivlaughlove]

Indeed, thank you. One more question...I got the calcium citrate however it states 2 tablets equally 1 serving of 600 mg... So does that mean I would give her both (2 tablets)?

 

[azygous]

What does your bottle say on the front label? I think you may be confusing recommended daily serving for a human with the strength of each tablet. Ignore the instructions on the back of the bottle. If the front of your bottle says 600mg that's what's in each tablet. If the front of your bottle says 300mg, then each tablet is only 300 so two tablets are required as a proper dose for a hen in reproductive crisis.

 

[KClivlaughlove]

What does your bottle say on the front label? I think you may be confusing recommended daily serving for a human with the strength of each tablet. Ignore the instructions on the back of the bottle. If the front of your bottle says 600mg that's what's in each tablet. If the front of your bottle says 300mg, then each tablet is only 300 so two tablets are required as a proper dose for a hen in reproductive crisis.

No, I think I'm reading it to say there is 630mg ”per serving”, as per the front of the bottle, then on reverse in images 2...states 1 serving=2 tablets. So my understanding is to get her the 630mg needed, I'd have to give her 2 tablets. Please disagree and help me to understand if I'm incorrect. Thank you so so so very much!

 

[KClivlaughlove]

Here is a link I found for the Utah state lab:
https://www.usu.edu/uvdl/

Thank you! It's even closer to my home!

 

[azygous]

It's as I thought. You need to ignore the serving size. Your hen needs one tablet. That's how much is in one of those pills in that bottle. The serving size suggestion is only for humans, and it isn't based on anything other than to sell more of the product.

Let me explain further. Supplement manufacturers are required by law to state clearly on the front of the label what the strength of each pill is. In this bottle the label says it's 630mg. Now, all bets are off when they get to printing the back label. they can say what they want. Most supplement manufacturers will "suggest" you take twice or three times the amount a human body really needs. Why? To make more profit, of course. That's the reason they're manufacturing the supplement. In fact, too much calcium is very hard on the kidneys, animal or human. Why they are allowed to get away with suggesting so much is another whole discussion.

A hen in reproductive crisis needs around 600mg per day as long as she's in crisis. As soon as the crisis ends, unless thin shell or shell-less eggs are a pattern, no more calcium tablets should be given. If there's evidence the crisis was caused by poor calcium levels, then we continue giving the calcium tablets for another week or two. Kidney stones can result with too much calcium over a long period.